Here is a short example of the hidden bias in mainstream media presentations of conservative and centrist commentators and political figures. I am not the world's biggest fan of Bill O'Reilly. I think the man has a number of good points to make about society, and is a skilled presenter when he tries to be calm and rational, but an unfortunate tendency to shout down his opposition guests and bully people on the air. That said, I refuse to join many of my friends and colleagues in the sciences in categorically labeling O'Reilly negatively. People so easily spout flippant remarks like "he's just stupid," or "that right-wing loon..." And things like this...explain this tendency for otherwise intelligent people to make such statements
O'Reilly Unfairly Attacked - Liberal Media Shrugs
It's insidious...it's hard to spot if you're just watching the TV casually. The softball qustions seem like routine banter and you let it slide. When someone you disagree with comes on their shows and gets grilled, it seems like good, hard-hitting journalism. But when all the softballs go to one side...and all the hard hitting questions to the other, it's called yellow journalism...it's the media attempting to dictate public opinion. I'll have more commentary on this matter as we get later into the rating of Babylon 5...but suffice to say, I believe there is nothing more dangerous than a media driving public opinion and the public complacently ignoring the trend. Bush and his type of neoconservative beliefs regarding national security are not the greatest threats we face to our civil liberties...CBS and NBC and ABC are.
No comments:
Post a Comment