Call it confirming the obvious, but a poll released today by the Zogby organization, conducted in conjunction with the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet, reveals that a vast majority of Americans believe that the media is biased. 83% of likely voters said the media is biased in one direction or another, while just 11% believe the media doesn’t take political sides.Of particular significance: "nearly two-thirds of those online respondents who detected bias in the media (64%) said the media leans left, while slightly more than a quarter of respondents (28%) said they see a conservative bias."
Other findings of interest:
- "97% of Republicans surveyed said the media are liberal, two-thirds of political independents feel the same, but fewer than one in four independents (23%) said they saw a conservative bias. Democrats, while much more likely to perceive a conservative bias than other groups, were not nearly as sure the media was against them as were the Republicans. While Republicans were unified in their perception of a left-wing media, just two-thirds of Democrats were certain the media skewed right – and 17% said the bias favored the left."
- "As the influence of blogs has risen, mainstream news organizations have attempted to get in on the action by creating their own blogs to counter those run by private citizens and those not in the news business. But American voters remain skeptical of major news outlets diving in to the blog pool – 26% speculated that the reason news organizations are placing blogs on their Web sites is that 'blogs give news organizations a chance to promote a political agenda they could not promote in their regular broadcasts, cablecasts, or publications.'”
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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I see it biased both ways. A
March 14, 2007 - 15:20 ET by mostlymoderateI see it biased both ways. ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS seem too liberal. Talk Radio seems too conservative. Newspapers seem too liberal. Hollywood seems too liberal. Fox seems too conservative. Hmmm. That's why I love the Internet...that's why we need to keep the Internet FREE from regulation or monopolization.
Talk Radio seems too conser
March 14, 2007 - 15:25 ET by Dave RTalk Radio seems too conservative.
Talk radio is not "news."
Thank you.
March 15, 2007 - 04:49 ET by ampul manThank you.
UH... YOU'RE WELCOME?
March 15, 2007 - 04:54 ET by CarpareusUH...
YOU'RE WELCOME?
There's no way that FOX is to
March 14, 2007 - 15:26 ET by rimskyThere's no way that FOX is too conservative. Their Fair and Balance slogan and their consistant effort to have both conservative and liberal opinions represented, especially on Brit Hume's Special Report, only makes it seem more conservative because all the other major networks are sooooo far left.
I never thought of it that wa
March 14, 2007 - 15:29 ET by mostlymoderateI never thought of it that way. Good point. The sudden "immersion" into FOX after watching ABC, NBC, CBS or PBS could make FOX *seem* more conservative. You might be onto something. Thanks.
"Their Fair and Balanced
March 14, 2007 - 15:31 ET by Agnostic front"Their Fair and Balanced slogan" is exactly that: a slogan. It's freakin' blatant propaganda.
The politburo would be proud.
Blatant Propaganda? That mi
March 14, 2007 - 15:39 ET by rimskyBlatant Propaganda? That might be just a little over the top, Aggie.
And the Stasi would be proud of CNN
March 14, 2007 - 15:40 ET by Carl KolchakThe politburo would be proud of Fox, and the Stasi would be proud of CNN.
"I ask you to let the government know immediately when you see serious problems or mistakes that stand in the way of our great community endeavor. "
Walter Ulbricht
Which is it, AF?
March 14, 2007 - 15:40 ET by RJFoxnews is far more balanced than any of the other cable or broadcast outlets.
AF, you've been around long enough to have seen your statement refuted many times with indisputable figures and links.
Either you've suffered massive memory loss, or you're deliberately, Trollishly, lying.
I'm surprised you stopped at
March 14, 2007 - 16:31 ET by ThisnThatI'm surprised you stopped at Fox's slogan. Here's some others that you might want to lash out at:
"All the news that's fit to print"
"The most trusted - and honored - name in news"
Question: Care to be fair and balanced here?
You only think it propaganda
March 14, 2007 - 21:08 ET by UnsaneYou only think it propaganda because:
1) Unlike the other networks, Fox brings in a conservative viewpoint without acting as if it is some bizarre, alien perspective;
and 2) you are extremely angry that ANYONE would DARE do that.
Besides, you know nothing of communism.
Thanks for whining.
"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???." - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)
Too conservative?
March 14, 2007 - 15:34 ET by dagdaYou can never be too conservative!!!!!
Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. Dwight Eisenhower
"You can never be too c
March 14, 2007 - 16:24 ET by HumanEvents"You can never be too conservative!!!!!"
Amen! After all, how can you have too much truth? And how can you be too healthy? :)
Amazing how anyone would consider the media too conservative, but I guess to super ultra liberals that would be the perception. A guy I used to debate with during the Der SchlickMeister years considered Sick Willie to be a conservative! And he admitted left wing basket case Eleanor Clift is a liberal but said the McLaughlin Group was 4 conservatives against 1 liberal (Clift). Yeah right, McLaughlin is real conservative!
Blogs and sites like this one
March 14, 2007 - 15:26 ET by Agnostic frontBlogs and sites like this one are great for disseminating and evaluating news, but the truth is, large media organizations like the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN, and Fox News are necessary for the blogs to have something to talk about. The blogs don't send reporters out into the field to get stories. They are wholely reliant on big media, so I understand why big media wants to cut in on the blog action.
This poll reminds me a little of Bill O'Reilly (at least what he claims) - if both sides think there's a bias, then there probably isn't.
"If both sides think t
March 14, 2007 - 15:32 ET by Mark Finkelstein"If both sides think there's a bias, then there probably isn't."
Except that respondents, by a more than 2:1 ratio, believe the media is biased to the left.
Good point, but please note,
March 15, 2007 - 05:10 ET by sarcasmoGood point, but please note, there's more than just a "both." This study, possibly reflecting the biases of those who funded it, lumps the (probably about 10-15% or so, if my guess is right...) of us who'd actually term the bias "antilibertarian" onto the right side.
JMR
Field work????
March 14, 2007 - 15:36 ET by dagdaIf I thought the MSM was actually sending reporters out to do real field work getting stories I would be more impressed.
Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. Dwight Eisenhower
Well, if they aren't, who is?
March 14, 2007 - 15:43 ET by Agnostic frontWell, if they aren't, who is? News stories come from somewhere.
News fairies
March 14, 2007 - 15:48 ET by dagdaAs best I can tell a lot of stories in the MSM seem to come from the News Fairies. They have nothing to do with Reality.
Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. Dwight Eisenhower
True. Usually they come from
March 14, 2007 - 16:51 ET by Roger the ShrubberTrue. Usually they come from Party Headquarters.
Actually, some of the blogs h
March 14, 2007 - 16:22 ET by Del DolemonteActually, some of the blogs have sent people out "in the field" to report on things. Several have been to Iraq, for instance.
Mark...What we are seeing i
March 14, 2007 - 15:34 ET by Tim the EnchanterMark...
What we are seeing is a result of the acquisition of perspective. When the alphabet soup media were the only act in town, there was a lack of perspective in where they stood- there was nothing to compare them to, except for each other. Since they all had similar viewpoints, there wasn't much to compare. For example, if you had a bunch of similar-looking women in the room, who's to say if they're beautiful or ugly (so I don't upset the ladies here too much, the same example could be made with similar-looking men). Now that there's talk radio and Fox, there is perspective. One can see clearly where any individual is leaning by comparing among truly different choices. Good news- the conservative media, though they be few and far in between, are having an impact!
If I may interject a line f
March 14, 2007 - 15:40 ET by Tim the EnchanterIf I may interject a line from Basil Fawlty:
"Can we get you on Mastermind, Sybil? 'Next contestant, Sybil Fawlty from Torquay, special subject- the bleedin' obvious!'"
Finally, a Zogby poll I may b
March 14, 2007 - 16:19 ET by Clear thinkerFinally, a Zogby poll I may be able to accept!
The liberal MSM has become an enemy of the USA.
The only problem I have is th
March 14, 2007 - 16:25 ET by Del DolemonteThe only problem I have is that this is an internet poll. If Gallup does a telephone poll and gets the same results, I'll believe it.
Del...I may be forced to agre
March 14, 2007 - 16:39 ET by Clear thinkerDel...
I may be forced to agree with you. I don't trust polling by anyone, and polling through the internet is a complete crap shoot. However, in my original post I did use the word 'may', so I think I'm covered.
The liberal MSM has become an enemy of the USA.
Mark, please . . . I don't kn
March 14, 2007 - 16:38 ET by NoMoreClintonsMark, please . . . I don't know why you and others who should know better continue to use media as a singular noun. It is PLURAL (the singular form being "medium") and therefore takes a plural verb . . . the media ARE biased, not IS. After all we are talking about more than one, aren't we? You should know that . . . in Ivy League Ithaca! Thanks for your attention to this (because it's driving me crazy to hear the media IS . . . all the time - like nails on a chalkboard).
Evidently the Iranians now th
March 14, 2007 - 17:19 ET by JayTeeEvidently the Iranians now think the Hollywood MEDIA types are BIASED against the Persians, with the release of the "300" movie. Maybe these guys in Iran will send over a hollywood bomber type to the next Red Carpet affair ? ? Could be if they get pissed at Hollywood trying to Rewrite History as Iran Knows it.
The Iran President wants to rewrite History, and a Slick movie showing an Islamic General gitting his butt whipped by a bunch of Greeks isn't sitting too well in his History books. Plus now it's out on DVD......Finally, a Micheal Moore attack on the Real Enemy...ISLAM...and if I was hollywood, I would be worried about the FIRST location for the Next Iranian NUKE test.
Anything within the last 5,000 years of history is still worth fighting for, with those dummies.
At Times like these, it becomes more than just a Moral Obligation to express ones opinion, it becomes a Pleasure.
Keep in mind that the Persian
March 14, 2007 - 21:10 ET by UnsaneKeep in mind that the Persians of the time of Thermopylae were more than likely Zoroastrians, as the founding of Islam was roughly a millenium off at that point.
"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???." - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)
".","."
March 15, 2007 - 05:08 ET by Carpareusbetter late than never?
Dr. Carpareus ASS.SK.