Actually, I don't think so---I mean, they certainly don't help---but this is the subject of a book I've been working on, and we're doing a rather large study of the 1960s. It appears that reporters have ALWAYS been libs (since the early 1900s), but that journalistic ethics, the way "news" was written (fact-heavy, little on "feelings"), and, above all, a commitment to balance and fairness---even when you didn't agree with it---dominated until JFK. Then something happened. We're working on proving what, and I won't give away our preliminary findings, but our data set is pretty darn big.
Among other things, though, the style of reporting changed from the "inverted pyramid" of who, what, when, where, why to an "engaging" personal style that always began with an anecdote or story (see any stupid column on any of last night's basketball games, and see how long it takes you to find out what the score was!!)
All the J-schools did was confirm and reinforce what had already happened.
Oh, and all this happened BEFORE Vietnam and Watergate, contrary to popular opinion.
There are some teasers about this, here:
The arenas of media, journalism and education are in DESPERATE need of reform.
1) Conservative students have little chance of surviving in most major schools of journalism.
2) Intellectual idealogues have gained control of most major public news sources.
3) MSM sources have shown exponentially blatant favoritism to liberal candidates and an increasing willingness to ignore negatives on their favorite political allies while either under investigating facts or, in some cases ("Rathergate" and "NY Timesgate"), actually fabricating negative stories about those they dislike. The Houston Chronicle actually messed up and posted an internal email a couple of years ago about how they were going to "get" Tom DeLay and they still try on an almost daily basis.
The result of all this is . . .
1)Intelligent conservatives are ceasing to pay any attention to MSM in any capacity
2) Alternative news sources like FOX and the bloggers are seeing increases in viewers and participants
3) There is a pent up demand for legitimate (not necessarily just conservative) journalism where good research is conducted and facts are reported, not skewed or manufactured. Some conservative entrepreneurs might take note.
Among other things, though, the style of reporting changed from the "inverted pyramid" of who, what, when, where, why to an "engaging" personal style that always began with an anecdote or story (see any stupid column on any of last night's basketball games, and see how long it takes you to find out what the score was!!) LOL! I made an extremely sarcastic comment about that very thing last night (it was a Social Security thread).
I've been noticing something in two of my primary focuses on FR: federal judges and taxes. The MSM always presents "a ruling by a federal judge" as though it was handed down from the Mount. I've also noticed that the MSM is completely incurious about taxation. They present taxes as "a done deal", and rarely, if ever, attempt to foment questions about the legitimacy of ANY taxation scheme. Along similar lines, educational institutions could easily cast a harsh light on the subject of taxation, but occupy themselves with more important issues, like "creative writing" and the like.