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WaPo Columnist: Yes, Journalists Lean Left, and Reason Why 'Would Infuriate You'(STUNNING)
NewsBusters ^ | 10/24/2006 | Tim Johnson

Posted on 10/24/2006 11:57:11 AM PDT by tobyhill

Whenever a writer for one of America's most influential newspapers states his or her opinions about liberal media bias, it should be brought to the attention of NewsBusters readers (unless, of course, said writer merely offers some variant of the lame, threadbare "we get complaints from both the right and the left, which tells me our coverage is balanced" argument).

Washington Post humor columnist Gene Weingarten also occasionally writes long pieces for the paper's Sunday magazine. In a Monday web chat concerning Weingarten's admiring profile of Doonesbury's Garry Trudeau, a questioner charged that the Post ran that story and others in order to help the Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections. In today's chat, when the same questioner posted a good-humored follow-up, Weingarten addressed media bias in general terms (emphasis added):

In terms of coverage of news, newspapers honestly do make a strong effort to be nonpartisan. I can tell you there is NEVER any covert hidden agenda, wherein editors will say or think or act on the notion of: "Hey, the election is coming up and we think the Dems are better this year, so let's have some nice stories about them to help sway the votes." Never happens.

This does not mean there is no subtle bias. There is, and it is of this nature: Most journalists personally lean liberal. You and I could have a long debate about why this is, and my views would infuriate you, but it is true and it is silly to deny it.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bias; democrats; liberalpress; liberals; mediabias; mediabiaslist; msm
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To: tobyhill

"Yes, we are somewhat liberal, and it will totally surprise you why.... We think we are SMART and you are dumb." hahahah.


21 posted on 10/24/2006 12:13:38 PM PDT by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
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To: kinghorse
Remove yourself from the good cause of helping people who have autism in their lives and consider it is not the reporter's job to influence public policy. Too many people who get into the media today see it as a shortcut to political power. That is dangerous.

Go to any college or university where aspiring journalist are gathered and ask them why they want to be journalist. The most common answer is that they "want to make a difference". The very idea is absurd. You can't "make a difference" if you're a mere messenger, which is what they're supposed to be. The only way to "make a difference" is to be more of an activist than a journalist.

I always think of some war messenger bringing George Washington bunk information because they didn't agree with this or that, or because they thought it would help this or that. As you've pointed out, it's very dangerous.
22 posted on 10/24/2006 12:13:53 PM PDT by Jaysun (Idiot Muslims. They're just dying to have sex orgies.)
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To: tobyhill
The point was that they are claiming to be smarter than most. It doesn't infuriate me either because this whole thing just shows how dumb they really are.

I see. Well we've always known that they feel that way. They say as much.
23 posted on 10/24/2006 12:14:35 PM PDT by Jaysun (Idiot Muslims. They're just dying to have sex orgies.)
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To: meyer

" The bias is strong and obvious to anybody with an education beyond the 7th grade level. Unfortunately, that's only about 52% of the population. "

*Unfortunately, that's only about 52% of college graduates in general, and less than 10% of Journalism graduates*

(that fixes it, I think..)


24 posted on 10/24/2006 12:15:12 PM PDT by Uncle Ike (Stop the "tyranny of the 'offended' " -- say what you mean and stand by it!)
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To: tobyhill
Incredible arrogance, absolutely incredible.

In my experience, professional journalists are less informed about many subjects than people of comparable intelligence and education in other fields. In science, history, business, military affairs, and global geo-politics, professional journalists are notoriously ill-informed and gullible.

The reason is not hard to figure out. Their education is in how to communicate and not in the subjects of that communication. Further, media of all kinds are phenomenally competitive and this tends to skew the personality profiles of those who are likely to be successful. The real reason for political and social bias in the media has to do with the need to set oneself apart in simple, indeed simplistic, terms; and to cater to the commercial requirements of advertisers. The latter is often unconcious but advertising requirements do favor certain biases and attitudes.

For more on this very important issue, I could not do better than to recommend Thomas M. Franks' landmark cultural history, The Conquest of Cool. This is a damning indictment of the media culture and Franks' status as a high-profile leftist only helps his credibility.

25 posted on 10/24/2006 12:15:39 PM PDT by atomic conspiracy (Islamo-terrorists: Strike force of the MSM)
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To: tobyhill

Alert the media!


26 posted on 10/24/2006 12:16:25 PM PDT by tom paine 2
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To: tobyhill
"I'll tell you, though, that most good writers are aware of their biases"

Therein lies the core of this article. Most everyone is biased. Few journalists will admit their biases. I think this means that most journalists are not "good writers".

27 posted on 10/24/2006 12:18:34 PM PDT by norwaypinesavage
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To: tobyhill
Articles like: Democratic blowout predicted this year, infuriate me. You never see the converse: "Republicans to blowout Democrats this year". It is free advertising for the Democrats.

This business that they lean sometimes to the left is preposterous. Just switch democrats for republican in the article and ask if you have never, or would you ever see an article like that?

Do you see the media going ga-ga over Republicans as they have democrats like Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama? Using terms like Brilliant, Genius, like they do over the democrats. Not, just no you don't, but h*ll No!

The bias is so blatant, especially in election years, but it is translating into few viewers and fewer reader every month. The Main Stream Media are dying, it is no longer a question of will they die, but when.

28 posted on 10/24/2006 12:19:11 PM PDT by sr4402
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To: mallardx
The MSM is having a problem getting use to the fact that they are more or less ignored so they create issues so as they can pat each other on the backs and makes themselves feel important. Take the enemy propaganda out of Iraq on the snipers and the only "news worthiness" behind it was they showed it no matter how distasteful it was to do so.
29 posted on 10/24/2006 12:19:19 PM PDT by tobyhill (The War on Terrorism is not for the weak.)
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To: tobyhill
Rush seems to be well informed...he ain't liberal!
30 posted on 10/24/2006 12:21:25 PM PDT by Edgerunner (Democrats break...Republicans fix))
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To: kinghorse
To influence policy.

You deserve a cee-gar.

In journalism school we called this "advocacy journalism." Most everyone I went to school with, myself included, was an advocacy journalist masquerading as an objective one. Every journalist who aspires to write more than just the who/what/when/where/why hard news stories is arguing his or her viewpoint each and every time he or she sits down to write.

31 posted on 10/24/2006 12:28:08 PM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: tobyhill
Journalists as a general rule probably are pretty suspicious of the religious right.

Read: Journalists loathe the religeous right.

32 posted on 10/24/2006 12:28:12 PM PDT by Obadiah
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To: evad
...journalists are more liberal than the average person because they are better informed than the average person.

Typical smug liberal hubris, "I am smarter, better educated, and morally superior to everyone else because evryone else is secretly a racist, closed-minded person. I HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS!"

33 posted on 10/24/2006 12:31:34 PM PDT by Obadiah
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To: tobyhill
When the media-bias issue was raised in one long-ago chat, Weingarten asserted, essentially, that journalists are more liberal than the average person because they are better informed than the average person.

"Our ratings and subcriptions are in the toilet, but gosh darnit, we're better, we're smarter, and people like us!"

34 posted on 10/24/2006 12:32:09 PM PDT by ABG(anybody but Gore) ("By the time I'm finished with you, you're gonna wish you felt this good again" - Jack Bauer)
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To: frogjerk

"Note: When the media-bias issue was raised in one long-ago chat, Weingarten asserted, essentially, that journalists are more liberal than the average person because they are better informed than the average person."


Now that is laughable. Journalists are uniformly uninformed. They write English fairly well, that is their only skill.


35 posted on 10/24/2006 12:39:36 PM PDT by TexanToTheCore (This space for hire...)
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To: WashingtonSource

"Liberal bias should disqualify someone from being a reporter"
Not really,as long as they are honest and upfront about their slants.
What aggravates me are the ones who are blatantly liberal but play these sly little word games trying to show their"fairness".
Their facial expressions and body language always betrays their true sentiments.


36 posted on 10/24/2006 12:45:14 PM PDT by Riverman94610
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To: tobyhill
Weingarten asserted, essentially, that journalists are more liberal than the average person because they are better informed than the average person.

No, it's because they're LESS informed than the average person. They don't know the facts, just their own biased opinion.
37 posted on 10/24/2006 12:52:02 PM PDT by G8 Diplomat
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To: Jaysun
"I missed the part where he explained why journalist lean left."

1. Many hard core lefties consider themselves to be o-so-much SMARTER and superior to the great unwashed --- even those they champion.

2. Those who don't consider themselves to be better than the average guy know what side the bread is buttered on and understand that their chances for advancement in a leftist dominated industry would be significantly more difficult if they do not tow the party line. They go along to get along.

38 posted on 10/24/2006 12:53:04 PM PDT by Ditto
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To: meyer
The bias is strong and obvious to anybody with an education beyond the 7th grade level.

It was obvious to me when I was in 7th grade. I'm in 12th grade now and it still is
39 posted on 10/24/2006 12:55:22 PM PDT by G8 Diplomat
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To: sr4402
The perfect example to underscore what you just said is the current Maryland Senate race. Take a look at Michael Steele. Tall. Stately. Confident. Handsome. Articulate.

Compare him to Barak Obama. Yet, the media - who professes to be for the advancement of blacks - will condemn Steele but push Obama. The bias is obvious.

40 posted on 10/24/2006 12:59:30 PM PDT by 7thson (I've got a seat at the big conference table! I'm gonna paint my logo on it!)
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