cbs12.com
CBS12 is a local news website that covers topics such as crime, sports, and community events in Palm Beach County. It also hosts a town hall series called Sinclair Cares: Children's Literacy and The National Desk. However, the quality of its journalism may be questioned due to several biases, contradictions, conflicts of interest, and deceptive practices that are evident in some of its articles.
57%
The Daily's Verdict
This news site has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on its reporting.
Bias
60%
Examples:
- The article presents a biased and one-sided view of the issue of squatters' rights in Florida. It does not provide any balanced or nuanced perspectives from other stakeholders, such as tenants' advocates, legal experts, or government officials.
- The author uses emotional language and sensational phrases to appeal to readers' sympathy and anger towards Peeples and her situation. The article does not acknowledge any possible reasons or circumstances why someone might sign a lease in good faith but later face difficulties with the landlord.
Conflicts of Interest
40%
Examples:
- The article quotes Steele as saying that the new law allows victims of squatting to 'simply fill out a form' and get rid of the squatters. This is contradictory because it suggests that the process is easy and quick, when in fact there may be other steps or requirements involved.
- The author does not provide any sources for its health claims about damages caused by mold or other issues. It also does not mention any scientific methods used to measure them.
- The author uses dehumanizing language to describe the squatters by calling them 'property scammers'.
Contradictions
70%
Examples:
- The article does not mention whether Peeples or her insurance company paid for the damages caused by the squatters. This is contradictory because it leaves out an important detail that may affect readers' perceptions of who was responsible and how much they suffered.
- The article states that Peeples had to file a 'notice of ejectment', which gave the squatters weeks to respond and delayed her from evicting them. This is contradictory because it implies that this was the only legal option available to Peeples, when in fact she could have filed a lawsuit or sought other remedies sooner.
- The author implies that squatters are scammers who use forged or false lease agreements to occupy properties illegally. It does not provide any sources for this claim, nor does it acknowledge any possible reasons or circumstances why someone might sign a lease in good faith but later face difficulties with the landlord.
Deceptions
65%
Examples:
- The article does not mention whether the new law was proposed, supported, or opposed by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the owner of CBS12. This is deceptive because it may influence readers' views on the motives or interests behind the news story.
- The article does not provide any sources for its claims about the health effects of mold or other issues caused by squatters. It also relies on unsupported and potentially misleading information that may influence readers' opinions or decisions without providing evidence.
- The author uses emotional language to appeal to readers' sympathy and anger towards Peeples and her situation. The article does not provide any sources for these claims.