What Liberal Media?

niftydrifty · 03-26-08, 02:43 PM

Yesterday, the New York Times published a story entitled (get this) "Obama’s Test: Can a Liberal Be a Unifier?"

I kid you not. Here's an actual quote from the actual article:

Quote:

But this promise leads, inevitably, to a question: Can such a majority be built and led by Mr. Obama, whose voting record was, by one ranking, the most liberal in the Senate last year?

Who'da thunk the Times would find a problem with someone for simply being a Liberal.

Not another day went by, to find the Washington Post picking up a similar theme: In Obama's New Message, Some Foes See Old Liberalism

A quote from the article:

Quote:

The double-barreled attack has presented Democratic voters with some persistent questions about Obama: Just how liberal is he? And even if he truly is a new kind of candidate, can he avoid being pigeonholed with an old label under sustained assault?

When mainstream newspapers view the Liberal label as some kind of toxin, I must regard the "liberal media" tag as a lie. how is it not?

Zyphlin · 03-26-08, 03:01 PM

Oh wow. You found two random stories that you contort as using "liberal" as a "toxic word".

OR...

One asking if someone whose voting record is one of the most partisan in his party be able to unite people from both parties...a legitimate question, espicially when paired against McCain who is far more moderate.

and

If Obama no different then traditional liberals that came before him despite his message of "change" and being different, and, if that's the case will that hurt his ability to actually sell himself to the nation as a whole in a general electio nas a candidate of "Change".

or...

yeah, they're just republican hit pieces and all the media is really slanted right or just completely neutral based on two articles whose meanings can very, very, very easily be read in different ways.

cnredd · 03-26-08, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niftydrifty

When mainstream newspapers view the Liberal label as some kind of toxin, I must regard the "liberal media" tag as a lie. how is it not?

Here's how it's not...

From just last week...

The Pew Research Center & the Project for Excellence in Journalism(both non-profit and bi-partisan) have come out with yet another survey revealing the obvious about the liberal slant of today's press...

From the actual PDF file...bottom of page 18...

Quote:

Journalists’ Ideology

As was the case in 2004, majorities of the national and local journalists surveyed describe themselves as political moderates; 53% of national journalists and 58% of local journalists say they are moderates. About a third of national journalists (32%), and 23% of local journalists, describe themselves as liberals. Relatively small minorities of national and local journalists call themselves conservatives (8% national, 14% local).
Internet journalists as a group tend to be more liberal than either national or local journalists. Fewer than half (46%) call themselves moderates, while 39% are self-described liberals and just 9% are conservatives.

Among the population as a whole, 36% call themselves conservatives – more than triple the percentage of national and internet journalists, and more than double the percentage of local journalists. About four-in-ten (39%) characterize their political views as moderate, while 19% are self-described liberals, based on surveys conducted in 2007 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

Keep in mind that this isn't OTHER people labeling them...This is the journalists labeling THEMSELVES...

Nationwide 36% of the public considers themselves conservative, but only 8% of national journalists do...26% LESS...

Nationwide 19% of the public considers themselves liberal, but 32% of national journalists do...13% MORE...

And for internet journalism, the percentages are actually worse...

The sad part is people will still try to refute this...

Zyphlin · 03-26-08, 03:20 PM

That's becasue people keep trying to peddle the notion that everyone, or at least the vast majority of the people in taht %, are able to...

Choose what story to report
Choose how to report it
Choose how the headline will read
Choose what to focus on
Choose who to give more time to
etc.

completely and utterly with absolutely no bias what so ever being completely 100% objective.

.......

sigh

Chanda · 03-26-08, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

Keep in mind that this isn't OTHER people labeling them...This is the journalists labeling THEMSELVES...

Exactly, it's all relative. One person who describes himself as slightly liberal or moderate might be described by another as radical left or by still another as conservative.

Quote:

The sad part is people will still try to refute this...

How journalists describe themselves isn't as relevant as the ideology of the ownership. The corporate media slants the news in its own self interest.

mpg · 03-26-08, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chanda

Exactly, it's all relative. One person who describes himself as slightly liberal or moderate might be described by another as radical left or by still another as conservative.

How journalists describe themselves isn't as relevant as the ideology of the ownership. The corporate media slants the news in its own self interest.

IMHO, people have a tendency to see themselves as moderates, especially when their views match those of the media.

The self interests of the corporate media are rarely relevant to political stories. They have very specific interests which they can get help with from either party.

niftydrifty · 03-26-08, 04:28 PM

is McCain more moderate than Obama? sounds like someone is drunk on straight talk. actions speak louder than words.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chanda

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

Keep in mind that this isn't OTHER people labeling them...This is the journalists labeling THEMSELVES...

How journalists describe themselves isn't as relevant as the ideology of the ownership. The corporate media slants the news in its own self interest.

and none of that is as relevant as the actual content of the stories/coverage. that was what my post was about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnredd

The sad part is people will still try to refute this

easily done. what is the content? who cares if Maureen Dowd is a "liberal." does she trash liberals every week? pretty much.

I realize it was only two links, on two consecutive days. but I pay close attention to media, and I see stuff like this EVERY DAY in the "liberal media".

so, I'll continue this. every day. stay tuned.

"only two random stories."

there's more. much, much more.

Zyphlin · 03-26-08, 04:35 PM

Yes Nifty. YOUR watching of the media EVERY DAY naturally is more credible than an indenpendent bipartisan think tank with numerous people and tons of money specifically designed to research these kind of things. And yes...its completely believable and logical that all, if not a majority, of every liberal and conservative in the media are able to completely and utterly not let their political slant affect which stories they report and how they report on them.

And seriously, you're arguing that McCain ISN'T more moderate leaning than Obama?

Give me 3 major pieces of legislature that Obama compromised on and help spear head that primarily pushed the political beleifs and view points of the party on the other side of himself moreso then his own.

niftydrifty · 03-26-08, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zyphlin

Yes Nifty. YOUR watching of the media EVERY DAY naturally is more credible than an indenpendent bipartisan think tank with numerous people and tons of money specifically designed to research these kind of things. And yes...its completely believable and logical that all, if not a majority, of every liberal and conservative in the media are able to completely and utterly not let their political slant affect which stories they report and how they report on them.

And seriously, you're arguing that McCain ISN'T more moderate leaning than Obama?

Give me 3 major pieces of legislature that Obama compromised on and help spear head that primarily pushed the political beleifs and view points of the party on the other side of himself moreso then his own.

are you harping on the study posted by cnredd? the one that labels journalists ideology and not actual content? really?

asking for legislation spearheaded by a Senator whom is 99th in seniority, not only sounds like a deluded loaded question and fallacy, it also sounds like another topic. set up and I'll happily play along.

Zyphlin · 03-26-08, 05:00 PM

Hey, you asked the question "Is McCain More Moderate than Obama?" I simply responded.

And yes, I'm harping on that study. That FACTUAL study which conclussions can be made from instead of your completely baised, completely unscientific, conclussion of the media.

Are you telling me that every single journalist, republican or democrat...or hell even a majority of each group...are able to completely and fully be 100% unbiased in what stories they report and how they report it?

Answer me that.