March 16, 2003 The Wayward MediaBy TED WIDMER Deborah Copaken Kogan/Basic BooksEric Alterman, author of the book "What Liberal Media?" WHAT LIBERAL MEDIA? The Truth About Bias and the News.By Eric Alterman. 322 pp. New York: Basic Books. $25. DEMOCRACY AND THE NEWS By Herbert J. Gans. 168 pp. New York: Oxford University Press. $26. First Chapter: 'What Liberal Media?' (March 16, 2003) First Chapter: 'Democracy and the News' (March 16, 2003) he only authors whom I acknowledge as American are the journalists,'' Alexis de Tocqueville wrote. ''They indeed are not great writers,'' he added with Old European disdain, ''but...