Liberal Bias in the MSM

Posted By: Lars The Viking
Posted on: Mar. 28, 2007 at 5:31 PM

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One of the longest playing chants in the Conservative mantra is that the mainstream media has a liberal bias.

Let’s examine that.

Elizabeth Edward’s cancer was covered at length by Katie Couric and other talking heads. John Edward's campaign got a lot of free exposure as a result.

Tony Snow's unfortunate reoccurrence of cancer, on the other hand, got only a fraction of the coverage by the mainstream media. Of course he is not running for president, but he is pretty prominent as the Presidents press secretary.

One could interpret that as a liberal bias in the mainstream media. Maybe conservatives have a valid argument.

MSM

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www.MoronInCharge.com

Mar. 28, 2007 at 06:05:53 PM

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Yes, the MSM media did dwell on Elizabeth Edwards' cancer, with respectable figures like Katie Couric parroting Rush Limbaugh and suggesting that John Edwards should "stand by his woman" and drop out of the race. The "free exposure" consisted mainly of MSM pundits asking if John wasn't selfish to continue his presidential bid while his with was so ill.

Meanwhile, no one in the MSM is calling for Tony Snow to resign from his job so he can dwell upon his recurrent cancer in private. So it does indeed appear that there is a disparity in the amount of attention by the MSM. My guess is that you picked up on this and decided to play the devil's advocate to stimulate debate. If so, I'm glad you did.

If George Bush can get away with the argument that ending the Iraq occupation now and stemming the loss of any further American lives will somehow dishonor the sacrifice of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives already, then I don't think that any Bush supporter has any ground to suggest that John Edwards should pull out of the race now. He's staying the course.

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Kevin Zahn

Mar. 28, 2007 at 06:25:24 PM

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Nixon started the "poor boy is me, the media is against me" crap . . . . but in 1972, over 90% of the newspapers endorsed him. Most media then and now were and are owned by corporate types, wo are overwhelmingly Republican, right wing, usually pro war (it's good for the economy stupid), etc.

It remains one of the best short attention span gimmicks of Conservatives . . . I'll admit effective with those who don't read much, or engage in critical thinking . . . . and this includes me . . . as a young man . . . back then I joined the military, supported the Vietnam War, registered as a Republican because . . . well, why dammit? That's what I was told was right. That's what I was told to do. Military types do that . . To do othewise was well, what, unpatriotic? Later, I read more and went back to school, literally and figuratively . . . . and I got out of the South but that's another issue . . .

Read What Liberal Media, by Eric Alterman, then repost this. Of course, you need an open mind to get anything out of it; i.e., if you are convinced the media is liberal NO MATTER WHAT, save your money and time . . . don't read anything. Listen to Rush... he will tell you what to think.

But remember, our country was founded by protesters, dissenters, who were mostly commoners, and objected to Divine Right to rule and King George III . . . not by the Tories (the forerunners of today's Republicanism) who supported one-man rule, monarchy, and poverty for the masses.

But you are always entitled to your opinion as well, so . . .

Write on.

--KZ

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indie616

Mar. 28, 2007 at 06:40:41 PM

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I would like to know where the liberal bias was in the run up to the Iraq war.

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prometheus

Mar. 28, 2007 at 07:37:22 PM

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Why isn't the liberal media covering how "ALL OUT GAY" Roberto Gonzales appears to be? This guy makes Liberace seem straight! Just thought I'd throw that one out there.

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	Cancelled Account Mar. 28, 2007 at 07:51:47 PM
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	Cancelled Account Mar. 28, 2007 at 08:17:18 PM
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AZ Moderate

Mar. 28, 2007 at 09:23:40 PM

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My bet is on John Edwards for our next president. I think he will come from behind and win the primary sweepstakes, then go on to wax the opposition candidate.

He is the one candidate that, although he is now wealthy, grew up in an average middle class family. Unlike the other candidates, he has earned his wealth and it has not ruined him as yet. He remembers his roots, and those roots are planted in American down-to-earth soil, not a penthouse flower garden of privilege.

I don’t know about the main stream media. f***s news is certainly biased toward the fascist ideology and goose-steps to that regime's drums. Certainly much of talk radio is decidedly conservative to fascist.

I would have to say that CNN and MSNBC lean somewhat in the liberal direction today, bent over in that direction by the extreme right-wing wind presently in power. But there does seem to be a valid effort to provide air-time to conservatives the likes of Joe Scarborough and Katie Couric.

It seems to be a mixed bag, with the pendulum starting to swing back toward the middle away from a badly bent and tarnished conservative apogee.

In the 1960s and 1970s the media was definitely liberal. Corporatists over the intervening decades have swung the pendulum to the conservative side. Now it shows signs of perhaps starting to swing back.

Let us pray …

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	Cancelled Account Mar. 28, 2007 at 09:30:11 PM
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www.MoronInCharge.com

Mar. 28, 2007 at 09:49:15 PM

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Have you caught Glen Beck on CNN AZ Mod? And when he's not vomiting filth on CNN prime time, we have Nancy Grace to provide the bread and circuses. MSNBC had Keith Oberman and that's it for their liberal slant.

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Average American

Mar. 29, 2007 at 08:31:21 PM

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While I would agree with the liberal slant, being that it has been proven that most commentators in the national media (ABC,NBC,CBS,PBS and NPR) are registered Democrats, I think the difference in coverage between Mrs. Edwards and Tony Snow is due more the question of John Edwards ability to balance the support of his wife as she goes through this latest bout with cancer and his run for the highest office in the land vs. Tony Snow's far less importent role as a spokesmen for the current President.

Some, like Bill Press, think it is a bad idea for Edwards to run while his wife is ill. I don't think it is a decision any of us should either applaud nor scorn. They are doing what they believe to be right, what they believe they can handle and let's face it, this is their answer today. It may well change should her condition worsen which nobody would want to have happen.

Tony Snows condition, while just as severe, is simply less important on the world stage considering his job to speak for not think for the President. Mrs. Edwards would no doubt be an intrical part of any Presidency considering her closeness as lead advisor to the potential President.

So while the bias may be there, I don't thin kit has that much to do with the difference in coverage. Besides, Fox is covering Tony's illness more than the others not because he is a conservative, but because he is part of their corporate family having come from Fox to the White House. The same I am sure would be done if it were Alan Combs.

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