Say It Ain't So! MSM ID'd For Bias

[Annie]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/americans_see_liberal_media_bias_on_tv_news

Americans See Liberal Media Bias on TV News
Friday, July 13, 2007

By a 39% to 20% margin, American adults believe that the three major broadcast networks deliver news with a bias in favor of liberals. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 25% believe that ABC, CBS, and NBC deliver the news without any bias.

Similar results are found for CNN and National Public Radio (NPR). By a margin of 33% to 16%, Americans say that CNN has a liberal bias. The nation’s adults say the same about NPR by a 27% to 14% margin.

There is one major exception to the belief that media outlets have a liberal bias—Fox News. Thirty-one percent (31%) of Americans say it has a bias that favors conservatives while 15% say it has a liberal bias.

When it comes to delivering news without bias, 37% believe NPR accomplishes that goal. Thirty-six percent (36%) say the same for Fox and 32% believe it’s true of CNN. As noted earlier, just 25% believe the major broadcast networks deliver news in an unbiased manner. Results for other media outlets will be released over the next week.

Media fairness has emerged as a debate on Capitol Hill following the recent debate on immigration when public opinion overwhelmed the will of the Senate. Some lawmakers have called for a re-introduction of the “Fairness Doctrine” requiring stations to air competing points of view. Rasmussen Reports will release data on public attitudes towards that concept over the weekend.

Not surprisingly, there are huge partisan and ideological differences in the data. For example, among self-identified liberals, all of the media outlets are believed to have some net bias in favor of conservatives. However, 50% of liberals say that NPR is unbiased. Forty-three percent (43%) say the same about CNN. As for the major television networks, 49% of liberals believe they have a conservative bias. Just 10% of liberals see a liberal bias at ABC, CBS, and NBC.

Conservatives throughout the nation see things entirely differently. Sixty-two percent (62%) see a liberal bias at the major broadcast networks and 55% say the same about CNN. Forty-five percent (45%) of conservatives see Fox as unbiased and the rest are evenly divided. Eighteen percent (18%) of conservatives see Fox News as having a liberal bias while 21% say the opposite.

Younger adults are less likely than their elders to see a liberal bias across all of the media outlets.

On a partisan basis, Democrats see the major television networks and Fox as biased in favor of conservatives. Solid pluralities of Democrats believe CNN and NPR deliver news without bias. Those Democrats who see bias at CNN and NPR are fairly evenly divided, but are a bit more likely to detect conservative bias.

Republicans see a strong liberal bias on all the outlets except Fox. Forty-nine percent (49%) of the GOP faithful see Fox as fair and balanced.

Those not affiliated with either major party tend to see a liberal bias everywhere except Fox. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of unaffiliateds see a liberal bias at the major television networks while only 19% see a conservative bias.

During Election 2004, 38% of voters thought CBS News anchorman Dan Rather was actively trying to help John Kerry win the election. Other data showed that voters tended to select news sources based upon their political preferences.

Rasmussen Reports is pleased that our online audience includes roughly equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats.

 

[mattskramer]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/americans_see_liberal_media_bias_on_tv_news

This somewhat confirms my old notion that bias depends on where you stand on the political spectrum. If you are more to the right, you will think that the media has more of a liberal bias than if you stand in the middle or to the left.

 

[Annie]

This somewhat confirms my old notion that bias depends on where you stand on the political spectrum. If you are more to the right, you will think that the media has more of a liberal bias than if you stand in the middle or to the left.

Ah but Matts, WE need a fairness doctrine for MSM, 1 conservative (FOX, which really isn't) v Abc, cbs, nbc, cnn, npr, msnbc

 

[mattskramer]

Ah but Matts, WE need a fairness doctrine for MSM, 1 conservative (FOX, which really isn't) v Abc, cbs, nbc, cnn, npr, msnbc

Are you trying to flame some left fringe liberals. No. More critical things like national security might require government intervention but I think that media interest should be open for the free market to decide.

 

[Larkinn]

Ah but Matts, WE need a fairness doctrine for MSM, 1 conservative (FOX, which really isn't) v Abc, cbs, nbc, cnn, npr, msnbc

Considering the majority of Americans say there is NOT a liberal bias on each of those stations, what exactly is your point in posting this thread?

 

[Bern80]

Considering the majority of Americans say there is NOT a liberal bias on each of those stations, what exactly is your point in posting this thread?

Umm, majority is over 50%.

 

[Rosotar]

Ah but Matts, WE need a fairness doctrine for MSM, 1 conservative (FOX, which really isn't) v Abc, cbs, nbc, cnn, npr, msnbc

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1067

"Some have suggested that Fox's conservative point of view and its Republican leanings render the network inherently unworthy as a news outlet. FAIR believes that view is misguided. The United States is unusual, perhaps even unique, in having a journalistic culture so fiercely wedded to the elusive notion of "objective" news (an idea of relatively recent historical vintage even in the U.S.). In Great Britain, papers like the conservative Times of London and the left-leaning Guardian deliver consistently excellent coverage while making no secret of their respective points of view. There's nothing keeping American journalists from doing the same.

If anything, it is partly the disingenuous claim to objectivity that is corroding the integrity of the news business. American journalists claim to represent all political views with an open mind, yet in practice a narrow bipartisan centrism excludes dissenting points of view: No major newspaper editorial page opposed NAFTA; virtually all endorse U.S. airstrikes on Iraq; and single-payer health care proposals find almost no backers among them.

With the ascendance of Fox News Channel, we now have a national conservative TV network in addition to the established centrist outlets. But like the mainstream networks, Fox refuses to admit its political point of view. The result is a skewed center-to-right media spectrum made worse by the refusal to acknowledge any tilt at all."

 

[mattskramer]

The bottom line for me:

I don’t care if there is a perceived liberal bias or a perceived conservative bias or a perceived balance of bias or a perception of no bias. I don’t care if there really is a liberal bias or if there really is a conservative bias or if there really is a balance of biases or if there really is no bias. The media should be up to the free market.

 

[Annie]

Considering the majority of Americans say there is NOT a liberal bias on each of those stations, what exactly is your point in posting this thread?

May I remind all that it was Durbin and co. that wanted to reintroduce the Fairness Doctrine?

 

[jillian]

Ah but Matts, WE need a fairness doctrine for MSM, 1 conservative (FOX, which really isn't) v Abc, cbs, nbc, cnn, npr, msnbc

You forget about talk radio?

Big difference between you guys whining about a "liberal bias" and there actually being one.....particularly when over and over, it's been proven that it isn't the case.

I can't help it if the truth has a liberal bias.

 

[Annie]

You forget about talk radio?

Big difference between you guys whining about a "liberal bias" and there actually being one.....particularly when over and over, it's been proven that it isn't the case.

I can't help it if the truth has a liberal bias.

Whoops, which you so clearly point out is the problem. Thanks. See the left controls all but, but that isn't ok for them.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Are you trying to flame some left fringe liberals. No. More critical things like national security might require government intervention but I think that media interest should be open for the free market to decide.

The Liberals do not agree, they are trying to bring back a doctrine to ensure the left has a voice no matter what the people believe or want.

 

[mattskramer]

You forget about talk radio?

Big difference between you guys whining about a "liberal bias" and there actually being one.....particularly when over and over, it's been proven that it isn't the case.

I can't help it if the truth has a liberal bias.

Consider newspapers, bulletin boards, books, magazines and web sites. Think of the time and trouble it would take a team of scientists to determine what bias, if any, exists in all available mediums.

 

[William Joyce]

This somewhat confirms my old notion that bias depends on where you stand on the political spectrum. If you are more to the right, you will think that the media has more of a liberal bias than if you stand in the middle or to the left.

But this is wrong. It's NOT just a "matter of perception." By any number of OBJECTIVE MEASURES, the media is more liberal than the general public. I've read that where 90 percent of Americans believe in God/go to church, 90 percent of journalists DON'T --- the exact opposite.

http://www.journalism.org/node/2304