Media bias? You decide.

[Noah_Zark]

This morning listening to NPR's Morning Edition on the radio as I drove to my office it was reported that the new mayor of Detroit was taking office today. They mentioned "disgraced former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick" who pleaded guilty to perjury and other offenses, but the report did not mention Kilpatrick's party affiliation or that of the new mayor.

The very next story covered was about former REPUBLICAN Senator Larry Craig who resigned over allegations that he solicited for sex in an airport washroom.

The coverage of ex-mayor Kilpatrick has been ongoing for several months, and for as long as I've been paying attention NPR has NOT mentioned the fact that Kilpatrick is a Democrat.

Bias, or not?

Noah

[ChamberedRound]

Perhaps, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. There's no reason NOT to mention his Democratic party affiliation when it's done with Republicans who act criminally or irresponsibly.

[Robert Kayland]

It goes without question that there's a severe bias on NPR... usually worse and more overt to detect (for anyone with modicum of intelligence) than the more mainstream media, and that's saying something.

Both in how they report, and more important, WHAT they report... there are many truths in the world, and depending upon what you wish to be known (and what you wish to be kept obscure), you can actually report only facts and still be biased in a way that can rightfully be called lying.

We see this all the time... the biggest scam the media pull is usually to take the exception to the rule and report it as if it's the norm.

Example: if you're against the death penalty, you report about the handful of men who have been wrongfully or mistakenly incarcerated and convicted, and show how they and their families have horribly suffered the ordeal. It's all the truth and fact-based, so you're "doing your job", as it were.

Of course, you ignore the fact that the vast majority of men on death row belong there, many several times over, and don't interview the families of the victims or talk too much about the specifics of the crimes of the guilty.

And therefore, by accentuating the exception and attenuating the rule, you make the exception seem like the more common occurrence... hence, you've just told the truth (about the given exception), yet told a big fat lie about the actual issue.

[adymond]

Perhaps, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. There's no reason NOT to mention his Democratic party affiliation when it's done with Republicans who act criminally or irresponsibly.

The thing is I don't see what Craig did as being illegal or irresponsible. IF he was soliciting gay sex in a bathroom of an airport is that any different than soliciting gay sex at a bar? He wasn't asking to pay for it. I see it as no different than someone going to a guy in a bar and saying "Hey, wanna have gay sex?" I think Craig is married. I have a problem with him soliciting sex as a married man, but the fact that it was gay sex seems to be the big deal in his story.

[TaePo]

Another good item to watch is how the state of the economy is reported.

I recall (and assume it has not changed yet) in one Economics class I had many years ago that inflation and unemployment were inversely related. In other words, when Unemployment was going up, inflation decreased. When Inflation was increasing, unemployment would go down.

In the reports, you will hear about how bad the inflation rate is spiraling out of control. (The sky is falling)

Then when Inflation stabilizes and starts to decrease again...

Unemployment is increasing to a five year high level, we are all going to die!

It takes a matter of years or months to observe this, but I have seen it many a time.

Also, watch weather reports and whether we get enough rain or not. When we finally get some, it is way too much at once it seems.

Baah.

[5711-Marine]

Click the Picture to watch...

[ALS]

You should be on boards populated by liberals. They think that the media is in John McCain's back pocket. There is a Right Wing bias from the New York Times, Washington Post and most of the big net works.
Keith Olbermann is a center of the road reporter. Guys I kid you not these people would fit right in with Jim Jones and Jones town. They have drank the Kool-Aid as they say.

[elston32]

This morning listening to NPR's Morning Edition on the radio as I drove to my office it was reported that the new mayor of Detroit was taking office today. They mentioned "disgraced former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick" who pleaded guilty to perjury and other offenses, but the report did not mention Kilpatrick's party affiliation or that of the new mayor.

The very next story covered was about former REPUBLICAN Senator Larry Craig who resigned over allegations that he solicited for sex in an airport washroom.

The coverage of ex-mayor Kilpatrick has been ongoing for several months, and for as long as I've been paying attention NPR has NOT mentioned the fact that Kilpatrick is a Democrat.

Bias, or not?

Noah

I don't know.

How likely is it that you'll find a Republican named "Kwame?"

Stay well.


---elston

[Robert Kayland]

How likely is it that you'll find a Republican named "Kwame?"

True enough, but then they should at least have Eric Idle in the background saying "Nudge, nudge... wink, wink... say no more, say no more!"

[elston32]

True enough, but then they should at least have Eric Idle in the background saying "Nudge, nudge... wink, wink... say no more, say no more!"

NPR is aural not visual media.

Stay well.


---elston