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Researcher's Appraisals of Commentators Are Released (Scrutiny of Bias in Public Broadcasting)
New York Times ^ | July 1, 2005 | SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

Posted on 07/01/2005 2:03:32 AM PDT by RWR8189

WASHINGTON, June 30 - A researcher secretly retained by the chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to monitor liberal bias in public radio and television set his sights on several media personalities, including Bill Moyers, Tucker Carlson, Tavis Smiley, David Brancaccio and Diane Rehm, according to documents made public Thursday.

Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, released 50 pages of what he called the "work product" of Fred Mann, a researcher who has been connected to conservative journalism centers and who was hired by the corporation's chairman, Kenneth Y. Tomlinson. Mr. Dorgan pronounced the work "a little nutty" and a sham.

The documents do not form a complete report, but are instead a string of synopses of public radio and television programs, accompanied by charts analyzing the political leanings of the guests. The central conclusion appears to have been that most public radio and television guests were liberal, and that even those who were conservative were critical of President Bush.

The research, which Mr. Dorgan said cost taxpayers $14,700, sent ripples throughout the public broadcast community, where journalists and executives - who believed until Thursday that the review was limited to "Now," with Bill Moyers - seemed stunned to learn they were also being scrutinized.

"Is it being done to somehow force public broadcasting into some kind of retreat?" asked Ms. Rehm, who has been host of "The Diane Rehm Show," a news and interview program, on public radio for 25 years. "Is it done to frighten people to somehow alert them to the fact that they are being watched?"

Ms. Rehm may have had reason to feel aggrieved. When she interviewed Mr. Tomlinson on her program last month - nearly a year after Mr. Mann finished his largely critical, but then still secret, review of her

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bias; billmoyer; byrondorgan; dorgan; liberalbias; mediabias; moyer; now; npr; pbs; tomlinson
The guests are tagged with labels - liberal, conservative, neutral - though in some cases, Mr. Dorgan said, Mr. Mann was wrong. He classified Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, for example, generally regarded as a mainstream conservative Republican, as "liberal

Hagel is regarded by whom as a mainstream conservative Republican?

George Bush is a mainstream conservative Republican.

Dick Cheney is a mainstream conservative Republican.

Tom Delay is a mainstream conservative Republican.

Bill Frist is a mainstream conservative Republican.

George Allen is a mainstream conservative Republican.

Hagel is no mainstream conservative.

1 posted on 07/01/2005 2:03:35 AM PDT by RWR8189
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To: RWR8189
"Is it done to frighten people to somehow alert them to the fact that they are being watched?"

The logic of this escapes me.

Why would someone who is a TV/radio personality be "frightened" of "being watched"?

2 posted on 07/01/2005 2:49:41 AM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: RWR8189

They're being watched? Does Nielson know of this?


3 posted on 07/01/2005 3:01:48 AM PDT by Waco
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To: Izzy Dunne

Diane Rhem is a 60s style liberal. He program is a continuous call for more and more government intervention in our lives. I have listened to her for many years with what I believe is an objective ear, she's big on "diversity" in the sense of inclusion of homosexuals, minorities and other groups which need special "protections", but there's never any diversity for conservatives. She views people who live in flyover country as an alien species. It's about time somebody started checking up on her.


4 posted on 07/01/2005 5:37:18 AM PDT by kjo
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To: Izzy Dunne

Diane Rhem is a 60s style liberal. He program is a continuous call for more and more government intervention in our lives. I have listened to her for many years with what I believe is an objective ear, she's big on "diversity" in the sense of inclusion of homosexuals, minorities and other groups which need special "protections", but there's never any diversity for conservatives. She views people who live in flyover country as an alien species. It's about time somebody started checking up on her.


5 posted on 07/01/2005 5:37:29 AM PDT by kjo
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To: RWR8189

This article is the best proof of the liberal press's elitist attitude I've ever read. They feel they are above review, above being judged.


6 posted on 07/01/2005 6:18:26 AM PDT by aimhigh
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To: RWR8189
Hagel is actually a leftwing extremist RINO.

Ms. Rehm is also a far left extremist of the worst sort.

7 posted on 07/01/2005 7:39:45 AM PDT by muawiyah (q)
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