Media Bias

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

[Continued from the McCain/Romney thread]

Firstdown,

I don't agree with your claim that PBS is as biased to the left as Fox News is to the right. I think PBS is pretty balanced and far better than, say, CNN or Fox News. Keep in mind, I am an independent who leans right on about 50% of the "issues" and left on the other 50% of the "issues." As for Fox News' bias, I wasn't referring to the O'Reilly Factor, I was referring to their "news segments."

Everything they talk about is bashing the Rep party and Bush. I can not think of the guys name he is a left winger and he even says that PBS leans heavy to the left. Why do you think that the Rep. party wanted to cut off funds to PBS?

[saden1]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Everything they talk about is bashing the Rep party and Bush. I can not think of the guys name he is a left winger and he even says that PBS leans heavy to the left. Why do you think that the Rep. party wanted to cut off funds to PBS?

A PBS show, Bill Moyer Journal, convinced me that Bill Clinton needed to be impeached and I believe that's the most liberal show on PBS.

I find PBS by far the best source for pure news. They truly report the news, news that really matters.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Everything they talk about is bashing the Rep party and Bush. I can not think of the guys name he is a left winger and he even says that PBS leans heavy to the left. Why do you think that the Rep. party wanted to cut off funds to PBS?

I don't think that's necessarily true. Moreover, Bush hasn't been a great success. He's pretty unpopular with people of all political affiliations. I support the surge, but the Iraq Qar was a mistake of massive proportions. Bush has managed to alienate most of our allies, even after they rallied to our cause after 9/11. The economy is in or headed for a recession. The Bush administration has been riddled with scandals and the list goes on. Again, I'm no leftie, but it's pretty hard not to be hard on Bush.

[70Chip]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

I don't think that's necessarily true. Moreover, Bush hasn't been a great success. He's pretty unpopular with people of all political affiliations. I support the surge, but the Iraq Qar was a mistake of massive proportions. Bush has managed to alienate most of our allies, even after they rallied to our cause after 9/11. The economy is in or headed for a recession. The Bush administration has been riddled with scandals and the list goes on. Again, I'm no leftie, but it's pretty hard not to be hard on Bush.

You may be the only person in the country who is "not a leftie" and also doesn't think that PBS has a Liberal Bias. That's not a position that Centrists or Conservatives generally hold. It's an interesting technique, though. You hear it on C-Span call in shows a lot: "I've been a Republican all my life, but this year I'm voting for the Democrats". Sure. Whatever.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

You may be the only person in the country who is "not a leftie" and also doesn't think that PBS has a Liberal Bias. That's not a position that Centrists or Conservatives generally hold. It's an interesting technique, though. You hear it on C-Span call in shows a lot: "I've been a Republican all my life, but this year I'm voting for the Democrats". Sure. Whatever.

No need to imply that I'm lying about my centrist credentials. As many left-leaning people on this site who are familiar with me know (dmek, Matty, Shane), I am FAR from a "leftie." I'm pro-surge, pro death penalty, pro free trade/globalization, detest Hillary Clinton, anti-late term abortion etc. I'm also pro-choice (with limitations), pro gay marriage, and will most likely vote for Obama. In the minds of most of my friends off of this site, I'm known as more right leaning than left leaning. I'm only viewed as more left-leaning than right-leaning by party-line conservatives.

As for PBS' supposed bias, please elaborate? My guess is you don't watch it that much.

[70Chip]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

No need to imply that I'm lying about my centrist credentials. As many left-leaning people on this site who are familiar with me know (dmek, Matty, Shane), I am FAR from a "leftie." I'm pro-surge, pro death penalty, pro free trade/globalization, detest Hillary Clinton, anti-late term abortion etc. I'm also pro-choice (with limitations), pro gay marriage, and will most likely vote for Obama. In the minds of most of my friends off of this site, I'm known as more right leaning than left leaning. I'm only viewed as more left-leaning than right-leaning by party-line conservatives.

As for PBS' supposed bias, please elaborate? My guess is you don't watch it that much.

I don't think you're being dishonest. I also don't think that detesting Hillary Clinton or being against Partial Birth makes you right leaning. After all, Baraq is the more liberal of the two. I don't go along with everything the right believes but that hardly makes me a "centrist". The pundit-class has made a fetish of the notion of being in the "center". There is an assumption that if you are part one thing and part another you are more thoughtful or even psychologically more balanced. I don't accept that.

I watch PBS quite a bit. The NewsHour is reasonably fair. Probably more balanced than many others, however:

Charlie Rose -Liberal
Tavis Smiley -Liberal
Bill Moyers -Liberal
Frontline -Liberal
American Experience -Somewhat Less Liberal

I also suspect that Norm Abram from This Old House was in the Weather Underground, though I have never been able to prove it. And don't get me started on Big Bird or that guy from Blues Clues.

[saden1]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

I don't think you're being dishonest. I also don't think that detesting Hillary Clinton or being against Partial Birth makes you right leaning. After all, Baraq is the more liberal of the two. I don't go along with everything the right believes but that hardly makes me a "centrist". The pundit-class has made a fetish of the notion of being in the "center". There is an assumption that if you are part one thing and part another you are more thoughtful or even psychologically more balanced. I don't accept that.

I watch PBS quite a bit. The NewsHour is reasonably fair. Probably more balanced than many others, however:

Charlie Rose -Liberal
Tavis Smiley -Liberal
Bill Moyers -Liberal
Frontline -Liberal
American Experience -Somewhat Less Liberal

I also suspect that Norm Abram from This Old House was in the Weather Underground, though I have never been able to prove it. And don't get me started on Big Bird or that guy from Blues Clues.

There is no denying that most of the folks on PBS are liberal the question is do they talk about worthy issues and topics? Fox, CNN, MSNBC put together don't cover half of the stuff PBS reports on. I suppose it's all a matter of taste. Charlie Rose interviews the most obscure people, people you never hear about but should. Bill Moyer brings you interesting stories rather than what Britney has been up to. Tavis Smiley covers quite a bit of topics that concern African Americans but the topics are very broad and are not limited to just African Americans.

Viva la PBS

[70Chip]

Originally Posted by saden1

There is no denying that most of the folks on PBS are liberal the question is do they talk about worthy issues and topics? Fox, CNN, MSNBC put together don't cover half of the stuff PBS reports on. I suppose it's all a matter of taste. Charlie Rose interviews the most obscure people, people you never hear about but should. Bill Moyer brings you interesting stories rather than what Britney has been up to. Tavis Smiley covers quite a bit of topics that concern African Americans but the topics are very broad and are not limited to just African Americans.

Viva la PBS

I like it too. But the fact that I enjoy it doesn't make me feel the need to pretend that its not reflective of a very narrow viewpoint. And, we haven't even touched on the subject of NPR, yet.