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This article discusses a method of extracting an "ADA rating" for journalists based on how their citations of liberal and conservative think tanks compare to those of members of Congress for whom actual ADA ratings are available. Strikes me as a nice piece of analysis - even if my eyes did glaze over when they got into the mathematical details of their statistics.

One of the most curious and surprising statistics in all of American politics is that an overwhelming number of journalists are liberal . . .
The reason this statistic is curious and surprising is that many consider the media the watchdog of government, sometimes calling it the ¡°Fourth Branch of American Government.¡± If so, it is by far the least representative of the branches.
Our greatest accomplishment as a profession is the development since World War II of a news reporting craft that is truly non-partisan, and non-ideological, and that strives to be independent of undue commercial or governmental influence....It is that legacy we must protect with our diligent stewardship. To do so means we must be aware of the energetic effort that is now underway to convince our readers that we are ideologues. It is an exercise of, in disinformation, of alarming proportions. This attempt to convince the audience of the world¡¯s most ideology-free newspapers that they¡¯re being subjected to agenda-driven news reflecting a liberal bias. I don¡¯t believe our viewers and readers will be, in the long-run, misled by those who advocate biased journalism.¡± ¨C New York Times Executive Editor Howell Raines accepting the ¡°George Beveridge Editor of the Year Award¡± at a National Press Foundation dinner shown live on C-SPAN2 February 20, 2003. when it comes to free publicity, some of the major broadcast media are simply biased in favor of the Republicans, while the rest tend to blur differences between the parties. But that¡¯s the way it is. Democrats should complain as loudly about the real conservative bias of the media as the Republicans complain about its entirely mythical bias¡ --Paul Krugman, ¡°Into the Wilderness,¡± New York Times, November 8, 2002.
"The mainstream media does not have a liberal bias. . . . ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, the New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, Newsweek and the rest -- at least try to be fair." --Al Franken. (2003, xx) Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right.

IOW, "The fox says he guards the chicken coop. Ergo, it is surprising that chickens disappear from the coop when the fox is 'on duty'."

Why Broadcast Journalism is
Unnecessary and Illegitimate

Thanks for the ping to this very long piece. Another arrow in the quiver. Similar deductions were arrived at in a similar study by Lichter(?) et al in the late 80's? I would also add, you make some terrific observations in your later posts on this thread. You seem to have a deep understanding regarding the mortal combat conservatives should be engaged in against these useful media idiots.

To me, the issue is not that the mainstream media is leftist to the core, but why. Conspiracy theories aside, I haven't been able to find a reasonable answer to the question. In your travels; have you?

Hey Dan, pour a cup of coffee before you sit down with this one. Enlightening, if not engaging, study ;^)

FGS