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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bill who wrote (168320)	8/7/2001 10:02:50 AM
From: Mr. Whist	Respond to of 769667

Re: "A survey revealed that over 90% of journalists vote democrat party." One exception is the N.Y. Times reporter that D-Dubya-I and Dick Cheney called a "major league asshole." He voted for Dole in '96. Ha ha ha ha ha.

To: Bill who wrote (168320)	8/7/2001 10:38:44 AM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 769667

MEDIA BIAS? The Liberal Slant of Mass Media -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Don T. Forse, Jr. Director of Operations AFA/Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The debate has raged for years. Conservatives accuse the media of having a liberal bias and the media accuse conservatives of being paranoid. Who's right? Are conservatives so out of touch with America that an objective media comes across as hostile? Or are the media attempting to advance a political agenda by slanting the news? To answer these questions, it is necessary to study those who actually report the news. How do journalists describe their personal political leanings? The Media Elite by S. Robert Lichter, Stanley Rothman and Linda S. Lichter (1990, Hastings House, Book Publishers) attempts to answer this question. During 1979 and 1980, the authors of The Media Elite interviewed 238 journalists from the entire spectrum of mass media. Reporters, department heads, editors, executives, anchors and correspondents from America's most influential media outlets -- including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, CBS, NBC, ABC and PBS -- were asked questions about their background and beliefs. For instance, how do leading journalists describe their personal political philosophy? A majority, 54%, described themselves as "left of center," compared to only 17% who chose "right of center." When asked to rate their co-workers, the disparity grows even greater. 56% believe their colleagues are "on the left," while only 8% say they are on the right -- a margin of 7-to-1. Not surpisingly, the media's liberal attitude is also reflected in their voting behavior. In 1972, when more than 60% of all voters chose Nixon, over 80% among the media elite voted for George McGovern, the most liberal presidential candidate of the last half-century. While some might claim this is due to tenuous relations between Nixon and the press, it should be noted that in 1976, leading journalists preferred Carter over Ford by the same margin. These voting patterns are consistent with journalists' self-description on a wide range of social and political issues. The following figures are reprinted from The Media Elite. Social-Cultural 90% believe in abortion rights. 25% believe homosexuality is wrong. 47% believe adultery is wrong. 19% believe environmental problems are overstated. 80% believe strongly in affirmative action. Economics 68% believe government should reduce income gap. 48% believe government should guarantee jobs. Foreign Policy 56% believe the U.S. exploits the Third World and causes poverty. 57% believe America's use of resources are immoral. The attitudes and values of the media elite are clear. Most follow the lead of the Eastern liberal establishment and reject the notion of traditional morality. In the worst cases, these journalists attempt to use their position to change public opinion on the social and political issues of the day. These aren't the New Deal liberals of FDR, however, but the social liberals of the post-Watergate era. By their own admission, they favor a strong welfare state, abortion-on-demand, homosexual rights and affirmative action, and are increasingly critical of America itself. It's accurate to say that the media elite are extremely liberal when compared to the general population. The question isn't whether they're liberal -- they are. What is in dispute is whether these journalists let their personal beliefs influence their coverage of news. While acknowledging their own leftward leanings, most journalists maintain that they are fair and impartial, and that their political philosophy doesn't affect their coverage of the news. Such a claim is truly incredible. It is unreasonable to assume that their personal views, whatever they may be, don't influence the way they present a story. While the Lichter/Rothman study is somewhat dated, few would argue that things have improved since 1980. As conservatives, we should maintain a healthy skepticism of mass media and be willing to make our voices heard when the liberal slant is painfully obvious. afatexas.org