"Once a newspaper touches a story, the facts are lost forever, even to the protagonists." ~ Norman Mailer
I am always taken back somewhat by claims from some Liberals that the media has a right leaning bias. Personally, I have rarely seen that. I think many times when the media is being accused of Conservative bias, it's simply a matter of them telling the truth.
Yesterday, I finished reading a book by Bernard Goldberg, "Arrogance". The subtitle is "Rescuing America from the Media Elite." It is about bias in the media. In it, Mr. Goldberg points to several examples of bias in the media. The following quotes come from The Media Research Center, which, as far as a lot of Liberal media elites are concerned, is a right wing outfit that spends too much time monitoring television sets and reading too many newspapers and getting too excited when they spot even the slightest hint of Liberal bias in the news:
"I think there's a big difference when people told (Haitian President) Father Aristide to sort of moderate his views, they were concerned about people being dragged through the streets, killed....I don't think that is what Newt Gingrich has in mind. I think he's looking at a more scientific, a more civil way of lynching people." ~ NPR reporter Sunni Khalid, on C-SPAN's Journalists Roundtable, October 14, 1994
"If being racist is no longer acceptable, then how come the schools are in such bad shape, and black kids don't get a good education still and the criminal justice system is filled with young black men?" ~ Mara Liasson, on FOX News Sunday, November 2, 1997
(That's FOX News)
"The [GOP] Platform is, again, very strongly pro-life and rejects abortion rights, and the platform specifically comes out against gay unions, and against legal protections based on sexual preferences. So is this really an open, compassionate, intolerant party?" ~ Charles Gibson to Lynne Cheney, on ABC's Good Morning America, August 16, 2000
"Since September 11, the word 'Terrorist' has come to mean someone who is radical, Islamic, and foreign. But many people believe we have as much to fear from a homegrown group of anti-abortion crusaders." ~Reporter Jami Floyd, on ABC's 20/20 November 28, 2001
"The new Republican majority in Congress took a big step today on it's legislative agenda to demolish or damage government aid programs, many of them designed to help children and the poor." ~ Dan Rather, on the CBS Evening News, March 16, 1995
"There are 60 million Catholics in America, and for many of them he also speaks with the voice of a conservative crank when he stonewalls on abortion, birth control, married priests, women priests, and so on." ~ Washington Post reporter Henry Allen, referring to Pope John Paul II, October 2, 1995
"TV viewers saw a well-orchestrated image of a moderated Republican Party, portraying itself as a pro-woman, pro-minorities, and pro-tolerance. This is in sharp contrast to the delegates on the floor, sixty percent of whom self-identified as conservative Christians." ~ Bonnie Erbe, NBC Radio News/Westwood One reporter, hosting, To the Contrary on PBS, August 16, 1996
I find that last remark particularly offensive as a Conservative Christian. Personally, I have more compassion than the majority of leftists for women and minorities, who hold them down By propagating the "victim mentality".
And finally, there's this gem, under the heading of, "You can't make this stuff up":
"If she had lived, Mary Jo Kopechne would be 62 years old. Through his tireless work as a legislator, Edward Kennedy would have brought comfort to her in her old age." ~ Charles Pierce, in a Boston Globe Magazine profile of Senator Kennedy, January 5, 2003
Abe Rosenthal, former executive editor of the New York Times, summed up one of journalism's golden rules when he said, "I don't care if my reporters f**k the elephants, but if they do, they're not covering the circus."
Apparently, some very important people in journalism don't understand that sentiment.
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11 comments:
And for every example of "liberal" bias, I could provide an example of "conservative" bias, so what would it prove?
Here's an excellent essay on the point you may want to check out:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/
articles/02/07/12_mrc.html
The author points out that you can find what you look for and, if conservatives look for liberal media bias, by George, they'll find it. But the methods used to do so to "prove" liberal biased tend to be pretty sloppy.
It's worth a read.
Some people are so far to the left that the center LOOKS like the far right to them. Their judgment is so impaired that anything that contradicts their beliefs is to them, an example of conservative bias. That situation will never be remedied.
I have absolutely no trouble finding bias in the Media, both Left and Right Leaning, any time I want it.
What I have trouble finding in the Media anymore is the TRUTH.
During the recent Port-gate Scandal, there were people attacking it, and people defending it, but no one actually describing it, or trying to find out the REAL details of it, with the possible exception of Tony Snow.
I can form my own opinions, if I have all the information.
Nobody's opinion on anything is worth listening to UNLESS it is based on true facts.
Too often , though, in todays political landscape, the people who are supposed to be telling us what to think about are too busy telling us what to think, and the true facts are left to fall by the wayside.
Lone Ranger, Goldberg made that point in his book.
That's a great quote, from Mailer.....How about a few more?
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“In the News there is no Truth, and in the Truth there is no News.” - Russian Proverb
“Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand on a clock.” - Ben Hecht
“Hastiness and superficiality are the psychic diseases of the twentieth century, and more than anywhere else this disease is reflected in the press.” – Alexander Solzhenitsyn
"Why don't you just report the news instead of what might be the news?" — Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
"The most important service rendered by the press and the magazines is that of educating people to approach printed matter with distrust." — Samuel Butler
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Thank God for then New Media.
The liberal regressive socialist elitists are left with only three toeholds in america, the MSM, public schools and Hollywood. The Scotus dealt the left two heavy-handed 8-0 votes in the last few days and more are to come as states under their constitutional rights pass laws limiting abortion and gun control. It looks like Chief Justice Roberts is proving to be a persuasive leader, and with the rise of the new media, the public is better informed.
Lone Ranger said:
"Some people are so far to the left that the center LOOKS like the far right to them."
And, of course, I assume that you believe the opposite is true?
Yes, Dan, I do believe the opposite is true. The difference is the radicals on the right don't head up the Republican National Committee nor are they in leadership positions in Congress. They don't have nationally syndicated radio show. They are treated with the disdain they deserve. Democrats do not seem capable of drawing such lines.
Name one wild leftwing national candidate.
Dean? He was tentatively pro-war and sometimes pro-death penalty and was endorsed by the NRA 8 times. He's no conservative but he's no far left winger, either. He's a moderate liberal.
I don't know what measure y'all have for Left Wing but it seems pretty far Right to this individual who gets accused of being a Leftist.
"I hate Republicans and everything they stand for." If that's a moderate, Osama is a Baptist.
That statement is not a policy-related statement. It is an anti-partisan statement.
Doesn't make him a swinging Leftie. Makes him a poor statesman.
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