Media Bias, We report - you decide

Here's an example FROM TODAY of the supposed "liberal" media, rather than using any numbers that are 25 or 30 years old.

Four years ago, the networks immediately pounced on the conservative ideology of George W. Bush?s pick for Vice President, Dick Cheney. In the first 24 hours after Bush announced his choice, CBS alone tagged Cheney as "a bedrock conservative," "a rock-solid conservative" with a "a solidly conservative voting record" and a man whose ?politics are of the hard-right variety." But in the hours following John Kerry?s announcement that he selected John Edwards as his running mate, despite the fact that National Journal rated Edwards the fourth most liberal Senator for 2003, a focus on his ideology was absent from network coverage this morning.

Instead of hearing this morning about the liberalness of either Kerry or Edwards, CBS?s Harry Smith characterized Kerry?s announcement speech as "right down the middle." The middle? Coming from one of the most liberal senators in the US?

Earlier, at 7:45am EDT, reporter Byron Pitts gushed about the Edwards pick: "When you talk to Democrats 'Who would you like?' by far the name you hear most often is John Edwards. He's 51 years old, in 2000 People Magazine selected him the sexiest politician in America. He is a newcomer but he is by no means a novice to this business. He was on the Senate Intelligence Committee, he is considered one of the best debaters on the Senate floor, as you know, Harry, as a trial lawyer."

Here's a comparison from 2000 when the discussion was on Cheney. Note that this is all from just one day: Wednesday, July 26, 2000:

ABC: Linda Douglass referred to him as one of the "most conservative members" of Congress who had "a very conservative voting record." Diane Sawyer sighed that while he "doesn't look fire-breathing," he's "very conservative." George Stephanopoulos dubbed him a "very hardline conservative."

CBS: Bill Whitaker managed three different adjectives, tagging Cheney "a bedrock conservative" and "a rock-solid conservative" with a "a solidly conservative voting record." Whitaker also relayed how Democrats are "planning to paint him as too far right and wrong for the country." Plus, Bryant Gumbel put Cheney outside the mainstream: "Cheney's politics are of the hard-right variety."

NBC: Tom Brokaw noted Cheney's "stellar conservative credentials" before Anne Thompson stressed his "very conservative record." Lisa Myers agreed, recalling his days in Congress: "His voting record? Very conservative."

ABC's Linda Douglass offered only one expert opinion on Cheney's days in Congress and she insisted "he was on the far right." Douglass stressed how "he was one of the few to vote against more funds for the Older Americans Act, services for the elderly." Douglass reported that Cheney grew rich running Halliburton while consumers were getting screwed: "Records show he sold some of his holdings for $5 million last June, just as oil prices were skyrocketing and consumers were paying a premium at the pump."

CBS's Dan Rather stressed how Democrats "blast Cheney's voting record in Congress as again quote ?outside the American mainstream' because of Cheney's votes against the Equal Rights for Women Amendment, against a woman's right to choose abortion..." CBS also featured a soundbite from Democratic Senator Tom Daschle putting Cheney on "the far right."

Just in the above references I count 11 "conservative" or "right". I challenge anyone at CelticRadio to find 11 references of "liberal" or "left" about Edwards from Tuesday's major media newscasts. You can't - because NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN have a specific agenda that destroys any attempt at fair and balanced: getting a liberal into the White House.

As if Fox "News" Channel, the Washington Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Associated Press, the ChicagoTribune, and the vast majority of political talk radio don't?

Hi Guys - I hope I can jump in on this and not be rude.

Mike - You're so used to the slant from CNN, etc, that Fox reporting the news in a fair and balanced manner seems right leaning to you. It's not. It's simply the news, as it was meant to be.

As to the WSJ, their reporting and opinions are slanted towards what is good for the economy. Since the socialism that liberals promote is terrible for the economy, the stories presenting the facts will naturally present a case that is against whatever the liberal policy of the moment is.

With talk radio, I believe you are confusing your issues. Talk radio has never presented itself as anything but opinion, whether it is the host's or the caller's. The major news networks present their stories as facts - the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It is this disingenuousness that irritates me, and apparently many others.

If you don't want to be rude, you are in the wrong forum. The Cooking forum is a different catagory, where you aren't supposed to be rude. You ARE welcome here.

Thanks, maisky. I will do my best to offend and irritate you!!

THANK YOU!!

That's the key. Good job Brother Fran19. And don't worry about "being rude" - I've already paved that road.

NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN are considered to be the major mainstream news outlets. Fox News Channel, the Washington Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Chicago Tribune are single players.

Talk radio depends on callers to sustain their show, and provide debate, something liberal talk shows cannot handle. Liberalism cannot survive open debate.

And the AP certainly can't be claimed to be conservative. No way.

The Right Wing talk radio shows can HARDLY be called debate.

"S" are trying to tell me that Dick Cheney is not a hardline conservative. I'm willing to admit where I'm at, left of center. If Cheney is conservative, then the reporting was correct in his case and since "liberal" been turned into a slur by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingram and the rest of the reactionaries who have the talk shows that are forced down our throats, then to call somebody liberal would be akin to calling them Communist. Again I find it interesting that when example of the ultra-conservative media are pointed out, the conservatives are quick to call it good reporting.

???

I haven't heard a talk show for days, and certainly nothing has been forced down my throat (especially since I finished off that bottle of Laphroaig - yeah, it was forced at times )

I do believe the term "reactionaries" can be applied equally to the left and the right. You say Limbaugh, I say MoveOn.org.

"...since "liberal" been turned into a slur..." Oh my heavens. I didn't know that the cons had that much reign over the english language. Do you mean anything like "...since "conservative" been turned into a slur..." by CBS?

"...call somebody liberal would be akin to calling them Communist." Yeah, I've been accusing Brother Maisky of that for months now. He just won't admit it. Right Comrade?

Let's face it. There are fanatics on both sides of the aisle. Rush likes to paint liberals as "pinko-left-wingers" and MoveOn.org sees conservatives as "a vast-right-wing-conspiracy".

They're both right. And wrong.

I have both liberal and conservative friends (side note: I count both Shamalama and Maisky as friends, although I've never met either in the real world, only here in the forums.) and we agree and disagree on various issues.

I don't believe W. is evil.

I don't believe Kerry is evil, either.

But for the record, I don't believe Kerry would make a good president. After looking at his Senate voting record, I simply can't bring myself to vote for him. His voting record on 2nd Amendment issues is enough by itself.

So am I voting for Bush. No.

My choice? Michael Badnarik.

Media Bias? Try to find something about Badnarik in the media. Bush, Kerry, Cheney, Edwards, Nader? Yep. Anyone else, no.

Choice? Not much.

My choice? Badnarik.

Sorry if this rambles, it's been a rough day.

This post has been edited by gtrplr on 12-Jul-2004, 04:35 PM

I have strong disagreements with a few of Badnarik's positions, but gtrplr has made one very important observation:

"Media Bias? Try to find something about Badnarik in the media. Bush, Kerry, Cheney, Edwards, Nader? Yep. Anyone else, no."

Until the Libertarians get 20% of the vote they will never get any media coverage. And even then all they'll get is "Aren't you the people that want to legalize marijuana?" and skip over every other issue. Sad.

I don't agree with Badnarik on every issue. I'm personally opposed to gay marriage, for instance.

(sidebar: Since the bible says that God considers homosexuality an abomination, and God ordained marriage, I don't consider either gays or lesbians married, regardless of what anyone or any government says. If they aren't married in the sight of God, they aren't married. Period. Just my humble opinion, your mileage may vary.)

However, I agree with him on enough issues (2nd amendment, war on drugs, income tax, just to name a few) that I can vote for him with no problem.

BTW, I highly recommend Vin Suprynowicz June 27 column. Of course, I highly recommend just about anything Vin writes.

What a grueling interview.

Look at the questions below:

"What were you like as a kid?"
"Was there ever any doubt about you going to college even though neither of your parents did?"
"Tell me about your wife. Where did you meet her?"
"Why did you want to be a lawyer?"
"I gather you were a hell of a lawyer."
"I gather you?ve never been short of confidence."

These are all of the questions Peter Jennings was shown asking John Edwards, the person who would be one heartbeat away from the Presidency, in an interview played on the July 7 World News Tonight. This would not happen to either Bush or Cheney.

And maybe a bit of honesty?

"Let?s talk a little media bias here. The media, I think, wants Kerry to win. And I think they?re going to portray Kerry and Edwards ? I?m talking about the establishment media, not Fox ? but they?re going to portray Kerry and Edwards as being young and dynamic and optimistic and all. There?s going to be this glow about them that some, is going to be worth, collectively, the two of them, that?s going to be worth maybe 15 points."

That was Newsweek Assistant Managing Editor Evan Thomas on the July 10 edition of Inside Washington.