Liberal Here, Conservative There

[Dos Equis]

From a local liberal columnist.  Don't like him much, but thought these definitions were kinda funny:

LIBERAL
- Tolerant, Generous, Enlightened, Broadminded, Lavish, Charitable

Antonym
CONSERVATIVE
Stingy, Miserly, Regressive, Narrow-Minded, Reactionary, Bigoted, Prejudiced, Biased

"Well, that’s one way of looking at it"

http://www.midweek.com/content/columns/justthoughts_article/liberal_here_conservative_there/

And to answer his question at the end of the article, he is liberal as the day is long. 

[youandme]

And to answer his question at the end of the article, he is liberal as the day is long. 

Can't remember the exact figure but it's either 78% or 86% of journalists with major broadcasters label themselves as liberals

[Dos Equis]

Can't remember the exact figure but it's either 78% or 86% of journalists with major broadcasters label themselves as liberals

Not sure about the precise numbers, but I've heard/read the same thing.   

[Decker]

Can't remember the exact figure but it's either 78% or 86% of journalists with major broadcasters label themselves as liberals

They consider themselves liberals on some social issues like minority rights or women in the workplace.  I don't think I've ever seen a self-admitted liberal in the media on economic issues.

I also saw a report that the majority of editorial boards of US newspapers is conservative.

Those 78 or 86% of journalists would not keep their jobs very long if they reported stories that undercut or challenge the bottom line of their employers--the major corporations that own the media.

So they are free to believe what they want.  When the rubber meets the road, the reported stories will jibe with the interests of the employer.  Unless journalism is unique among businesses where the owner is entirely inconsequential to the work process.

[Dos Equis]

They consider themselves liberals on some social issues like minority rights or women in the workplace.  I don't think I've ever seen a self-admitted liberal in the media on economic issues.

I also saw a report that the majority of editorial boards of US newspapers is conservative.

Those 78 or 86% of journalists would not keep their jobs very long if they reported stories that undercut or challenge the bottom line of their employers--the major corporations that own the media.

So they are free to believe what they want.  When the rubber meets the road, the reported stories will jibe with the interests of the employer.  Unless journalism is unique among businesses where the owner is entirely inconsequential to the work process.

Hardly inconsequential IMO.  They influence public opinion.  I didn't pay any attention to the "liberal bias" allegations till fairly recently (last couple years).  It's absolutely there.  I see it in headlines on CNN all the time.  Most of the time it's subtle, sometimes it's just blatant.  That's partly why I like to look at liberal and conservative sites for news, commentary, etc. 

[Decker]

Hardly inconsequential IMO.  They influence public opinion.  I didn't pay any attention to the "liberal bias" allegations till fairly recently (last couple years).  It's absolutely there.  I see it in headlines on CNN all the time.  Most of the time it's subtle, sometimes it's just blatant.  That's partly why I like to look at liberal and conservative sites for news, commentary, etc. 

I just don't see liberal bias.  I'm not even sure what that means.  For economics I would assume that means we would see union reps on TV giving the side of the story of labor...same goes for newspapers.  Labor would have its own section in the daily paper. 

I just don't see that, do you?

How about in terms of political punditry?  When's the last time you saw Noam Chomsky on any national political venue?  How about Gore Vidal?

I watched the FOX news show this morning.  Here's their pundit panel:  a neo-con, a right winger, a moderate conservative, and a moderate.   That's not exactly even-handed.  And that is the norm for all major news stations.

I would say that when actual news reporting is done in the media, it is biased to business interests which almost always lean to the right.

[youandme]

You living in the 60's decker? That was when the conservatives first charged journalists as being lefters, it did not hold up until they conducted studies and found it to be true, most swing to the right on wedge issues, the gap is very small with regards to economics. Since 1964, every democratic presidential candidate has recieved more than 80 percent of the journalist vote.

Charles Cook the political reporter/analyst once lamented that "if you don't se the liberal agenda in news media outlets your kidding yourself"

For the life of me, can't figure out where I read those numbers, it was a study done on agenda setting and the "cnn effect"

[Dos Equis]

I just don't see liberal bias.  I'm not even sure what that means.  For economics I would assume that means we would see union reps on TV giving the side of the story of labor...same goes for newspapers.  Labor would have its own section in the daily paper. 

I just don't see that, do you?

How about in terms of political punditry?  When's the last time you saw Noam Chomsky on any national political venue?  How about Gore Vidal?

I watched the FOX news show this morning.  Here's their pundit panel:  a neo-con, a right winger, a moderate conservative, and a moderate.   That's not exactly even-handed.  And that is the norm for all major news stations.

I would say that when actual news reporting is done in the media, it is biased to business interests which almost always lean to the right.

There is lip service and an attempt to appear balanced by various news outlets.  No argument there.  But I see a clear difference (sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant) between how, for example, CNN and Fox cover the news.  Headlines are worded differently.  The stories they choose to highlight are often different. 

Next time I see it, I’ll try to remember and post comments here. 

[Decker]

There is lip service and an attempt to appear balanced by various news outlets.  No argument there.  But I see a clear difference (sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant) between how, for example, CNN and Fox cover the news.  Headlines are worded differently.  The stories they choose to highlight are often different. 

Next time I see it, I’ll try to remember and post comments here. 

I know you have a lot on your plate already but I really would appreciate it if you would post some stories evincing the liberal spin on our national news.  I do appreciate it BB.

Like I said, if we look at the media in terms of economic reporting, I could not find one popular national news source that is Liberal.  As far as the media is concerned, Labor either doesn't exist or it is a threat to the general economic well-being of the community/nation as a whole:  the 'harmful' effects of striking labor.