Do you believe there is a leftist bias

[Guest Dangerous A]

Do you believe there is a leftist bias amongst mainstream media? (CBS, ABC, NBC)

 

 

This question is spawned from me reading Bernard Goldberg's whistle blowin book " Bias: A CBS Insider's story about bias in the news"

 

 

Do you think there is a bias out there?

[Guest Tyler McClelland]

Most bias is suppressed by publishers/station managers.

 

No one doubts that reporters worldwide lean left, but what is allowed on the news is highly toned down.

 

That being said, that doesn't mean any of the information is any less valid (as Rob would have us believe)

[Guest JMA]

No. But keep in mind that I AM an evil leftist. Seriously, with the exception of Faux News leaning to the right, I don't see any bias. I also don't trust Bernie Goldberg. He couldn't even get his own facts straight in his book.

[Guest JMA]

But keep in mind that I AM an evil leftist.

That's a joke, BTW. I'm actually a moderate who leans left on most issues. Though I do think libertarians have some good ideas.

[Guest NoCalMike]

Well I am a leftist so I see a media bias for the 2 parties over EVERYONE ELSE.....hell at this point I would love for the Green Party/Libertarian part to get some negative press if that is what it would take to get their names in the news.

 

I believe shows like Dateline and 20/20 may be biased, but not many people I know look to those shows as the basis on their voting.

 

Finally, if "left-bias" means bias for the democrats then I can probably agree on some parts, but NO WAY is there is true bias towards the real left. I think the media does a good coverup job of making people believe the Democrats are as left as it gets.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Is Big Media biased? I think so. I don't think it is a grand conspiracy, but personal opinions do pose an influence in deciding what news is fit to print.

 

With that being said, I believe a majority of local newspapers -- with exceptions in liberal strongholds like San Fran. etc. -- are generally conservative...

[Guest Vern Gagne]

With that being said, I believe a majority of local newspapers -- with exceptions in liberal strongholds like San Fran. etc. -- are generally conservative...

What papers beside the New York Post, and Washinton Times can be considered Conservative leaning?

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

I should have better clarified my "conservative" point.

 

When I say "conservative" I don't mean they are in love with the Republican Party. What I meant was many local papers reflect the viewpoints of their readers, which in many cases are conservative as in "not embracing radical change." For example, I know for a fact that the Middletown Journal (the piece of crap rag that covers all the redneck activity in SW Ohio) hasn't plastered that stupid Agusta golf fiasco as much, if not at all, like the NY Times has.

 

I don't consider the Washington Times and NY Post local publications. In addition, it has been my general experience that local papers (not ALL) gerneral endorse measures that the majority of the population favor...

[Guest Vern Gagne]

I understand what you mean. I've only read the White Bear Press and it's pretty apolitical.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

The local paper here (which is awful) leans to the right quite a bit, but that's mainly because of the audience. My town, which is comprised mainly of older conservatives and republican farmers, hasn't elected a democrat in quite some time.

[Guest Powerplay]

With that being said, I believe a majority of local newspapers -- with exceptions in liberal strongholds like San Fran. etc. -- are generally conservative...

What papers beside the New York Post, and Washinton Times can be considered Conservative leaning?

LOCAL Newspapers. Not the national ones. And he's right: A lot of small town newspapers are. Plus, the Detroit News is decidely conservative and it is a Mainstream Newspaper.

[Guest J*ingus]

My local paper, the Tennessean, is fairly conservative.

 

In general, if "Big Media" has any bias, it's simply towards money. Watching my local news broadcasts, it's shameful how much they've changed in just the last few years to pander to the lowest common denominator in order to grab ratings points. Any political leanings tend to be left behind in the race for profits.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

That's a joke, BTW. I'm actually a moderate who leans left on most issues. Though I do think libertarians have some good ideas.

Dreamer. I couldn't help but notice that in the Political Beliefs Thread all your beliefs are liberal. In what way would you consider yourself a moderate.

[Guest JMA]

Dreamer. I couldn't help but notice that in the Political Beliefs Thread all your beliefs are liberal. In what way would you consider yourself a moderate.

Those are only some of my political beliefs. For instance, I'm interested in some libertarian ideas (such as no taxes, ending the war on drugs, and allowing immigrants free passage into the US). Therefore, I'm more of a moderate who leans to the left. I hope this has been helpful to you.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Yes. Don't be insulted, I was just curious.

[Guest DrTom]

In 1992, 89% of media members voted Democrat.

 

In 1996, 88% of media members voted Democrat.

 

You do the math.

[Guest JMA]

In 1992, 89% of media members voted Democrat.

 

In 1996, 88% of media members voted Democrat.

 

You do the math.

I wouldn't say Democrat means the same thing as liberal. I do agree there is a bias towards Democrats, but I certainly wouldn't call the media "liberal." After all, I know of Republicans who are pro-choice.

[Guest Crazy Dan]

I think that there is truth to the left leaning. However, all I have to do is turn on a talk radio program, and it seems to me that I either hear someone who is very conservative, or someone who is ultra-super conservative. And if I turn on Fox News, I trully believe that is a very right leaning network. Just look at all the talk shows that they have lined up. Alan Colmes is the only one who is more liberal, but most of the time, it's Hannity hogging most of the air time, with an occasional jar from Colmes.

 

I read my local paper and the SF Chronical, and most of the stories I read usually are just stating the facts and I am not able to really see a leaning. Now the opinion page might be more left leaning, but that isn't going to influence me too much.

 

I think that there is a balancing that is developing here. though, I won't be surprise if more and more media starts leaning more towards the right.

Just that radio has been taken over by the right, and cable news is slowly going that way.

[Guest Brian]

Democrat is very middle ground.

[Guest JMA]

Democrat is very middle ground.

I agree.

[The Robfather 0]

Anyone who is interested in liberal bias in the media should check out this website:

The Media Research Center

 

They have an archive of quotes from so-called journalists that really put things in perspective.

 

Take a few minutes to read some of it and see if you still believe there isn’t a liberal bias...

 

*Edit* I just realised that this website is run by L. Brent Bozell. Didn't even realise it. Oh well, it's still a great resource...

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Oh man, you're going to catch hell for putting that link up -- BTW: I visit it every now and then because they do have some funny @ss stuff...

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Is it fair to say that Peter Jennings is a liberal.

[Guest JMA]

Is it fair to say that Peter Jennings is a liberal?

He could be, but I doupt it. Rush Limbaugh himself apologized for making hostile remarks towards him. The guy is also so incredibly nice. I really doupt he holds grudges. I would call him a moderate. He just seems like a guy with common sense.

[Guest JMA]

Anyone who is interested in liberal bias in the media should check out this website:

The Media Research Center

 

They have an archive of quotes from so-called journalists that really put things in perspective.

 

Take a few minutes to read some of it and see if you still believe there isn’t a liberal bias...

 

*Edit* I just realised that this website is run by L. Brent Bozell. Didn't even realise it. Oh well, it's still a great resource...

Are you Rob Johnstone?

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Is it fair to say that Peter Jennings is a liberal?

He could be, but I doupt it. Rush Limbaugh himself apologized for making hostile remarks towards him. The guy is also so incredibly nice. I really doupt he holds grudges. I would call him a moderate. He just seems like a guy with common sense.

Everytime someone says someone is a liberal...Colmes, Jennings, Turner you say their more moderate. Yet O'Reilly and Murdock are definite Republicans (which I think is true). I'm sure Jennings would call himself a moderate, but lot's of liberals use the term moderate to make their left-wing beliefs sound main stream.

[Guest JMA]

Everytime someone says someone is a liberal...Colmes, Jennings, Turner you say their more moderate. Yet O'Reilly and Murdock are definite Republicans (which I think is true). I'm sure Jennings would call himself a moderate, but lot's of liberals use the term moderate to make their left-wing beliefs sound main stream.

I don't anything "everytime" someone says something. How exactly do you define a liberal? And, for that matter, how do you define a conservative? How do we look beyond the stereotypes and get to the truth? I only repeated what Alan Colmes said: He said he was a moderate. But yet on Faux News he is pushed as a liberal to Hannity's so-called "arch-conservativism." And I have serious doupts Turner is a liberal. But that's just me. To O'Reilly's credit he isn't as bad as the others, but the network he is on is still more biased than any other I've watched.

 

Most people define liberals as being open-minded people who want fairness and equal rights. The negative stereotype is that they are the PC police and are, for some undefinable reason, "UnAmerican." Whereas conservatives want an older form of goverment in play, reminisant of the fifties. The negative stereotype they face are being labelled as Bible-thumpers and hate-mongers who can't let go of the past. Both stereotypes severly hurt both idealogies. I see Jennings as above all that.

 

Why does someone who is open-minded automatically have to be a liberal? For instance, my beliefs are mostly left-wing. But I don't feel it is right to label myself a liberal when there is so much more beliefs I have. I don't want to be held down by one ideology. I want to be constantly changing, gathering new ideas and processing those ideas.

[Guest NoCalMike]

The guy who wrote the book "BIAS" will be on Chris Matthews Hardball college tour next Wednesday night. I am sure DA will have an interest since he has the book.

[Guest DrTom]

Peter Jennings has written speeches for people like Barbra Streisand, who are members of Hollywood's liberal elite. The speech was called, "The Artist as Activist," and I guess it wasn't bad as far as speeches go. The problem was that Peter wasn't around to help Ol' Babs with the questions she had to field at the end. Her answers could all be summed up as, "I think the government needs to spend more money on this."

 

If Jennings doesn't want to be seen as a liberal, perhaps he should avoid giving people that perception.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

The media holds the largest bias towards ratings.