Why did Noam Chomsky argue that media bias does not require a conspiracy among journalists?

Noam Chomsky argues that media bias does not require a conspiracy among journalists because the behavior of media personnel is a predictable outcome of the institutional power structures in which they operate.1

Rather than a coordinated plot, Chomsky posits that journalists function within a system where professional success—such as being hired or promoted—depends on avoiding challenges to the interests of the corporations that employ them or the elite minority who run those corporations. Because journalists generally do not wish to view themselves as mercenaries, they often engage in self-deception, maintaining a belief that they are objective defenders of the truth while simultaneously framing their reporting in ways that support established privilege.1

In this view, the media acts as a "faithful servant" to state and corporate power, with journalists acting as "commissars" who limit debate and disseminate information that justifies the economic and political status quo. Consequently, the resulting bias is not the product of a conspiracy, but rather the expected behavior of individuals working within a system designed to protect elite interests.12