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NPR's Williams Sees No Liberal Bias, NYT "Mainstream Journalism" (Brit Hume takes on Williams)
MRC ^ | Tuesday June 1, 2004 | BrentBaker

Posted on 06/01/2004 8:06:01 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay

NPR's Juan Williams doesn't see any liberal bias in the media and, damning with faint praise, insisted: "I think the New York Times is mainstream American journalism." Williams made his remarks during a Fox News Sunday panel segment devoted to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press survey which found that amongst national media outlet reporters, editors, producers and executives, five times more, 34 percent, identified themselves as liberal than the piddling 7 percent who called themselves conservative.

Williams, a senior correspondent at NPR and a former Washington Post reporter, countered that somehow advertisers prevent any liberal bias: "When they ask the advertisers who determine what gets on TV and what gets in the papers, guess what? They're conservatives."

A dumbfounded Williams asked: "Where is this radical liberalism that we see on TV? I don't see it?...Do you think the New York Times is a radically liberal institution?" Brit Hume answered: "I don't think The New York Times is radically liberal. I think The New York Times is liberal." That prompted Williams to make the above-quoted claim that the Times delivers "mainstream American journalism."

He's correct since "mainstream American journalism" is journalism through a liberal prism.

Host Chris Wallace set up the June 1 session with Williams, Hume, Roll Call Executive Editor Mort Kondracke and Weekly Standard Executive Editor Bill Kristol: "I want to talk about poll, a fascinating poll that was put out this week by the Pew Research Center. And let's take a look at it."

With matching numbers on screen, Wallace ran through some findings: "They asked national print and broadcast reporters how they would describe their own politics. Thirty-four percent said they were liberal, 54 percent said moderate and 7 percent said conservative. By comparison, among the general public, 20 percent say they're liberal, and 33 percent of the general public say they're conservative.

"Two other interesting results. Fifty-five percent of national reporters see the media as not critical enough of the President. Only 8 percent say they're too critical. And finally, 88 percent of the national media say society should accept homosexuality. Only about half the public agrees [51 percent]." "Mort Kondracke , big surprise?"

Kristol: "No. Plus, a lot of those 54 percent say they're moderate, they're really liberal too. (laughter) So it's even more skewed. The 7 percent is the striking number. You know, two-fifths of Americans call themselves conservative and, what, I can't do the math-"

Hume: "One-fourteenth."

Kristol: "-one-fourteenth, -fifteenth of the media calls themselves conservative. So when, it's no accident that the New York Times has to have a special reporter assigned to the conservative beat. They cover it sort of like a foreign country, to explain to the editors and the readers of The New York Times what's going on in that strange world of conservative America, which is two-fifths of the country."

Hume: "And note this, too, the use of the word 'liberal.' You cannot find politicians today who will admit, with few exceptions, that they are liberal. They are all now 'progressive.' I wonder what would have happened had that word had been used in lieu of liberal. I think a lot of those people who decided they would identify themselves as moderate would have popped up in the progressive camp, making that number even larger."

Kondracke: "A couple of other interesting things. Only 5 percent of the national reporters thought that objectivity and balance, or the lack thereof, is a problem for that national media. And 60 percent of them could not name a single news organization that they regard as liberal, which indicates that they don't understand what kind of a situation they are in. I mean, these 54 percent who are moderates I think are, a lot of them are liberals and don't even know that they're liberals....

William soon joined in: "This is one of the situations where they might find that reporters say they're liberal, moderate, whatever, however you want to put it, Bill, but the fact is, who are their editors? They don't ask the editors. They don't ask the owners, who owns these publications."

Hume: "Sure, they do."

Indeed, a point for Hume. The Pew survey did include editors and publishers and news division executives at broadcast outlets. Pew listed these job descriptions for those it polled:

Executive Level TV & Radio: President/CEO, Vice President, General Manager, Station Manager Print: Publisher, President/CEO, Vice President

Senior Editors and Producers TV & Radio: News Division Executive, Executive Producer Print: Assistant Managing Editor, Managing Editor, Executive Editor, Section Editor

Working Journalists and Editors TV & Radio: Bureau Chief, Senior Producer, Correspondent, Anchor Print: Bureau Chief, Senior Editor, Columnist, Associate Editor, Reporter, Correspondent, Assignment editor

For Pew's methodology page: http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=831

Undeterred, Williams plowed on: "Well, let me tell you, when they ask who owns, when they ask the advertisers who determine what gets on TV and what gets in the papers, guess what? They're conservatives. So they are setting the tone. They're hiring the reporters. And believe me, they're muting any of the so-called liberal -- where is this radical liberalism that we see on TV? I don't see it."

Hume: "I don't think there's a lot-"

Williams: "Do you think the New York Times is a radically liberal institution?"

Hume: "I don't think The New York Times is radically liberal. I think the New York Times is liberal."

Williams: "Liberal?"

Hume: "Liberal."

Williams: "I think the New York Times is mainstream American journalism."

Hume: "Well, it may be mainstream American journalism, it's a very wide mainstream we have in this country, Juan. But if you are asking the question does it tilt right or left, it unmistakably tilts left."

Williams: "No, I think it should tilt in a way that would challenge authority."

Hume: "Ah, here we go. Ah, yes."

Williams: "You don't think journalism should, in fact, challenge-"

Hume: "Ah, the romance of journalism, to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. To challenge authority, speak truth to power."

Williams: "Is that wrong, Brit?"

Kristol interjected the key point: "They should challenge liberal authority."

Williams: "They should challenge all authority."

Kristol: "I agree, but they only challenge those conservatives who occasionally find themselves in positions of authority."

Williams embodies the very problem of bias. He assumes he's mainstream when he's really a liberal who doesn't see any liberal bias and so is befuddled by the complaint.

For the Pew poll released on May 23: http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=214


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: brithume; chriswallace; foxnews; juanwilliams; kristol; liberalnewsbias; mediabias; mortkondracke; npr; pew; times; washingtonpost
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The "romance of journalism" - sounds more like prostitution.. skip the romance.. newspapers and television news must remain profit centers. Add some gimmicks, flashy design, shocking sex photos if you can find them, helps to be perky or good looking, and finally; highly compensated upon delivery.
1 posted on 06/01/2004 8:06:05 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
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To: fight_truth_decay
I was wondering if anybody has been keeping track or made a study of the NY Times headlines and reporting concerning the WOT?

It seems apparent NYT front page photos concerning US troops consist mainly of funerals, prisoner abuse, grieving widows, etc. Rarely are our troops shown in a favorable light on the front page.

Also has anybody tracked the commentary by the NY Times reporters? Just before the war in Afghanistan, I recall heavy speculation by the Times of a bloodbath, then during the pre-invasion Air Force bombing, there was more speculation that "it wasn't working".

Just wondering if there is any watch group keeping an eye on the Times.

2 posted on 06/01/2004 8:12:37 AM PDT by rageaholic
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To: fight_truth_decay
NPR's Juan Williams doesn't see any liberal bias in the media

Those who don't LQQK can't SEE................

3 posted on 06/01/2004 8:13:51 AM PDT by Red Badger (DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!!!! Redneck with a computer detected!........................)
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To: fight_truth_decay

I love it when Brit slaps Juan down.


4 posted on 06/01/2004 8:15:20 AM PDT by petercooper (Islam is not a religion of peace. It's a sadistic death cult.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
NPR's Juan Williams .... insisted: "I think the New York Times is mainstream American journalism."

Surprise - Surprise - Surprise! One of the monuments to the quota system of Affirmative Action believes the Jayson Blair Fish Wrapper is mainstream American journalism! He probably is correct.

However, there is a vast difference between mainstream America and mainstream American journalism!
5 posted on 06/01/2004 8:15:29 AM PDT by leprechaun9
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To: fight_truth_decay
Williams: "No, I think it should tilt in a way that would challenge authority."

That pretty much says it all. Journalism should be driven by an agenda, not by an unbiased reporting of facts. At least he was willing to admit it.

6 posted on 06/01/2004 8:15:40 AM PDT by XJarhead
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To: fight_truth_decay

Juan Williams appears to always be saying something stupid. Job security, I suppose. I wonder how many of these Libs really believe what they are saying or is it really the paycheck?


7 posted on 06/01/2004 8:18:49 AM PDT by freekitty
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To: Red Badger

They've gouged out their eyes so that they don't have to see.


8 posted on 06/01/2004 8:19:25 AM PDT by bannie (Liberal Media: The Most Dangerous Enemies to America and Freedom)
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To: fight_truth_decay

"A dumbfounded Williams"

Regardless of subject, this phrase could be use to describe him. Look at his face at any given time on that program and you will see a look of self induced ignorance. The only way to actually believe his arguments is to remain ignorant of the truth!


9 posted on 06/01/2004 8:20:53 AM PDT by CSM (Liberals may see Saddam's mass graves in Iraq as half-full, but I prefer to see them as half-empty.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
Look at this thread from yesterday.

(THIS liberal Media!)

10 posted on 06/01/2004 8:21:48 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (It is not Bush's fault... it is the media's fault!)
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To: freekitty

I used to think Juan Williams was at least a fair liberal. Having heard this, I take back my former opinion of him.


11 posted on 06/01/2004 8:21:56 AM PDT by ampat
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To: fight_truth_decay
How about a 'moment of truth' - the war in Iraq? Which journalists supported the Iraq war and which journalists opposed. Count them up and find the answer.

For - Hume
Against - Williams

Score 1 - 1

12 posted on 06/01/2004 8:22:47 AM PDT by ex-snook (Islam's WMD is our war against the birth of children.)
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To: petercooper

You mean as one Freeper put it, when Britt gives Williams his weekly spanking? LoL


13 posted on 06/01/2004 8:25:14 AM PDT by nuconvert ("America will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins." ( Azadi baraye Iran)
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To: fight_truth_decay
Kristol: "I agree, but they only challenge those conservatives who occasionally find themselves in positions of authority."

Kristol pounded that one so true and sure that I don't think it can be said any better. When those in authority are liberals, the NYT gives them full and complete SUPPORT. They do not question. Not on policy issues, they don't. But, let the authority be a conservative and ... WHAM.

Juan looked like the liberal he is. Brit and Bill did a double-whammy on him, and did it well. I was pleased.
14 posted on 06/01/2004 8:27:17 AM PDT by TexasGreg
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To: fight_truth_decay

Over the weekend I was at the local Barnes & Noble looking at the "current affairs" section. There were at least 50 anti-Bush books there, one of which - I forget the title - accused the Bush administreation of suppressing freedom of the press. Looking at all the ant-Bush, anti-Iraq war books in that section, I had to laugh at the paranoia of liberals who say that the administration and the "corporate, right-wing media" are controlling the flow of information in this country.


15 posted on 06/01/2004 8:27:39 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: rageaholic

I don't know if you watch Oreilly, but last week he reported that the NY Times ran the Abu Ghraid story as front page news for 28 straight days...with something like 50 stories total. The LA times was only a little better with 26 straight days.


16 posted on 06/01/2004 8:28:02 AM PDT by cwb (Liberals: Always fighting for social justice in all the wrong places.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
I was up early this morning and channel surfing and they had a black and white version of "What's my Line" on the Game Show Network.

They had some celebrity guests where the panel had to put on blinders. The panel only had to wear the blinders for about 5 minutes.

Juan Williams it seems wears blinders 24/7.

17 posted on 06/01/2004 8:28:30 AM PDT by Dane
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To: ex-snook
Hume once slapped little Billy Kristol up side the head by basically accusing Kristol of hyper angst probably due to Kristols reading Soren Kierkagard.
18 posted on 06/01/2004 8:29:27 AM PDT by Helms (Al Gore Has No Core -A Lost Soul In a Political Fishbowl)
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To: fight_truth_decay
Williams: "They (the press) should challenge all authority."

Apparently, Juan Williams doesn't support the "We Report, You Decide" mantra at Fox News.

19 posted on 06/01/2004 8:29:49 AM PDT by Vision Thing (Liberal democrats & the mainstream press: Passionately defending the Enemy since the 1960s.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
NPR's Williams Sees No Liberal Bias

There are none so blind as those who will not see.

20 posted on 06/01/2004 8:30:31 AM PDT by highlander_UW (Evil doesn't want to leave you alone. It wants to draw you in and force you into complicity. - Keyes)
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