By: Diane Benjamin
Read this story ONLY after you read what Grok said when I asked it to: Say how much bias is in this story. Below is a lot of what it reported. Type it in yourself is you want to see what else was reported.
If you think the McLean County Clerk forum is going to be fair, you aren’t fair. (Tuesday 7-8 Bone Student Center)
Should we celebrate they have ISU students on staff learning how to be bias?
Is defacing your opponents signs okay Buck?
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Farley is supporting Crockett for clerk supposedly because of his time on the Heartland Board. RAISING property taxes is a requirement for democrat office evidently. Crockett did.
Grok report:
Where bias shows up
1. Space and depth allocation
Farley receives more total quote space and more developed discussion on secondary issues. The public-safety section is almost entirely Farley’s concerns about Flock cameras and potential ICE access, with only a short, general reply from Lord about the sheriff’s office and “don’t fix what isn’t broke.” Lord’s views on other priorities get less development.
2. Framing and loaded self-description
- Farley is introduced with his preferred self-label (“New Deal” style Democrat focused on the middle class) and given room to expand on values language (“we should not live in a society where we value the dollar over the human,” judging society by how the poorest live).
- Lord’s framing is more functional (bank-board analogy for protecting taxpayers). The contrast is real, but the emotional/values language is allowed more room for the Democrat.
3. Unchallenged partisan claim
Farley states that Republicans controlled the board “since forever, 1950s,” and that only under Democratic control has mental-health funding been used properly instead of “just sitting there.” This is presented as fact without pushback, historical context, or a response from Lord. That is a classic selection omission.
4. Endorsement and critique linkage
Farley’s endorsement of the Democratic clerk challenger (Josh Crockett) and criticism of the current clerk and auditor are given significant space and framed around accessibility of voting and fiscal responsibility. Lord’s related comments are shorter and more carefully caveated by the reporter.
5. Institutional context
WGLT is a university public radio station. Local public-media outlets often lean left-of-center in story selection and emphasis even when individual pieces avoid overt editorializing. The piece stays within the bounds of “both sides quoted,” but the cumulative effect tilts toward validating Farley’s priorities (social services funding, progressive concerns about surveillance/immigration enforcement) more than Lord’s (tax restraint, tighter financial oversight).
One glaring bias I notice in WGLT is that when a Republican is the Incumbent they write they are challenging the Democrat. When a Democrat is the incumbent the Republican is challenging the current elected Democrat. Their favoritism for particular candidates is obvious.
To say WGLT is biased is giving them too much credit. They’re actually political zealots.