I really don't want to debate whether or not the media is biased. The bias is documented in a number of places.
The chart below is from the website of Media Research:
If you question the premise, there is more information at that website.
The first casualty of media bias is public interest and involvement. There are a large number of Americans who do not care about the political process because they believe all politicians are crooks or that the process is fixed. They have long since given up on actually knowing the truth of any given issue. An objective media might bring them back to the point of being involved. Public involvement is a necessary ingredient of a successful representative republic.
The second casualty of media bias is the quality of candidates running for office. In 1987, the media destroyed Robert Bork, who was nominated for the Supreme Court. Judge Bork did not initially answer the charges levied against him by the media because he assumed that the public would not believe them--they were so over-the-top. Obviously, he paid dearly for that mistake. Since then, there have been a number of Republican and Conservative candidates the media has attempted (and sometimes succeeded) in destroying--Newt Gingrich, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin. The list goes on. How can we expect anyone to come forward to offer new ideas or a new perspective as a candidate if they have to run the risk of being destroyed by the media?
The third casualty of media bias is good legislation. The healthcare bill passed by Congress was over 2,000 pages long. Representative Nancy Pelosi is quoted as saying, "We have to pass the bill so you can see what's in it." Do you think an objective media might have looked at the bill more closely to see exactly what was in it? The latest financial regulation bill is also about 2,000 pages long, and again there are questions as to what exactly is in it. We need an objective media to help Americans keep track of the laws Congress is passing and how they will impact us as average citizens. There have been a number of times in the past that Congress was in a position to pass legislation that would have helped avoid our present fiscal situation, but fear of public opinion prevented that legislation. We are currently watching the media trash Paul Ryan's budget proposal, when it may be a very necessary answer for Medicare.
I realize in writing this that no media will ever be totally objective. It would be nice, however, if the media were willing to state its political affiliations. I don't expect reporters to be neutral--they are very aware of what is going around them and quite likely to have an opinion. They are entitled to that opinion, just as you and I are entitled to our opinions. What the media is not entitled to is to report the news in a biased manner while pretending to be objective. Bias in the media is not good for America, and all Americans need to be aware when they read a news story that they may not be hearing the whole story.
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