Political Bias in the Media?

Question

If you are an entertainer, Political Bias is understandable, and as a citizen entertainer...its your right. However, I see alot of intentional political bias in the media. Especially on the left lately... This troubles me because I want to watch the news to hear .... well...THE NEWS!!! Not some SLANT on the news spoon-fed to me by some politically motivated hack disguised as a Journalist, who thinks Im stupid enough to take his word as gospel on a topic that conveniently demonizes a idealogical or political opponent...
Im curious, is anyone else out there troubled by the media's political bias particularly in election years? Dont you think they should just report the news like JOURNALISTS are supposed to report it, and not manufacture a story based on whatever fits their political template at the moment?
Dont you think politics belongs OUTSIDE Profesional Journalism?
Whats your opinion of it? Am I the only one who sees how obvious it is at times?

Answer 1

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rm84gOXkZaY

Answer 2

Thats just it....

The journalist are doing their job and are reporting you to. But dont forget that they are ultimately only human. The people they answer to are only human, they people that watch their shows are only human. None of these factors can ever be truly objective. I used to think it was sad that you couldnt get all the news from one source then i realized that if i got all my news from one source that its then obvious that the news source would be the ones to decide what gets on the air and what doesnt because they can only report so much within their time frame or within their 80 or so pages.
Dealing with the current media bias that we have is actually a good thing, because it forces citizens to get their news from more than one source so that they can hear a story from all sides.
Ever play that game "telephone" in elementary school? Its where the entire class sits in a circle and one student makes up a short story, and tells it to the person next to them, and they tell it to the person next to them, and it keeps going in that same fashion until it gets all the way back to the original person.
The story NEVER gets back to you the way it started, the only way to find out what the original story was, is to ask the different sources within the circle and with the facts, draw your own conclusions.
Same with the news that we see and read about in our everyday lives.

Answer 3

An unbiased media is better for political discourse, as it presents straight facts and allows the public to know enough to make sound decisions. However, to make media 'unbiased' does NOT mean to present all political viewpoints. Some of those viewpoints are lies. A truly unbiased media researches facts and is not afraid to report the truth wherever it may lead. Stalin spelled out the agenda for using a biased media to control the 'perceptions' of the masses, to deprive them of truthful information that might make the Socialists look bad and to feed the masses all sorts of imagery to make the Socialists look good.

Answer 4

Not so much a political bias, as a lazy person's bias. There's is not bias (persay), simply a COMPLETE lack of real journalism. They don't have an agenda, they just give you their opinions because they're convinced this is journalism (sitting in a studio all day reading bloggers reports, internet news stories, etc.....getting their information from people doing real journalism). Fox News does it on the right as bad as some others do it on the left. YOU CANNOT be adequately informed using network news anymore.....so sad. Lou Dobbs is the last of the real journalists.

Network news is filtered to sell....not inform.

Answer 5

analysts and columnists (editorials) are actually defined and designed to be more opinion than actual fact.

The problem with this is that they do NOT present it as such. You read a column by a columnist and you would think it was an actual news report, they don't make sure its distinguished because then less people would care.

I honestly think its time to repeal some of the 1st amendment protections these harrassers, stalkers and dangers to the public that we call journailsts, reporters and photogs.

If you want to report the news, you have 1st amendment access, if you are going to write a story or opinion be prepared for a suit. Its libel, and a columnist has intent by the very nature of their type of writing.

Answer 6

This isn't new. Bernard Goldberg wrote "Bias' a few years ago, and it wasn't new then either. The media has always been this way. The newspapers called President Lincoln an ape when he was alive, they didn't know what the word Chimp meant then.

Answer 7

I sooo agree with you. I'd love to see more the drew petersen case, the mumified dinosaur, or even the German beer price rise. keep politics out of profesional journalism. what do those idiots think c-span is for?

Answer 8

go ahead and give us your idea of what a professional journalist and indeed an entire organization of editors, and the business side of things would do without introducing bias.

I question if it is possible, but it appears you think it is.

If it is, then give us an example.

I suggest you get your news from that source.

But in the real world, I think you will find it is very hard to write in English without introducing bias once you get past lists like the phone book. Look at your question - seemingly simple, but laced with biased rhetorical devices that fool no one :)

Answer 9

Have you been away for the last forty years. Journalism is dead in America and has been for some time. Peace

Answer 10

Let me first ask you a question: How do you measure bias? How do you measure objectivity?

An English professor once told me the camera is only one eye. Even gonzo journalism conforms to certain point of view.

Answer 11

No, you're not the only one. I've reached the point where I'll only watch local news and wouldn't even consider paying for a newspaper. I find it appalling.