This Just In ...

There is no media bias because..... there just isn't

Posted by Kevin Fischer on June 13, 2010

There is no media bias.

So claim a lot of liberals and the liberal news media.

That includes former USA TODAY editor, now President and chief operating officer, Newseum and First Amendment Center, Ken Paulson.

Paulson has written a piece attempting, very feebly, to dispute the popular thought that the media is biased. Yes, popular.

In his own piece, Paulson writes, “A recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that 60% of Americans believe that news organizations are politically biased. Only 29% said the news media generally get the facts right.”

Yeh, I guess all those ham and eggers have no idea what they’re talking about. How could they possibly be as smart as someone who goes to a meeting and takes notes.

But, c’mon everybody, Paulson argues. Reporters are such nice, hard-working individuals. They park their biases at the door:

‘Despite the perception of news media bias, the truth is that most traditional news organizations — primarily newspapers, their Web sites and local TV and radio — adhere to in-house ethics codes and keep politicians at arm’s length. Yes, you read that right. Most traditional news media strive daily to report news about their communities without regard to political affiliation or special interests.”

You see, that would be 100% true, except that reporters and editors are not made of steel. They are human, and like you and I have entrenched opinions, ideologies, and philosophies.

Here’s a hilarious excerpt from Paulson:

“To the extent there is bias in America’s traditional newspaper newsrooms, it’s not liberal or conservative. It’s a bias against whoever’s in charge in the moment, maintaining a healthy skepticism about how the public’s business is done.”

The news media is biased AGAISNST Obama? Puh-leeze!

And there’s this gem:

“Why would you alienate half your readership by taking one side over another?”

Excellent question. Would love to hear the response from Journal Sentinel management that has clearly alienated conservative news consumers. Explain those circulation numbers, would you, MJS?

Newsbusters was quick to jump all over Paulson’s pathetic defense:

“He (Paulson) just described the claims of media bias as untrue, without offering any evidence or considering any criticism….This sounds as if Paulson is writing for a naive sixth-grade social-studies class. How would he contend with questions about all the gooey news magazine covers of Obama, the network anchors going out on burger runs with Obama?”

By the way, Paulson’s column was published June 3, 2010. Newsbusters responded the very next day, The Journal Sentinel, ever on top of things, published Paulson’s commentary 10 days later, of course, without rebuttal.