Is the American press biased?

Question

I've heard so many off-topic remarks to this in the regular bashing between the political parties that I can't help to wonder about it. Is it or is it not? If so, is it a Liberal bias or a Republican bias? Motivate your answer carefully. I have not watched American TV, so I obviously have no idea.

I already know that the world media is not, at least at my country of residence, biased at all- the news only report bare facts, and instead of taking sides refer to issues as "controversial".

Answer 1

The American media is indeed biased. I would argue that they have a very liberal slant, evidenced in just one classic example by one of our most "trusted" national news anchor men. Dan Rather, now a former anchor man for CBS news was so bent on damaging George Bush that he reported a "story" about some documents that allegedly "proved" that George Bush had some in-discrepancies in his military service. Those documents ended up being fake, created on a Microsoft computer program, many years before Microsoft was even a company. There are also examples of things that a conservative president like George Bush would do or say and get blasted for it in the press but when we had a liberal president like Bill Clinton, he got a free ride and was never harassed, or if there was a mention, it was nominal and hidden amongst other news.



I can only imagine what it must be like to live in a country where you feel that your media is fair and balanced. I know people here that are extremely liberal that think the media here is too conservative so of course it's all up to interpretation.



This is not to say that I back George Bush, I just want some fair coverage based on fact, not emotion, of the events unfolding in our country and across the world and I don't think we have that. It shouldn't matter what your personal belief is when reporting the news but apparently here in the good 'ol US of A, it does.

Answer 2

Depending upon the source the bias may go either liberal or conservative - I really don't think the bias strictly follows party lines, that is a little different.



However I wholeheartedly disagree with your statement "that the world media is not" biased! Hogwash! Some of the most blatantly biased news comes from outside the USA.



Hopefully you do watch an unbiased source of news but more likely your political blinders just don't allow you to recognize the bias. What wonderful country do you live in?



I do wish American press could get back to just presenting the facts of the news & stop printing such news as the latest celebrity couple to break up.



Edit: So you live in Finland. I am ignorant of Finnish broadcast, print or web news. I will have to do some research before I can comment further. Thanks.

Answer 3

It is very popular today to say the press has a liberal bias. This is done as a tool to discredit everyone who has an opposing view to the mainstream. It is a lazy tactic. I guess because you can search a million newspaper articles and come up with some left leaning stories that should discredit all journalists. That is a cheap tactic. The funny part is the people who say this want you to believe the stuff they hear or say on these am radio shows. Wait - they are the truth, they tell you every day. All you have to do is a little research and you find how they spin and twist the stories meaning. They will say it is just entertainment, but it is scary from what you see hear and hear in conversation how many people actually take these dolts seriously.

Answer 4

Big businesses have investments in Media as well as other sectors.... they use Media to ensure gains in other areas like say oil prices or arms sale to the state or abroad. The stakes are so big and the corporates so powerful that they can decide the destinies of whole nations.



Observe the cola war in India with environmental groups and the states helplessness. Look at what capital flight from Indonesia did to it some decade ago. Watch the business speculations on wars. There is enough written in the area... a starting book i would recommend is Manufacturing Consent



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent

Answer 5

Yes, the press is biast. Depending on which station you watch , some are pro Dem., some are pro rep. But hey all tell the public what the government wants the public to hear. The media is one of the major players in the manipulation of the American public. The Government knows that the people will believe just about anything the media tells them. Wheather it be from the newspaper or TV. The people want somone to tell them whats going on instead of actually researching it for themselves. If people would just stop being lazy and keep with the times through extensive research, they woulf find that our Government, regardless of who is in office, has only two driving forces behind it. (1). MONEY (2) POWER. They couldn't care less about the American public. Why do you think there are electoral votes? Our individual votes have not counted for yrs. now.

Answer 6

what do you think? Libs say its bias toward conservatives and Conservatives say it is towards liberalism. Well "IF" you a honest person you will say it goes both ways. During the Israeli Hezbollah war all you seen was reporters in Lebanon showing the damage,you hardly seen anything is Israel. And most of what i seen was reporters talking about Hezbollah and what they supposedly do for Lebanese people. Never really heard about war ta tics they use and where they hide weapons. Some say fox news is bias? well maybe sometimes depending on who's reporting but all of them have individuals who lean one way or another. But i personally think they all are to a point.

Answer 7

Unfortunately , we have people who mix facts with opinion .

Personal bias Bleeds into the news in an effort to sway public opinion.

In this town , we have one newspaper of note and several smaller papers . All of which lean towards the left at an obvious angle.

As to bare facts , if the facts are selected, they can be biased.

Example ; a headline,

GRANDMOTHER KILLS NEIGHBOR, POLICE CHIEF CALLS FOR TIGHTER GUN CONTROL !!



Why ?



MURDER OR SELF DEFENSE ?



The biased story will dwell on Gun Control , dispite the fact that, the neighbor was armed with an ax and was attempting to rape the Grandmother.



See what I mean ?

Answer 8

I think practically every nation has its biased newsreaders.



Practically all Western countries, for the past 30 to 40 years, have been heavily caught up and still retain influence from the changes and standards of the cultural revolution of the 60s and 70s - wherein they used its thrust to greatly increase the sale of news!!

In fact, this socialist-feminist thrust has comprehensively filtered through almost every university and its training of most of the world's professionals ever since that time!!!!

So you could only imagine the Horrendous damage that has been done worldwide!!!



In all such [Western] countries, they therefore, lean to the Left in much of their bureacratic administration and news media etc.



And, as Dr dino indicated, a PRIME aim of this cultural revolution was to get rid of Christianity.

So, today, virtually all professionals have worked hard to do that - especially, in public media and formal education!!



So, as you might say then in reference to them:



"BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH"!!!

Answer 9

i think the problem is that there is a fairly wide definition in this country of what 'news' actually is. it used to be as you say 'bare bones facts'. but now the news has become more about selling products. so the networks cater their news broadcasts to what their target demographic wants to hear so they'll tune in more often and buy the products for sale during the commercials.

i don't think it's the news that's biased. the news is facts. and facts are not biased. but what passes as news these days is nothing more than tv shows designed to sell ad time. the evening news is just another business opportunity.

Answer 10

They pretty much toe the Republican party line, as was made obvious during the attack on Bill Clinton. The only exception is that they do support the Democrats when there are racial or gender issues, so a politician who makes racial comments is pretty much done for.

Answer 11

The liberal media focuses on the problems that still exist in Iraq, and do not report about the GOOD we are doing there.



The LM went nuts when we went into Iraq and did not find WMD's. Well, we found 500 canisters of toxic gas recently and they buried the story. Didn't want to be wrong - AGAIN!

Answer 12

If American press is so anti-Christian, why are Christians the ones who seem to be running the media? Last time I checked, it was the extremely biased American press crying out to "save the Ten Commandments", and "keep prayer in school". No, the Christians are running the media, therefore making it biased for those of us who aren't "believers".

Answer 13

They do appear bias to me. Depending on what news station you are talking about. The majority of them are more left democrats but there are also freely available republican leaning stations too.

Just my opinion. I guess two people with apposing viewpoint could hear the same new article and come away with two different interruptions of it. It just depends on what part of what was said suits your beliefs better.

Answer 14

It most definitely is biased to the left. Anytime a news organization alters its description of fact it becomes biased. For example when CNN uses the term "undocumented worker" instead of illegal alien.

Answer 15

Biased towards the liberals.



American press is anti-Christian garbage.

Answer 16

Why then they don't allow other media talks!



see what happend to who tries to see Manar or other channels againts the US current President and admin

Answer 17

All media is biased, regardless of where its from.

Answer 18

yes. the cnn station is the closest to not taking sides in any situation. take fox or khou or any of the regular stations (not cable) they're use in words tend to push the viewer into taking the same side they represent.

Answer 19

It definately is. Especially FOX NEWS.

Answer 20

Fox is the only network that is not......trying to hide it!