Oh, that liberal media!

College Confidential Community
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<p>These days, any conversation with someone who strongly identifies himself with the label of "conservative" is going to eventually lead into the evils of the "liberal media."</p>

<p>What does this mean, though?</p>

<p>Now, perhaps I've lived abroad too long, or just don't really care about politics enough outside of IR, or I just am too daft to notice, but my spidey senses don't go "ZOMG! SOCIALISM!" everytime I pick up the WSJ or NYT. Yet the way people talk these days, the papers are just cabals of red sympathizers, looking for ANY opportunity to bring down America.</p>

<p>Intuitively, that seems a bit silly. Most of the major papers are corporate owned-- that is, they are as much a business as Microsoft. The slant, as far as I see, is far more economically conservative/socially liberal. But like I said, I may be missing something here.</p>

<p>Is anything that doesn't have a slant by default "liberal" these days? I suppose that if one is genuinely conservative (paleocon, perhaps?) then anything left of you is "liberal."</p>

<p>--
On a side note...</p>

<h2>Where does that leave the swing voter? The guy who is economically libertarian AND socially libertarian? As far as I can see, the papers are right where they should be: THE MIDDLE. But then again, my "middle" is quite different from most other people's. My middle just means, "not batcrap f'in loco slanted."</h2>

<p>But I digress. What's the deal, America? Is the media RED, PINKO, and everything in between? Or are we just getting half-truths on both sides?</p>

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<p>'The Media', as you put it, doesn't really exist. There isn't any agreed upon message that the New World Order spreads (damn those Jews!) in order to further their leftist agenda - although there are definately outlets where you can find liberal news, just as there are places where you'll find things with a more conservative bent. And it's going to stay that way, because like you said - 'Media' is big, big business, and no business is going to alienate 50% of the public because of their idealogical differences. They may slant themselves to appeal more readily to a certain demographic, but they aren't going to go overboard in proselytizing. At least not the major networks - individual periodicals and blogs are going to be all over the place depending on the individual(s) behind them. I think you might actually be more accurate with the assertion that higher education is traditionally more welcoming to a 'pinko' agenda than the media is.</p>

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<p>IMO the phrase "liberal media" is a reactive response by today's conservatives, who feel threatened that there are others who (gasp!) do not share the same ideas they do.</p>

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<p>Nixon even complained about it, so I don't know how contemporary the issue is per se.</p>

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<p>Conservatives are just good at labeling, is all.</p>

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<p>The liberal media definitely exists. The Reuters Picture Kill, the Ambulance Fabrication, the active and willful participation in broadcasting propaganda for Hizballah... it is out there. I don't think there's some NWO/ZOG conspiracy or anything dumb, but I think trying to claim the NYT, Reuters or CNN are neutral or right-wing is dishonest.</p>

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<p>In that case, trying to say that Fox news is neutral is dishonest.</p>

<p>I love how people jump to the standard "NYT is liberal garbage" claim, with their bleeding heart arguments of slant and spin. All while watching Fox news, which is the worst of them.</p>

<p>I'm no liberal, and I'm not conservative, but I know slant when I see it, and Fox is just as guilty, if not tenfold.</p>

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<p>Focusing on the mega-news outlets - the type of "news" the average (barely informed american) will typically hear, see, glance at (in passing) during the course of the day.</p>

<p>CNN, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, PBS, The (ultra-leftwing) BBC, NY TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, LOS ANGELES TIMES, BOSTON GLOBE, NEWSWEEK, TIME MAGAZINE, US News and World Report Magazine (except Mort Zuckerman, publisher, in ref to Israel issues), USA TODAY (Ganett), REUTERS, ASSOCIATED PRESS - nearly all the major media giants, all distinctly left wing and most importantly have as their central core belief that the United States (purportedly at the direction of primarily white conservative males) is either the source of, or a major contributing factor to most of the ills on the planet including: worldwide terrorism, global warming, poverty, AIDS (and its ongoing expansion), oppression of women and minorities, and probably a half dozen other dreaded problems the world is facing. </p>

<p>The other side: FOX NEWS and the Wall Street Journal editorial page (note the WSJ front page reporting is actually left of center) </p>

<p>As for non-news (i.e. commentary) right-wing talk radio with Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, Ingraham is highly successful - and no doubt partly a reaction to this tidal wave of left wing news domination</p>

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<p>Where did I say FNC is neutral? You just made that up. FNC is conservative. I'd rather watch FNC than CNN.</p>

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<p>I never said you said FNC was neutral. I just added it because as a student-journalist, I get a lot of flack from people complaining about NYT or CNN, like I can do anything about it! And it's always the same right-wingers who won't watch anything but Fox. Just the same as left-wingers who read the NYT like it was the Ten Commandements... but sometimes I wish people would see that Fox is doing the same thing.</p>

<p>I don't have a problem with lefties or righties, I don't claim to be of either kind.</p>

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<p>neverborn,</p>

<p>I don't see your examples as liberal slant. I see them as money-making, "if it bleeds it leads," thinking. </p>

<p>People confuse deliberate political slant with what sells.</p>

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<p>that's why i get all my news from CSPAN!
and since when is the BBC considered to be liberal?</p>

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<p>
[quote]
United States (purportedly at the direction of primarily white conservative males) is either the source of, or a major contributing factor to most of the ills on the planet including: worldwide terrorism, global warming, poverty, AIDS (and its ongoing expansion), oppression of women and minorities, and probably a half dozen other dreaded problems the world is facing.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>that is simply not the case.
i watch CNN and CBS every weeknight and I don't usually see them spending airtime blaming, either subtely or explicitly, the US for the problems you have stated, with the exception of global warming and terrorism. note that the US has recently played a major role (and badly) in both.</p>

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<p>I don't even watch CNN. I limit myself mostly to print journalism (NY Times, Economist, Foreign Policy, and occasionally the LA Times and WSJ) and I don't get that. </p>

<p>But I guess I hate America too much to notice. :rolleyes:</p>

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<p>Oh I see the USA only playing a "major role" is furthering terrorism and "global warming" That's an improvement I guess.</p>

<p>I am relieved that we are no longer being blamed for worldwide poverty, AIDS, oppression of women and minorities and the other 1/2 dozen major problems</p>

<p>I'll remember that next time CNN runs their usual BUSH HATES BLACK FOLKS IN NEW ORLEANS rant - they run probably 1000 times in the last year, or the next time BONO goes on CNN ranting about how the United States, due to inaction, is the primary cause of the continued expansion of AIDS IN AFRICA</p>

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<p>Wait...</p>

<p>Since when is CNN Kanye West?</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Oh I see the USA only playing a "major role" is furthering terrorism and "global warming" That's an improvement I guess.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>yes. i was providing a moderate version of your assertion.</p>

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<p>I only go to WSJ, Wall Street journal and some other rather high brow publications. But then again, I'm just one cool dude.</p>

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<p>I love how this fool referred to BBC as ultra-leftist. BBC is probably one of the most respected news organizations in the world, no American news institution comes even close the quality of progamming that BBC puts out on a regular basis. Ultra-leftist is something you'd fine in North Korea, not England.</p>

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<p>To ^: I think you have it backwards. North Korea is more in line with extreme communism than ultra-liberalism.</p>

<p>.-_-.</p>