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Your Liberal Media

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Media
Posted on Fri Nov 17, 2006 at 01:17:00 PM EST
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William Powers explains your Liberal Media:

The hive is buzzing because a Democratic Congress is better for journalism. What!?? you say. Journalists really prefer Democrats? Yes, but not for the reasons you've heard -- covert pinkoism and so on. . . . Tough love. Journalists are more aggressive under Democratic rule. This doesn't jibe with the stereotype of reporters as liberals, but it's the stereotype that winds up undermining itself. When Democrats are in power, there's a huge incentive for reporters not to appear too sympathetic and thereby confirm the old liberal-bias charge. Thus, despite the friendly coverage we're seeing in this honeymoon period, the Democratic restoration will eventually produce tougher coverage than we saw of the GOP Congress, as media outlets strive to prove that they aren't soft on the Democrats.

Case in point, Mark Halperin.

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    Your Liberal Media | 1 comment (1 topical)

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    Only demonized as liberal (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by aahpat on Sat Nov 18, 2006 at 08:45:21 AM EST
    The American news media is not liberal. It is simply demonized as liberal by the right wing in their never ending effort to shove America to the right. The success of that shoving process is reflected in your observation: "the Democratic restoration will eventually produce tougher coverage than we saw of the GOP Congress, as media outlets strive to prove that they aren't soft on the Democrats."

    There are myriad ways that the right wing shoves American political and media institutions to the right. Constantly and without substantive rebuttal from the left. Using the law-and-order rhetoric of the drug war they have shoved the entire Democratic Party to the right for nearly four decades now. Very successfully. So much so that the Democrats themselves trip over themselves to write ever more draconian drug laws that serve only to disempower more and more urban Americans, minorities and poor people. The core voters of the Democratic Party. The right wing demonizes the news media as "liberal" and the media responds by being less and less critical of the right wing while being ever more critical of any and all liberal representation in society.

     SEE: The invidious economics of Jim Crow

    As to the liberal bias in the media, it simply does not exist. Most journalists are professionals. Their first concern is to fit in to the newsroom and not make waves so that they can get their pensions. If their editors are corporate media suburbanites then reporter coverage will reflect what is needed to satisfy the world image of that editor. If a reporter wishes to advance they will write whatever makes the editor smile.

    Most editors, in turn, are more interested in their mortgages and pensions than they are in poverty and the legal oppression of perceived social outcasts.

    Your Liberal Media | 1 comment (1 topical)

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