The Tilters Have It

The main argument used by progressives to counter the widely held belief that the mainstream media has a liberal bias is the fact that these very same outlets are also corporately owned. Why, they ask, would these corporations ever favor a liberal agenda (rich people, after all - they tend to vote Republican, right?)? Of course, what these same progressives fail to highlight is that it isn't in fact the corporatists themselves who are doing the news. It's the journalists who are doing the news. And they, OVERWHELMINGLY are liberal...................................................................................................For instance, in 1985, the LA Times did a survey which showed that liberals outnumber conservatives 55-17%. Eleven years later, in 1996, the American Society of Newspaper Editors showed an even more stark disparity (61-9%). And, most recently, the Pew Research Center did a survey which showed a 34-7% advantage in favor of liberals (Pew gave the respondents a "moderate" option this time and 58% chose that)....................................................................................................Now, don't get me wrong here. I am NOT saying that the mainstream media is anywhere near as biased and corrupt as guys like Goldberg, Hannity, O'Reilly, and Bozell are saying (my suspicion is that most folks in the media at least try to be fair). Nor, folks, am I saying that it's as biased as Fox is (to the right). I'm just saying that it more than likely tilts to the left/isn't conservative...................................................................................................P.S. And it isn't just the journalists who provide us data here. The viewers themselves have also spoken out. I site, in particular, a 2003 Gallup poll which said that 45% of Americans think that the mainstream media is too liberal - this, as opposed to only 14% who think that it's too conservative. That, folks, represents a mega/man-sized discrepancy, too.