The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux) - Page 215

sleepyjeff · 01-28-2007, 12:17 AM

^^^How Republican of you conduting that pre-emptive strike

innerSpaceman · 01-28-2007, 09:01 AM

Where is anyone getting that there should be a politically "centered" bias in journalism? I thought the idea was to bring as much objectivity as humanly possible to investigations that go where facts lead?

I don't think we ought be shocked when there's an intelligence bias in the press. Journalists should be among the smart people if they are going to ferret out news and information. With all due respect to intelligent people on all sides of the political spectrum, it's hard for me not to equate "smart" with "progressive."

But that's just reporters. I think, by and large, they have a liberal bent. Their masters who control their output to the public, however, are staunchly conservative corporate interests. I would think it would balance out ... if not be outright tilted towards corporate interests.

But I'll admit to have zero personal knowledge of Fox News.

Motorboat Cruiser · 01-28-2007, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scaeagles

SACRILEGE! SACRILEGE, SLEEPY! How dare you! There must be something sinister about the person who conducted that!

Depends on what you mean by sinister.

Quote:

None of the outlets that reported on the study mentioned that the authors have previously received funding from the three premier conservative think tanks in the United States: the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI), The Heritage Foundation, and the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace.

More about this flawed study here.

wendybeth · 01-28-2007, 12:14 PM

Now, there you go ruining all the cons fun again, MBC.

scaeagles · 01-28-2007, 12:21 PM

Like I said, Sleepy....those libs are extraordinarily easy to predict. Don't like the results? Try to discredit those who did the study.

I agree with a lot of what ISM said (the primary exception being the equating of smart and progressive

). It is simply not possible for a "journalist" to keep their opinion out of what they are reporting on. Voice inflection, body language, choice of adjectives....it all comes into play no matter what their political slant is. I can live with that.

What I can't live with is the high and mighty condescension of the holier than thou journalists who claim to have no bias and are always objective in their reporting. Just admit you have a bias and get on with it, whatever that bias may be.

Motorboat Cruiser · 01-28-2007, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Like I said, Sleepy....those libs are extraordinarily easy to predict. Don't like the results? Try to discredit those who did the study.

I think a study with so many glaring flaws deserves to be discredited.

Quote:

* National Rifle Association of America (NRA) scored a 45.9, making it "conservative" -- but just barely.

* RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization (motto: "OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS. EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS.") with strong ties to the Defense Department, scored a 60.4, making it a "liberal" group.

* Council on Foreign Relations, whose tagline is "A Nonpartisan Resource for Information and Analysis" (its current president is a former Bush administration official; its board includes prominent Democrats and Republicans from the foreign policy establishment) scored a 60.2, making it a "liberal" group.

* American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), bête noire of the right, scored a 49.8, putting it just on the "conservative" side of the ledger.

* Center for Responsive Politics, a group whose primary purpose is the maintenance of databases on political contributions, scored a 66.9, making it highly "liberal."

* Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a defense policy think tank whose board of directors is currently chaired by former Representative Dave McCurdy (D-OK), scored a 33.9, making it more "conservative" than AEI and than the National Taxpayers Union.

Motorboat Cruiser · 01-28-2007, 01:06 PM

This sums thing up quite nicely:

Quote:

In other words, the study rests on a presumption that can only be described as bizarre: If a member of Congress cites a think tank approvingly, and if that think tank is also cited by a news organization, then the news organization has a "bias" making it an ideological mirror of the member of Congress who cited the think tank. This, as Groseclose and Milyo define it, is what constitutes "media bias."

wendybeth · 01-28-2007, 07:19 PM

Scaeagles, does FauxNews claim to be "fair and balanced" bother you? Even the study you cite indicates they lean to the right, which is hardly balanced, unless you're drunk or something.

scaeagles · 01-28-2007, 08:07 PM

Lean to the right, yes, but closer to the center than the other stuff. Perhaps their slogan should be "more fair and more balanced than the other guys".

wendybeth · 01-28-2007, 08:13 PM

Any lean is hardly balance. Perhaps they should just come up with a better, more accurate slogan? Or maybe even live up to their current one?

01-28-2007, 12:17 AM	#2141
sleepyjeff Go Hawks Go! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Parkrose Posts: 2,632	^^^How Republican of you conduting that pre-emptive strike __________________ River Guardian-less
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01-28-2007, 09:01 AM	#2142
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Where is anyone getting that there should be a politically "centered" bias in journalism? I thought the idea was to bring as much objectivity as humanly possible to investigations that go where facts lead? I don't think we ought be shocked when there's an intelligence bias in the press. Journalists should be among the smart people if they are going to ferret out news and information. With all due respect to intelligent people on all sides of the political spectrum, it's hard for me not to equate "smart" with "progressive." But that's just reporters. I think, by and large, they have a liberal bent. Their masters who control their output to the public, however, are staunchly conservative corporate interests. I would think it would balance out ... if not be outright tilted towards corporate interests. But I'll admit to have zero personal knowledge of Fox News.
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01-28-2007, 12:14 PM	#2144
wendybeth Nevermind Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,847	Now, there you go ruining all the cons fun again, MBC. __________________
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01-28-2007, 12:21 PM	#2145
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	Like I said, Sleepy....those libs are extraordinarily easy to predict. Don't like the results? Try to discredit those who did the study. I agree with a lot of what ISM said (the primary exception being the equating of smart and progressive ). It is simply not possible for a "journalist" to keep their opinion out of what they are reporting on. Voice inflection, body language, choice of adjectives....it all comes into play no matter what their political slant is. I can live with that. What I can't live with is the high and mighty condescension of the holier than thou journalists who claim to have no bias and are always objective in their reporting. Just admit you have a bias and get on with it, whatever that bias may be.
	Submit to Quotes

01-28-2007, 07:19 PM	#2148
wendybeth Nevermind Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,847	Scaeagles, does FauxNews claim to be "fair and balanced" bother you? Even the study you cite indicates they lean to the right, which is hardly balanced, unless you're drunk or something. __________________
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01-28-2007, 08:07 PM	#2149
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	Lean to the right, yes, but closer to the center than the other stuff. Perhaps their slogan should be "more fair and more balanced than the other guys".
	Submit to Quotes

01-28-2007, 08:13 PM	#2150
wendybeth Nevermind Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,847	Any lean is hardly balance. Perhaps they should just come up with a better, more accurate slogan? Or maybe even live up to their current one? __________________
	Submit to Quotes