Balance in the Media

[ginnyfizz]

I don't think there are any non-biased American news sources. The least biased that I've seen are all based outside America, i.e. BBC.

 

Well, for reasons that most of my friends know, I have largely abandoned posting in the forums, but I really cannot let that comment pass. You see I am British and conservative, and prove my open mindedness by listening to the BBC every day. If you think that the BBC are fair, unbiased and even handed, you really cannot have listened to them very much. Two of their most respected newsreaders/correspondents, Michael Buerk and Peter Sissons, have recently come out and lambasted their employer for being institutionally Left Wing and pumping out slanted coverage. The coverage of the climate change debate is a classic example.

[Aurielius]

I don't think there are any non-biased American news sources. The least biased that I've seen are all based outside America, i.e. BBC.

 

Well, for reasons that most of my friends know, I have largely abandoned posting in the forums, but I really cannot let that comment pass. You see I am British and conservative, and prove my open mindedness by listening to the BBC every day. If you think that the BBC are fair, unbiased and even handed, you really cannot have listened to them very much. Two of their most respected newsreaders/correspondents, Michael Buerk and Peter Sissons, have recently come out and lambasted their employer for being institutionally Left Wing and pumping out slanted coverage. The coverage of the climate change debate is a classic example.

Thank you Ginnyfizz, saw the same error in assessment of the BBC's neutrality and would have posted relating to it but wanted to wait and defer to our British contingent first. There was a time when I looked toward the BBC for unbiased news but that ship has long since sailed. The BBC is just the counterpart of MSNBC but with better diction.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Aurielius

[ub3rman123]

Dang. Maybe I'll just get my news off Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report then.

[grannywils]

Well, I will bow to Ginnyfizz and Aurielius regarding the BBC's bias in broadcasting. I too mentioned that I had heard them briefly, albeit many years ago, and thought them to be somewhat less biased than the American media (true, with better diction). However, as I also pointed out, I was not really sure if I was correct. Apparently not. I stand corrected. So maybe our British friends can get involved with our problem. How do we fix it?

[marharth]

Hm...

 

Well the thing about climate change is that it is factual, you can deny it as much as you want but there is massive evidence to support that climate change is going on.

 

The job of the media is to report the truth and to report the facts.

 

Sometimes the facts are to the right, sometimes they are to the left.

 

It is not a bias to to report a factual statement that is on the end of a political scale.

[TrooperScooperMKII]

I think thqat the problem is twofold: first, the fact that, like all industries, the news media has consolidated to a ridiculous degree. If the news agencies were more diverse (competiiton) then it would probably be less biased; at the least, I think it would give more perspectives.

The big problem, however, is the consumer culture. We like to blame the politicians for everything, but we as a society need to remember that the politicians are only giving us what we want to hear, or at least, what they think we want them to say. Take the budget for example- the two biggest spending areas- the military and Social Security- are largely ignored by everyone. IMHO THe military should be trimmed of a lot of excess (fighter jets come to mind, but the Iraq and Afghanistan wars also desrve mention) but that won't solve everything. SS expenditures are projected to have explosive growth, so in the long term we need to make a choice: cut SS spending, or raise taxes; the public as a whole isn't willing to do either, so the politicians won't touch them.

Anyway, the deficit highlights the obstinate complacency of Americans and humanity in general. We all want to get the most gain from the least effort, but that ideology is destroying our society from the inside out. HEnce why the media isn't going to change anytime soon- people simply don't have the time or the inclination to make independent decisions.

[marharth]

I think thqat the problem is twofold: first, the fact that, like all industries, the news media has consolidated to a ridiculous degree. If the news agencies were more diverse (competiiton) then it would probably be less biased; at the least, I think it would give more perspectives.

The big problem, however, is the consumer culture. We like to blame the politicians for everything, but we as a society need to remember that the politicians are only giving us what we want to hear, or at least, what they think we want them to say. Take the budget for example- the two biggest spending areas- the military and Social Security- are largely ignored by everyone. IMHO THe military should be trimmed of a lot of excess (fighter jets come to mind, but the Iraq and Afghanistan wars also desrve mention) but that won't solve everything. SS expenditures are projected to have explosive growth, so in the long term we need to make a choice: cut SS spending, or raise taxes; the public as a whole isn't willing to do either, so the politicians won't touch them.

Anyway, the deficit highlights the obstinate complacency of Americans and humanity in general. We all want to get the most gain from the least effort, but that ideology is destroying our society from the inside out. HEnce why the media isn't going to change anytime soon- people simply don't have the time or the inclination to make independent decisions.

Polls show that a lot of Americans are willing to raise taxes.

 

Social Security is separate from other programs, every cent of taxes you pay for social secruity goes right into social security. If that money was used for something else that is not the American Peoples fault.

 

The issue is that the media is owned by mega corporations, and mega corporations own the politicians.

[TrooperScooperMKII]

Polls show that a lot of Americans are willing to raise taxes.

 

Social Security is separate from other programs, every cent of taxes you pay for social secruity goes right into social security. If that money was used for something else that is not the American Peoples fault.

 

The issue is that the media is owned by mega corporations, and mega corporations own the politicians.

I agree, the corporations are the problem, but you have to realize that the corporations could not have the clout they wield outside of the culture (or lack thereof) in America.

[grannywils]

Man, I'm finding this to be a fascinating thread, even if I do say so myself. And I thank you guys for not turning it into an our side against their side slam fest. I like the discussion so far.

 

Anyway, I wanted to comment on a couple of things. Marharth, I totally agree that Climate Change is factual, and that the job of the media is to report the truth. I'm not exactly sure of your point in that post, but think it was in response to Ginnyfizz's remark about bias in the media in Britain. Since I'm not exactly sure how they've been reporting it, I cannot respond to that. But we do know how it goes in this country. Some of us know it as fact, and some of us believe it to be fiction. The media is of no help whatsoever in guiding any of us to making that decision. Therein lies the problem.

 

TrooperScooperMKII, you make a very valid point with respect to our own culpability in the lack of accurate information and direct communication. Many of us as Americans tend to be either lazy or spoiled and want everything diluted and spoonfed to us in one syllable words so we do not have to think too hard. I say, too bad. We cannot afford that luxury. We The People are supposed to be running this Government. When do you think was the last time that really happened? Whose fault is that?

 

Again, Marharth, I think you may be right that Americans would be more willing to have their taxes raised if they had the faith that the taxes would go to the places they expected them to go. Why have we allowed corporations to take over not only the media but to a large extent our government as well, in one way or another. Who is in charge here? Hmmm?

[evilneko]

I hold many liberal views (for example, gay marriage and abortion rights), but I also hold conservative views ("from my cold, dead hands" ring any bells?). Generally I'd prefer the government butt out unless I ask for it (I can haz Pell Grant?). I think this currently puts me left of center, even though the republicans are supposed to be the ones all about small government. :confused: