Page 1 of 2

Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 01:30am
by Skelron
can someone please explain to me, as a British person, why American's seem to think that their Media is dominated by a Liberal Agenda. (and actually why they think Liberal means Left wing, it dosn't....)

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 01:35am
by Sea Skimmer
Skelron wrote:can someone please explain to me, as a British person, why American's seem to think that their Media is dominated by a Liberal Agenda. (and actually why they think Liberal means Left wing, it dosn't....)
Actually, Liberal does mean left wing in America. The fact that some political systems in other nations use the terms differently does not change that. It is not that strictly a defined term.

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 01:40am
by Enlightenment
Skelron wrote:can someone please explain to me, as a British person, why American's seem to think that their Media is dominated by a Liberal Agenda. (and actually why they think Liberal means Left wing, it dosn't....)
A very large number of Americans--probably a majority, in truth--hold political beliefs little different from those of Azeron. They view the media as 'liberal' because it doesn't agree with their right wing perspective.

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 01:44am
by RayCav of ASVS
Enlightenment wrote:
Skelron wrote:can someone please explain to me, as a British person, why American's seem to think that their Media is dominated by a Liberal Agenda. (and actually why they think Liberal means Left wing, it dosn't....)
A very large number of Americans--probably a majority, in truth--hold political beliefs little different from those of Azeron. They view the media as 'liberal' because it doesn't agree with their right wing perspective.
Hold on here, I take offense that most so-called "conservatives" are precieved the way they are. I consider myself "conservative" and yet hold many "liberal" beliefs. I do think the media is somewhat "liberal" dominated, but not to that extreme.

And it sounds like you are just jumping on the bandwagon, Enlightenment :P

Posted: 2002-09-21 04:33am
by Knife
Because the major media is HQed in more or less liberal places. The bigwigs of the media live in more or less liberal places. And when in Rome, do as the Romans.

Posted: 2002-09-21 10:50am
by Wicked Pilot
The conservates say its liberal, the liberals say its conservative.

As to our national TV networks, NBC is somewhat liberal. ABC and CBS are pretty middle of the road, and FOX News is very conservative.

It is true that most reporters/journalist are liberal. This is simply explained by the fact that most who go into a journalism field do so to make a difference. The want to expose problems, which will hopefully lead to them being fixed. This is consistant with liberalism. Conservatives are inherently aginst change (which may or may not be a good thing) which is counter to investigative reporting.

I would however point out that you should be more concerned with corporate bias than liberal/conservative bias. Some news agencies will not report unfavorably about their owners. For example, ABC is owned by Disney, NBC is owned by Microsoft, etc. You may not see those networks speaking aginst Eisner of Gates.

Posted: 2002-09-21 12:26pm
by RayCav of ASVS
Wicked Pilot wrote:The conservates say its liberal, the liberals say its conservative.

As to our national TV networks, NBC is somewhat liberal. ABC and CBS are pretty middle of the road, and FOX News is very conservative.

It is true that most reporters/journalist are liberal. This is simply explained by the fact that most who go into a journalism field do so to make a difference. The want to expose problems, which will hopefully lead to them being fixed. This is consistant with liberalism. Conservatives are inherently aginst change (which may or may not be a good thing) which is counter to investigative reporting.

I would however point out that you should be more concerned with corporate bias than liberal/conservative bias. Some news agencies will not report unfavorably about their owners. For example, ABC is owned by Disney, NBC is owned by Microsoft, etc. You may not see those networks speaking aginst Eisner of Gates.
This is all very true. However, I want to point out a few things:

First of all, conservatives are not necessarily against change. Or at least not me.

Second, the problem with "liberal" AND "conservative" reporters is that they tend to put their own spin on things. I believe a problem will be exposed best if they do it objectively. However, this is hard to do with human nature alone, but truly impossible with the mentaility of the typical reporter.

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 12:56pm
by Admiral Piett
Enlightenment wrote:A very large number of Americans--probably a majority, in truth--hold political beliefs little different from those of Azeron.
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: Really? This is scaring

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 01:05pm
by phongn
Enlightenment wrote:
Skelron wrote:can someone please explain to me, as a British person, why American's seem to think that their Media is dominated by a Liberal Agenda. (and actually why they think Liberal means Left wing, it dosn't....)
A very large number of Americans--probably a majority, in truth--hold political beliefs little different from those of Azeron. They view the media as 'liberal' because it doesn't agree with their right wing perspective.
Enlightenment, do you even live in the United States? The majority do not have political beliefs like Azeron's. A cursory examination of the 2000 presidential election would show that.

I view the majority of the media as liberal (CNN, Reuters, ABC, NBC, CBS, The New York Times, the Washington Post, etc.) with a few groups conservative (FOX News, The Wall Street Journal, etc.) FWIW, I consider myself slightly libertarian. I usually prefer to get my news from a variety of sources to try and penetrate through the bias of each source.

Posted: 2002-09-21 01:09pm
by phongn
Wicked Pilot wrote:As to our national TV networks, NBC is somewhat liberal. ABC and CBS are pretty middle of the road, and FOX News is very conservative.
I'll disagree with you on ABC and CBS, but I think most would agree with you about FOX News :)
Conservatives are inherently aginst change (which may or may not be a good thing) which is counter to investigative reporting.
Well, the Wall Street Journal is conservative and does plenty of investigative reporting, no?
I would however point out that you should be more concerned with corporate bias than liberal/conservative bias. Some news agencies will not report unfavorably about their owners. For example, ABC is owned by Disney, NBC is owned by Microsoft, etc. You may not see those networks speaking aginst Eisner of Gates.
MSNBC is a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft, yes, but NBC itself is owned by General Electric.

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 01:12pm
by Wicked Pilot
phongn wrote:I usually prefer to get my news from a variety of sources to try and penetrate through the bias of each source.
Just to add on to what you said, those people who get their news exclusively from one type of media (ie only TV, only newspaper, only news magazine, etc) are being intellectually lazy.

Posted: 2002-09-21 02:26pm
by Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi
People view the media as liberal after reasearching it, such as the Media Research Center, and Bernard Goldberg, who worked at CBS for over 20 years. If you watched these major news repoerters, such as Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw, you would eventually start realizing it.

As for "Consertvatives say it is Liberal, Liberals say it is Conservative", it seems more like Conservatives say it is Liberal, and many Liberals say it is Liberal. After all, Bernard Goldberg was Liberal.

Of course, I don't watch these major news shows. I prefer the local news, which is far less biased. Anyway, it also seems that the American people as a whole are getting tired of the more Liberal reporters, which explains why FOX News seems to be getting higher ratings.

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 04:45pm
by Enlightenment
phongn wrote:Enlightenment, do you even live in the United States? The majority do not have political beliefs like Azeron's. A cursory examination of the 2000 presidential election would show that.
I'm Canadian; I'm close enough to the US to see it for what it is but not so close to be blinded by mindless patriotism.

I was engaging in a slight act of hyperbole to suggest that most of you lot agree with Azeron; the real percentage is probably no higher than around %40. Evidence is simply a matter of listening to the kind of bullshit politicians have to utter to get a nomination in the Republican party, or just to get elected--period--in the more redneck/afluent portions of your country.
I view the majority of the media as liberal (CNN, Reuters, ABC, NBC, CBS, The New York Times, the Washington Post, etc.) with a few groups conservative (FOX News, The Wall Street Journal, etc.) FWIW, I consider myself slightly libertarian. I usually prefer to get my news from a variety of sources to try and penetrate through the bias of each source.
Going by the definition that 'liberal' == 'left leaning,' the only liberal media outlets in the US are things like Worker's World, the various grassroots independent online media outlets, and possibly PBS/NPR. All the commercial outlets, however, are by global standards right leaning; it's just a matter of degree. Faux news is far right, no argument, but CNN is certainly right of center.

I invite anyone who believes that the US has a 'liberal media' to ask themselves why the supposedly 'liberal' media gave so much more attention to Whitewater and Clinton's sex life than they have given to Shubby's financial dealings, the connections between the bin Laden and Bush families and the associated pre-sept 11 Shrubby order for the intelligence services to stop poking around in bin Laden business. I certainly see a bias here, and it's by no means in the direction of what passes for the left in US politics.

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-21 04:48pm
by RayCav of ASVS
Enlightenment wrote:
phongn wrote:Enlightenment, do you even live in the United States? The majority do not have political beliefs like Azeron's. A cursory examination of the 2000 presidential election would show that.
I'm Canadian; I'm close enough to the US to see it for what it is but not so close to be blinded by mindless patriotism.

I was engaging in a slight act of hyperbole to suggest that most of you lot agree with Azeron; the real percentage is probably no higher than around %40. Evidence is simply a matter of listening to the kind of bullshit politicians have to utter to get a nomination in the Republican party, or just to get elected--period--in the more redneck/afluent portions of your country.
I view the majority of the media as liberal (CNN, Reuters, ABC, NBC, CBS, The New York Times, the Washington Post, etc.) with a few groups conservative (FOX News, The Wall Street Journal, etc.) FWIW, I consider myself slightly libertarian. I usually prefer to get my news from a variety of sources to try and penetrate through the bias of each source.
Going by the definition that 'liberal' == 'left leaning,' the only liberal media outlets in the US are things like Worker's World, the various grassroots independent online media outlets, and possibly PBS/NPR. All the commercial outlets, however, are by global standards right leaning; it's just a matter of degree. Faux news is far right, no argument, but CNN is certainly right of center.

I invite anyone who believes that the US has a 'liberal media' to ask themselves why the supposedly 'liberal' media gave so much more attention to Whitewater and Clinton's sex life than they have given to Shubby's financial dealings, the connections between the bin Laden and Bush families and the associated pre-sept 11 Shrubby order for the intelligence services to stop poking around in bin Laden business. I certainly see a bias here, and it's by no means in the direction of what passes for the left in US politics.
To be fully honest.....

I am offended by the smug and arrogant views many foreigners have that "the only way to be truly objective about America is to live outside of America", especially since these same people think they know about America, when it is plainly clear they don't. Mike Wong, on the other hand, freely admits he does not know everything about America, yet at the same time I am mightily impressed with his extensive understanding of American systems.

Posted: 2002-09-21 05:59pm
by Azeron
Oh please the majority of Americans think like me.

They intrinsically dislike europe and hate france in particular.

We want to go kill Saddam, and free his people, and we wouldn't mind knocking off castro ass well.

We don't like dealing with international crap, and think the UN is a joke that legitimizes mass murders who happen to rule in a given country.

we don't want to have military baes in europe, and think NATO is useless.

we think the world is full of socialists.

God hates the rest of the world, except for isreal.

If Jesus flew today, it would be on a boeing.

God Approves of our steel tarrifs

Our war on terror is just

We like and trust Bush, instrinsically.

Cheney is much cooler than Al Gore.

America in the wake of 9/11 is distinctly more conservative (by a lot)

we all think "Enlightenment" can not be enlighted because he had to remind himself he is enlightened by putting it in his handle.

Posted: 2002-09-21 07:14pm
by RayCav of ASVS
Azeron wrote:Oh please the majority of Americans think like me.
I hope they don't mind me using this....

Image

Posted: 2002-09-21 07:45pm
by Joe
I second that.

My libertarian sensibilites are hurt.

Posted: 2002-09-22 08:20am
by victorhadin
Reading some of that, especially the 'god approves of our steel tariffs' ( :D ) is either very scary or very funny.

Azeron, were you being serious?

Posted: 2002-09-22 10:30am
by Azeron
Mathew 5:17
"And god looked upon america and said,'thou dirty Euros, are despoiling my beloved country America with thier henious steel subsidies dumping steel in americas markets at a ccost below at what they could manufacture it for. Strike them down America with a 3 year declining steel tarrif to compensate for thier crimes against both mortal man and heaven'
Bush picked up his pen and wrote an executive order to implment his divine will on steel imports"
This is the word of our lord, Amen

Posted: 2002-09-22 11:02am
by Admiral Piett
Azeron wrote:
Mathew 5:17
"And god looked upon america and said,'thou dirty Euros, are despoiling my beloved country America with thier henious steel subsidies dumping steel in americas markets at a ccost below at what they could manufacture it for. Strike them down America with a 3 year declining steel tarrif to compensate for thier crimes against both mortal man and heaven'
Bush picked up his pen and wrote an executive order to implment his divine will on steel imports"
This is the word of our lord, Amen
For the fourth (or fifth) time.
WHAT IS YOUR SOURCE FOR EU STEEL SUBSIDIES?
Give me something to back you statements about the fact that EU countries subsidize steel (or at least that they do it to a greater extent than the US) ,even if it is only an article of a serious newspaper.The fact that you have sistematically avoided to satisfy this simple request lead me to think that you are just plain lying.

Posted: 2002-09-22 11:37am
by Wicked Pilot
Hesitations 8:17
And the Lord God said, "Shut the fuck up Azeron."
Can't argue with the big man.

Posted: 2002-09-22 12:11pm
by Azeron
judges 3:60
"And the lord said, 'Ignore the book of hesitations, it ws written by a fag goat humper, and has no bearing on what I really beleive. Instead give forth to the wisdom that is Azeron, and condemn the EU susidized steel industry.'

The people cheered and condemned the steel subsides the EU gives out, and America rejoiced, knowing full wwell that Europe was hipocritical, having nearly no trade deifcet with the outside word while America has a 370 Billion//year trade deficeit, and trying to say that Europe is by any means beleives in free trde and even has its own steel tarrifs is quite a laughable claim."
AAAAAMMEENNNN.

Posted: 2002-09-22 12:58pm
by Admiral Piett
For the fifth time
WHAT IS YOUR SOURCE FOR EU STEEL SUBSIDES?
I take your reiterate refuse to provide any sources to back your statements about steel subsides as a proof that they do not exist,or at least they are not greater than US ones.I challange you to prove that I am wrong.

Re: Liberal Dominated MEdia... justify the idea

Posted: 2002-09-22 01:02pm
by phongn
Enlightenment wrote:
phongn wrote:Enlightenment, do you even live in the United States? The majority do not have political beliefs like Azeron's. A cursory examination of the 2000 presidential election would show that.
I'm Canadian; I'm close enough to the US to see it for what it is but not so close to be blinded by mindless patriotism.
Are you implying that I'm blinded by mindless patriotism?
Going by the definition that 'liberal' == 'left leaning,' the only liberal media outlets in the US are things like Worker's World, the various grassroots independent online media outlets, and possibly PBS/NPR. All the commercial outlets, however, are by global standards right leaning; it's just a matter of degree. Faux news is far right, no argument, but CNN is certainly right of center.
I'm using the United State's meaning of liberal/left-wing. I do realise that much of the world's political center is left of the US. As such, someone in Canada might consider CNN right of center while one in the US might consider it left of center.
I invite anyone who believes that the US has a 'liberal media' to ask themselves why the supposedly 'liberal' media gave so much more attention to Whitewater and Clinton's sex life than they have given to Shubby's financial dealings,
IIRC, while the dealings may have been shady, there was nothing technically illegal about them. Also, the media likes a good story, regardless of what party that person belongs.
the connections between the bin Laden and Bush families and the associated pre-sept 11 Shrubby order for the intelligence services to stop poking around in bin Laden business.
Can I see a source for that? I've not heard of this - I'd like to find out more.

Posted: 2002-09-22 01:04pm
by Joe
Yes, those eeeeeevil Euros, offering American consumers quality steel at prices they couldn't possibly buy it for otherwise. Those bastards!

Also, Bush promised he would work for increased free trade in his initial platform and during the debates with Al Gore. What a fucking liar.