POINT: Media bias — the media is too biased
There is a new theory moving around amongst the leftists in this country. A fantasy of epic proportions, this new theory has gained the support of a few democrats in Congress and is gaining supporters among the populace at large. This theory is that the media (yep, you guessed it) are way too conservative.
Now I know that this theory may seem strange, but hey let’s hear them out. I know that you haven’t really seen Rush Limbaugh paraded around by the network news anchors as someone worth listening to, but I guess maybe he’s not. Those millions of people who listen to him every day must just be the fringe of America. Come to think of it, I really haven’t seen anyone to the right of Lenin who has been treated like they have something worthwhile to say by the national news media. But that must be what the people want, I mean we do live in an overwhelmingly liberal country, right? Oh, wait a minute, um, the Republicans did do pretty darn well in the last elections, and the last presidential race came down to a difference of less than a thousand votes. Hmm … I guess we’re not that liberal after all.
Folks, let’s get real for a minute. Anyone in their right mind who has seen more than 30 seconds of network news coverage knows that it is overwhelmingly skewed to the liberal side of things. I have never heard anyone called a liberal on CBS, ABC, or NBC, even people like Jesse Jackson, or Hillary Clinton who clearly are very liberal. And yet we constantly hear people considered only moderately conservative referred to as “right wing.”
In the ’92 presidential elections, only 7 percent of Washington, D.C.-area journalists voted for George Bush Sr. Eighty-five percent voted for Clinton. When these same journalists were asked to describe where they fit along the ideological spectrum, only 2 percent described themselves as conservatives. This is compared with 28 percent in 1962.
In early 2002, a self-described liberal who lived with this bias every day, finally decided that he had had enough. He noticed the news did tend to have a slant to it, and though it was a slant in favor of his beliefs, he felt as though it was a betrayal of his journalistic integrity. He spoke to many of his colleagues at CBS about the problem and did not receive any support, so he decided to take his concerns to the next level.
He wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, explaining that he, a liberal 25-year veteran of CBS news was upset by the bias he found in the media. Expecting only small disapproval from his colleagues, he was stunned by the response he received. Many of his long-time friends in the journalistic world have not spoken to him since. He eventually lost all that he had worked for as a result of speaking out for what he thought was right.
This man’s name is Bernard Goldberg, and he wrote a book about these experiences titled “Bias.” I recommend this book to anyone who wants to seriously consider the topic of bias in the media.
Many on the left will cry about the success of the Fox News channel, stating that this is evidence their really is no bias in the news. This is a load of bunk. The success of the Fox News channel is a direct result of the bias in the national news media. All those that have seen this rampant bias and have been disgusted by it have turned to stations that advertise “fair and balanced” news. In running from the pervasive and dishonest biases of the national networks, they have raised the popularity of several stations, not just the Fox News channel.
When will the media wake up and realize Americans are interested in the news and not just the liberal ideals of a few mediacrats like Ted Turner and Dan Rather? We want to see it from all sides, not just from the left or the right. It takes two eyes to see 20-20, and so far network news has been flying blind.
Gabe White is a senior majoring in political science. Comments can be sent to him at gkw@cc.usu.edu.