Media Bias
Over the weekend, it was revealed that the Atlantic Monthly magazine hired a free lance photographer to take a photo of John McCain for their cover story on the candidate. The free lancer, Jill Greenberg, with her own blog, boasted of how she had taken the most unflattering shots of McCain she could manage (one of which made the magazine's cover). It was her effort to damage his candidacy.
The Atlantic Monthly is apologizing for the inappropriate action by Greenberg.
The episode reminds me of the conversation I had with a news director for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. The CBC, is the government owned entity, that provides TV programming including a 24 hour news channel. The director had since retired from the CBC, but was candid about her work as a director.
She had served with the CBC while Clinton was in the White House. And she LOVED Bill Clinton. She was candid, that in her role as news director, she would not run stories that were unfavorable to her beloved Bill. And she promoted any story that cast a positive light on the Clinton Presidency.
Her admission was shocking to me. Essentially, she was the gatekeeper for most Canadians view of the news. And she used that role with complete bias.
So, as the news media tells us that Barak is loved overseas, and Bush is hated, keep in mind that:
1. We're hearing that from a biased American Media
2. And, the media bias is occuring in those foreign lands as well.
The media bias of America is, sadly, not restricted to these shores. It's only reflective of the larger problem.
The Atlantic Monthly is apologizing for the inappropriate action by Greenberg.
The episode reminds me of the conversation I had with a news director for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. The CBC, is the government owned entity, that provides TV programming including a 24 hour news channel. The director had since retired from the CBC, but was candid about her work as a director.
She had served with the CBC while Clinton was in the White House. And she LOVED Bill Clinton. She was candid, that in her role as news director, she would not run stories that were unfavorable to her beloved Bill. And she promoted any story that cast a positive light on the Clinton Presidency.
Her admission was shocking to me. Essentially, she was the gatekeeper for most Canadians view of the news. And she used that role with complete bias.
So, as the news media tells us that Barak is loved overseas, and Bush is hated, keep in mind that:
1. We're hearing that from a biased American Media
2. And, the media bias is occuring in those foreign lands as well.
The media bias of America is, sadly, not restricted to these shores. It's only reflective of the larger problem.
You're right, there is bias in the media. There are no more gatekeepers, and the editors run with stories that are not fact checked or are lopsided. How many stories has the New York Times had to retract or correct just this month about Sarah Palin?
The problem lies with the role of the media as agenda setters. Those that bring us the news are also those that control what news and when we hear the news. You should have been in the classroom when I brought this up in my journalism class. You would have thought I had said the world was flat!
I think the beginning of the downfall of fair news started when Walter Cronkite took time on the evening news to condemn the Vietnam war. Oped belongs on the oped page or on political commentator shows.
Look at the media coverage of the Iraq war. Where are the stories of our troops being killed and the atrocities they have are accused of committing? You don't see as much of that reporting now that the war has taken a turn for the better. The media thrives on bad news, especially when the bad news supports their ideological views.
Look at how the media is becoming more and more fixated on "Troopergate". Where's the investigative reporting on Obama's connection to William Ayers? Rezko?
Today, they show Obama blaming Bush and accusing McCain supporting Bush's economic policies toward the failing banking system. Where is the coverage of Obama's economic advisers that are directly connected to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae?
Unfortunately, many people do not go outside the nightly news for their information so they don't get a second side to issues. Additionally, a majority of adults 18-25 get their "news" from John Stewart and Steven Colbert.
Another problem with the media is what even is considered a news media source. As stated above, Stewart and Colbert are considered by some to be a legitimate news outlet. The same thing goes for blogs. Again, as I stated above, the major news outlets take something posted on Huffington, or Daily Coast, or some other left-wing blog and take it as fact.
Who watches the watchers and who watches the dribble they put out and call the news? Once again, there is no such thing as a gatekeeper anymore, just agenda setters.
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Very well put.
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I'd love to help you out. Just email me, and we'll get in touch outside of cyberspace.
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Good Day. Anger at lies lasts forever. Anger at truth can't last.
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With love
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