NETWORKS LABEL CONSERVATIVES FOUR TIMES AS OFTEN AS LIBERALS (MRC's latest study)

June 25, 2002

[Mr. Mulliner]

Look For The Network Label …

NETWORKS LABEL CONSERVATIVES FOUR TIMES AS OFTEN AS LIBERALS

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - A new Media Research Center study has found that network reporters label conservatives four times more often than they label liberals, confirming recent allegations of liberal media bias made by former CBS newsman Bernard Goldberg in his best-seller, Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How The Media Distort the News.

MRC researchers examined all instances in which the reporters themselves applied either the "liberal" or “conservative” label on ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts over a five-year period, from January 1, 1997 through December 31, 2001. The study found 992 instances in which conservatives were labeled, compared to only 247 instances in which liberals were assigned an ideological tag.

“It seems unbelievable, but the numbers don't lie. No network labeled Vice President Al Gore as a liberal during the entire 1999-2000 election cycle, yet they labeled George W. Bush as a conservative 19 times. Bernard Goldberg is absolutely right," said Brent Bozell, President of the Media Research Center. "Network anchors and reporters label conservatives because they think they're out of the mainstream, but don't label liberals because they think liberals are completely mainstream.”

Newscast Breakdown of Labeling
ABC World News Tonight	96 liberal labels (21%)	365 conservative labels (79%)
CBS Evening News	64 liberal labels (18%)	289 conservative labels (82%)
NBC Nightly News	87 liberal labels (20%)	338 conservative labels (80%)

The network double standard in labeling was apparent when reporters and anchors described Senators, Congressmen, Supreme Court Justices and Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates:

	U.S. Sens.	U.S. Reps.	Nat’l. Candidates	Sup. Court Justices
Liberal	34%	13%	4%	33%
Conservative	66	87	96	67

 

 

To schedule an interview with Mr. Bozell contact Katie Wright at
(703)-683-5004, ext. 132.

[Mr. Mulliner]

Do labels matter? People always say they make up their own minds, but when the network news is constantly telling you (or not telling) how to classify the people who are making the news, there are few people who are unaffected by such labels. Labeling is a powerful tool in the hands of journalists in shaping the way people think and there is much more work that needs to be done to expose it. Thanks MRC!

[Mr. Mulliner]

ping

[The Raven]

And ..... the attack on the non-liberal media (FOX, for example) continues.

[Mr. Mulliner]

Oops! Forgot to include this link to the actual study. The above is merely the press release.

MRC Study: On Evening News Broadcasts, Conservative Tag Used Four Times More than Liberal Label

[Mr. Mulliner]

I realize that this study includes only network news and so doesn't include FNC or CNN, but I'd be curious to know how those two came out in this study. Fox I would expect to come out with pretty fair labeling and CNN at least as bad as CBS if not worse. Liberals love to call FNC "conservative," but I bet they apply these labels a lot more fairly than any of the other major players.

[Mr. Mulliner]

ping

[Neets]

Thanks for the Ping.

[johnny7]

Yeah... labels do matter... especially when you're using them on a minority.

To most of todays uninformed electorate, conservative = mean, old white man.

You know, the kinda' guy on the TV commercials that can't get anything right untill told how by a woman, black or a child.

When GW is labeled as a conservative, John Kerry, Pat Leahy, John Edwards and Joe Biden are moderates.

[kassie]

Thanks for the ping. This is very interesting. Just there subtle little way of name calling. It's such a dirty word to them.

[maica]

The one-sided identification continues into other categories, too. Think tanks, and publishers and magazines are groups that come to mind. When is the last time you have heard 'liberal' or 'left wing' attached to any of these on NBCCBSABC? They are striving to 'brand' the word 'conservative' as a pejorative.

[RWCon]

When in truth, Bush is a moderate and the other three are
raging socialists.

[christine]

networks AND newspapers!!!

it's interesting how that 'D' is conspicuously omitted when the story is of some rat's corruption or crime.

[dansangel]

Aaaarrrrggggghhhh! This makes me so mad! I have heard this before and have paid more attention and it is so true! That's why I enjoy Britt Hume on FOX in the evening. He's not afraid to use some of his own liberal names when delivering the news. Some have been downright hilarious.

Thanks for the ping S_Y. Good to hear from you again! (Even if you got my blood pressure up!) o~<);-)

[ForGod'sSake]

NETWORKS LABEL CONSERVATIVES FOUR TIMES AS OFTEN AS LIBERALS...

What?!?! Only four to one? These guys must be losing their touch. I'll wager there was a time it could have been ten to one. Maybe our work is paying off ; )

FGS