The bias of mainstream media

by xxxxx xxxx
view all A A A Is the mainstream media biased? To answer this I looked up the definition of bias in Miriam Webster on-line: [a : BENT, TENDENCY b : an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially : a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment : PREJUDICE c : an instance of such prejudice d (1) : deviation of the expected value of a statistical estimate from the quantity it estimates (2) : systematic error introduced into sampling or testing by selecting or encouraging one outcome or answer over others]

Yes. The mainstream media is most definitely biased. For one thing every thing you listen to on the radio, watch on television or buy from the newsstand and read, no matter what the publication title is, no matter which of the 100+ channels it is on, or if its AM or FM, is owned by only one of six corporations (i.e.: (1) : deviation of the expected value of a statistical estimate from the quantity it estimates)

1. Advanced Publications Corp
2. Disney Corp
3. General Electric Corp
4. News Corp
5. Time Warner Corp
6. Viacom Corp

Some may think, six CEO's might not share the same agenda, that shouldn't cause bias in the media. True until you stop to think about the product they sale. Information. What information is the most sought after by consumers? Current events. Who has access to the most up to the minute information on current events? The government. Rather its the local police, courts, the State Capitol, or Congress, the White House or the Pentagon, all belong to one entity the U.S. Government.

An example of media bias orchestrated by its main supplier of information would be the recent shooting that occurred in Virginia; since the man who killed over 30 people at Virginia Tech, I have had to stomach listening to Katy Couric on CBS report on the need for more security and more gun control on our campus' all week long. Does Katy Couric want gun control and more cops on our campus' I don't think she gives a damn. I doubt even her bosses care about gun control or more cops on our campus' but I can guess who does want both; our government.

Prior to this horrible event there was a similar campus shooting spree that took place in the same state at Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, VA. What made that incident newsworthy was that the shooter was subdued by several students who themselves were carrying guns. Most newspapers instead of reporting the fact that the rescuers had guns used the incident to editorialize their opposition to handguns and the need for more gun control.

Many would blame the above example on "the liberal media". Many people also assume that the government is required to talk to the press and give interviews. No. The government is not required to give press conferences. They are required to share information with the public through the FOIA. However, the up to the minute information that the media supplies its consumers with, can only be had by playing nice to the government. They don't have the right to talk to Tony Snow, that's a privilege. The liberal media bias we hear so much about is the "one hand washes the other" that goes on between the government and the media. Or you could say the government and the media have each other by the balls.