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Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
 Posted - 05/30/2004 : 08:48:12
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quote:
Dude, from the Fahreheit 9/11 thead in the Politics folder:
The media in the US is most definately liberal.
The subject of a liberal media came up in another thread. I believe that it is a myth. Say something enough times and many people will regard it as the truth. I have found a few Internet sources that reflect and support the view that the idea of a liberal slant in news reporting in the US is indeed a myth. For those who agree that the allegation is unsupported and for those who believe that there really is a liberal bias in the media, I have created this thread.
Here are a few reports and essays I found on the subject. There are many more where these came from...
A Fair Report
Fairness and accuracy in reporting
Examining the "Liberal Media" Claim
Journalists' Views on Politics, Economic Policy and Media Coverage
David Croteau
Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Sociology and Anthropology© June 1998
http://www.fair.org/reports/journalist-survey.html#intro
Quotes on "The Liberal Media"
http://pearlyabraham.tripod.com/htmls/media-quotes.html
Myth: The U.S. has a liberal media.
Fact: The media are being increasingly monopolized by parent corporations with pro-corporate or conservative agendas.
http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-liberalmedia.htm
What Liberal Media?
by Eric Alterman
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030224&s=alterman2
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Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2004 : 15:07:45 [Permalink]
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quote:
"Watching Fox, that's like watching the Cartoon Network. Fox is nuts."
Jon Stewart
One of my sons-in-law is a conservative Democrat (yes, there is such a thing) who loaths Bush almost as much as I do. He watchs a lot of Fox Nooz. Now, I know why. 
Apart from local news, I get most of my info off the Web. There must be thousands of sites. The trick is finding some that actually keep whatever bias they might have more or less under control.
I'm registered as an Independant and tend to be pretty much a left-leaning moderate.
Kil, I agree that the liberal bias in the national news is a myth.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2004 : 22:39:08 [Permalink]
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From the www.fair.org link
quote:
Q#22. On social issues, how would you characterize your political orientation?
Left 30%
Center 57%
Right 9%
Other 5%
quote:
Q#23. On economic issues, how would you characterize your political orientation?
Left 11%
Center 64%
Right 19%
Other 5%
Seems that journalists think of themselves as moderate. Ok.
But not everyone agrees....
http://www.thatliberalmedia.com/
http://www.mrc.org/
I'd be willing to modify my claim that the media is liberal to something like.... It's my opinion that the media is liberal.
I am not a political liberal or conservative... and from standing outside these two opposing and very polarizing points of view, it seems to me that the media is left of center in the US.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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gezzam
SFN Regular
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2004 : 00:01:23 [Permalink]
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Here in Australia the media is pretty good....
We have the Murdoch owned papers which lean to the right and the Fairfax press which lean to the left....
The commercial TV stations lean right and the two government TV stations lean left...
From what I see of the US news on cable it seems pretty conservative compared to our news.
Maybe the conservative media seem a lot more prevalent because they tend to rant and rave a lot more.
All I know that the Hannity's, the Coulters and O'Reillys don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Some of the skewing of facts and figures that Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter get away with is unbelievable.
At the risk of sounding elitist, the majority of lefties are more discerning or sceptical with what they read and if something sounds iffy, they will look it up a little further. The right just want to be told something that confirms their beliefs.
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Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from.
Al Franken |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2004 : 01:28:38 [Permalink]
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quote:
From what I see of the US news on cable it seems pretty conservative compared to our news.
The liberals in the US are conservative in comparison with European liberals. Not sure how they stack up against Aussie liberals.
quote:
At the risk of sounding elitist, the majority of lefties are more discerning or sceptical with what they read and if something sounds iffy, they will look it up a little further. The right just want to be told something that confirms their beliefs.
I'd say that the people at both ends of the spectrum want nothing more than to have their beliefs confirmed. I'd also agree that the majority of skeptics lean left.
quote:
All I know that the Hannity's, the Coulters and O'Reillys don't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Some of the skewing of facts and figures that Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter get away with is unbelievable.
Yep. It's crazy. But it's not so far fetched when you learn that the organization they work for is owned and operated by a radical rightwinger who encourages extremely biased reporting. These guys could work for the tabliods. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2004 : 13:09:26 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by gezzam
The right just want to be told something that confirms their beliefs.
Isn't that the ultimate goal of conservatism: never having the need to change your mind? |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 06/01/2004 13:09:57 |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2004 : 13:36:31 [Permalink]
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quote:
Isn't that the ultimate goal of conservatism: never having the need to change your mind?
Seems that way when you look at what is passing for conservatives in the US. I'd say, again, that you can apply this type of statement to the extremes of either of those philosophies. Neither one seems capable of objective critical thinking. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Tim
SFN Regular
USA
775 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2004 : 04:01:37 [Permalink]
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Dude, the intent of the twenty year old drive to pigeon hole the press corps as liberal was once based on real facts. Today however, that has changed. Today, the mantra is kept up in an attempt to continue to move the center farther to the right. While I will freely admit that journalists may lean left in many social platforms, the media as a hole is very much slanted right when dealing with fiscal matters.
Normally, I'd spend hours getting all of my ducks in a row, and proving my case, but I simply don't have the time. This is why I seldom post any longer.
Anyway, I did the research and laid out my case in another forum. I hope you will take the time and follow the link below. Afterwards, if you have any problems with my arguments, please feel free to state them.
In a nutshell, the media is sensitive to the needs of it's corporate parents. Editors and journalists are more likely to slant the news by what they don't tell us, rather than what they do tell us. For instance, how often have you heard the media report on the total number of unemployed and under-employed, rather than the number of those collecting unemployment benefits. The real levels of unemployment do not lead to good consumer confidence reports.
Anyway, I am registered as Hpiltdown at America's Debate. Please, read my post, and then let me know where my logic fails...
http://www.americasdebate.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4384&st=60rtions that the media is leftward leaning is based on |
"We got an issue in America. Too many good docs are gettin' out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their -- their love with women all across this country." Dubya in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 9/6/2004
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2004 : 05:03:53 [Permalink]
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Kil, I completely agree. As an additional reference, you should check out Bob Somerby's Blog, www.dailyhowler.com, where he has been picking apart the press in real-time for years. His thrust isn't so much that the media are liberal as much as that our press corps are lazy idiots.
However, one theme that constantly arises is that the media definitely aren't liberal. The greatest example comes from the 2000 election where Gore was routinely trashed by various arms of the media-- often with spin striaght from the RNC office! (E.g. the lie repeated ad nauseum that Gore said he "invented" the internet.) Bush, on the other hand, got a free ride.
If we were to ask how it is that people routinely make this claim, my guess would be that it's been part of a concerted effort on the part of conservative pundits (and politicians). By contantly repeating that mantra, negative press or analysis can be brushed off as just part of the "liberal" media and ignored.
Example: read what Mark Hyman, that spokes-whore for the conservative company Sinclair Broadcast Group, wrote for his 'The Point' commentary of 5/25/04 (www.newscentral.tv/thepoint/editorial). He argued that because the media focused more on the Abu Grab torture and less on the murder of Nick Berg, they were liberal. But his real point was to deflect attention to the fact that the present administration's war plan is utterly inept. Instead, any thoughtless dupe watching Hyman (Sinclair owns over 50 TV stations across the country) is supposed to think "He's right! Our media is (sic) liberal!" instead of all the myriad reasons why the stories of torture might be bigger than Nick Berg./Example
In addition, if the press-- who strive to be objective-- are bullied into thinking that their coverage is liberal, then they'll be more likely to give time to conservative views, even when invalid.
Example: anecdotally, ever notice the incredible amount of time during a discussion of climate change the conservatively spokesman get? One would think that the debate around global warming were hotly contested in the scintific community! It's not, of course, but in order to avoid the cries of "Liberal" from Rush and Fox News, scientists-- often from conservatively-funded think tanks-- get plenty of time to obfuscate./Example
This isn't to say that liberal views are always right, or conservative ones always wrong; that isn't my point. My point is that the days of a liberal media-- if there were such things-- are long gone. |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2004 : 07:49:44 [Permalink]
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The dividing line really isn't liberal/conservative. It's about corporate control of information. Corporations spend less money trying to find out the truth, and tend to regurgitate press releases as news.
Someone might look at a lack of criticism at Clinton's foreign policy to mean "liberal media" and a lack of criticism of Bush's foreign policy to mean "conservative media" while the problem is not liberal/conservative but lack of real information. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2004 : 08:23:04 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Gorgo
Someone might look at a lack of criticism at Clinton's foreign policy to mean "liberal media" and a lack of criticism of Bush's foreign policy to mean "conservative media" while the problem is not liberal/conservative but lack of real information.
Very good point. One wonders how critical NBC would be on, say, the war in Iraq when it's owned by GE, which gets lots-o'-cash doing defense work.
And the refusal to air the Rondal Reagan TV movie on-- ABC? CBS? I forget-- was obviously because of corporate pressures. See also Sinclair's refusal to show Nightline's reading of the names of the dead in Iraq on certain of their stations. |
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Maverick
Skeptic Friend
Sweden
385 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2004 : 08:26:04 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
quote:
Originally posted by gezzam
The right just want to be told something that confirms their beliefs.
Isn't that the ultimate goal of conservatism: never having the need to change your mind?
Exactly :) Or, "A conservative is a man who believes that nothing should
be done for the first time." Alfred E. Wiggam. (I really have no idea about who this guy is, just saw the quote once.) |
"Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe, and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy." -- Carl Sagan |
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2004 : 08:45:11 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dude
quote:
Isn't that the ultimate goal of conservatism: never having the need to change your mind?
Seems that way when you look at what is passing for conservatives in the US. I'd say, again, that you can apply this type of statement to the extremes of either of those philosophies. Neither one seems capable of objective critical thinking.
Isn't conservatism by definition a philosophy of anti-change or at least very slow change, while liberalism embraces change? And wouldn't that apply to openness to new ideas, or, changing one's mind? |
-Chaloobi
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| Edited by - chaloobi on 06/10/2004 08:52:41 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2004 : 09:41:33 [Permalink]
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Chaloobi wrote:quote:
Isn't conservatism by definition a philosophy of anti-change or at least very slow change, while liberalism embraces change? And wouldn't that apply to openness to new ideas, or, changing one's mind?
This is exactly why we need this new thread. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2004 : 21:57:26 [Permalink]
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After this week I may retract any claim that the news media shows a liberal bias. CNN/MSNBC/ect... none of the cable news networks have done anything except stroke Reagan's stiff dead corpse..... for an entire week.
Tried to watch MSNBC this evening... Scarborough Country was on and he had some writer on who wrote a book about Reagan's alledged faith. They run a crapload of blurbs and clips that have Reagan saying the word "god", and draw some conclusion that he's a man of faith..... and then they start talking about how armageddon and the "end of days" crap.... and somehow tie it into Reagan and conclude that he prevented armageddon by defeating the USSR.....
I'm not kidding..... |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2004 : 18:41:28 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dude
quote:
Isn't that the ultimate goal of conservatism: never having the need to change your mind?
Seems that way when you look at what is passing for conservatives in the US. I'd say, again, that you can apply this type of statement to the extremes of either of those philosophies. Neither one seems capable of objective critical thinking.
I wasn't thinking of American politics, but the general ideology.
Or perhaps I was...
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 06/13/2004 18:42:25 |
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