Think about this when you are hating on Chuck Todd, Howie Fineman and CNN.

[piechartking]

Like you, I've been disgusted at the media practically bending over backwards in order to allow the Romney folks to achieve some kind of false "parity" in the race. However, a recent event happened that I'd like to share to whomever is interested regarding the MSM and their lack of "objectivity".

My daughter is a 10th grader at an American school here in Taiwan, and is on the school newspaper. Recently, she was picked to write up a handout for the entire school concerning the 2 candidates, BO and Mittens. Even though we are a die-hard liberal family and support Barack Obama full-tilt, we felt constrained to keep the hand-out "objective" when writing up the bios and achievements of the candidates.

One example: in the area of health reform - we actually wrote Mitt in a more positive light regarding his Mass. healthcare reform: "which provided health insurance access throughout the state. " However, because of the controversial nature of Obamacare (even though we are foursquare behind it and we think that you can OBJECTIVELY say it seeks to cover the uninsured), we said Obama's ACA "reforms the healthcare system in the US." Pretty bland language, no? Nice and "objective".

My point is, we felt pressure to keep it "neutral", and refrained from writing things that we knew to be 100% accurate and objectively true, for fear of being called biased. And this is for a little school newspaper. The pressure on the national stage with millions of viewers must be enormous.

Anyways, just a little perspective. It's entirely possible that some of these guys are pretty liberal, but feel they must hold it in check for fear of being called biased. I don't think conservatives struggle with the same issue.

[Maximumnegro]

1. The issue is not about bias, it's about honesty.

And these people are dishonest. There is no place for honesty in the media anymore.

Disagree? Two words: Dan Rather.

[Floyd_Gondolli]

2. Here's a little more perspective

In another life I was a sportswriter. When I covered a football game I had one rooting interest: for a good game that was interesting to write about.

The last thing you wanted was a 35 point blowout.

I suspect that's where the parity narrative comes from as far as the MSM and this race, though it's obvious there are some who are merely GOP shills.

Anyway I enjoyed your post.

[defacto7]

3. Objectivity means truth.

Objectivity is not the "median" or middle of the road, or to look unbiased, or fence sitting. Objectivity is to speak the facts as they stand. Anything less is not objectivity, it's bias. Anything less is not journalism, it's essay and essay is subjective.

Maneuvering the facts to sound unbiased is purely useless and opens up a huge door to pandering and payoff.

Things either are... or they're not. If there is disagreement on the definitions of "is", then the argument is the fact. There's no such thing as bending to sound unbiased unless the intent is propaganda.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. When you have to bend the truth to appear fair, you're failing...

It's not being biased calling Romney out on his lies. That is the job of the media. I would expect them to do the same to the President if he lied as much as Romney. He shouldn't be penalized for not being an excessive liar like Romney. The media's bullshit 'they all do it' narrative needs to end.

[Hissyspit]

5. You are speaking of the Fairness Bias. The need to bend over backwards to appear as "the voice from

nowhere." It is one thing that allowed the Swift Boat lies to have traction, "distorting the actual truth in pursuit of the appearance of balance," as Brooke Gladstone put it.

[piechartking]

6. I didn't know that's what it was called. But we sure stepped in it.

And didn't even realize we had done it. Actually, she doesn't realize she did anything, it was me today on my jog that it hit me that we intentionally kept some objectively true things out, for fear of some conservative conflagration about our bias toward Barack Obama. I keenly felt pressure, because the school community is quite conservative, and they know me as an outspoken Obama supporter. I didn't want anyone saying that I was influencing my daughter...

[NCLefty]

7. I don't get most the hate directed at these guys.

And I include more than just those you mentioned. Since I joined a few weeks ago, I've seen so many at-times shocking attacks on people I really thought do an admirable job of trying to walk a line near the middle on TV. But then I tend to like people that will at times criticize both sides. That seems more honest to me, since we no one is perfect or right all of the time, and therefore I tend to trust them more. People who never see their own faults, or that of their party, are simply delusional. We boggle at the right-wing echo-chamber (I know I do) yet some are happy to live in a left-wing one. I don't want to be a mirror image of that, spouting media conspiracies every time they say something not perfectly rosy about our team. I'm a Democrat because our ideals feel right, not because we're perfect.

Aaaaaaaaand, incoming attack in 5... 4... 3...

:p

[Hissyspit]

9. Not an attack but

you refer to "walking a line near the middle." Where exactly is this line? Who determines it? Is there actually even a middle? Sometimes the people that are reported as being near an extreme are ultimately proven correct. What this middle supposedly is is often determined based on Status Quo Bias and Narrative Bias.

Many hear remember these people not doing their job in getting the truth out about the Bush administration and the lies that got us into two wars, because of the aforementioned bias and the Fairness Bias, AS WELL as Access Bias (don't want to hurt people in power's feelings or you will lose access.)

Many of these people in the MSM have earned nothing but disdain. CNN in particular CLEARLY changed their approach to "journalism" in attempts to compete with Fox News, a pure propaganda project.

[Cha]

8. I'd be happy with FACTS. These examples you mentioned couldn't

care less about them. They have their narratives and they don't need no stinking F A C T S.

Apples and Oranges as they say

[aandegoons]

10. Trying to appear non-bias by placing more weight on certain aspects of a story and ignoring others.

Is just as much a lie.

[MjolnirTime]

11. No, those guys really are douchebags.

[TexasProgresive]

12. 1st those MSM people you cited are not jounalists

They are opinionators or pundits. They have no reason to be objective because they are on the video op-ed page. The problem is that op-ed is no longer 1 page but has sucked all the air out off the news business and has become the majority.

2nd objective news reporting tends to get beat up by people on all sides. Uncovering and reporting objectively the facts tends to reveal unsavory info. That's why few do it any more and prefer to take sides.

Where are the brave journalists - where is Edward R. Murrow today?

[GeorgeGist]

13. A little perspective ...

It sounds very Biased of you to write your daughter's assignment.

[GeorgeGist]

14. WOW just WOW ...

What a terrible example you are sending your daughter.


[font size = 10] you might appear biased, if you tell the truth [/ font size]

[magical thyme]

15. um, these guys are schoolkids on a homework assignment

Their #1 priority in life is 1. their own paycheck, and 2. everything that ensures it and grows it.

Getting an A on their homework assignment is irrelevent.

Advertising $$ ensures and grows the paycheck.

[Cosmocat]

16. False equivilency

I do appreciate your trying to do right by your child.

I would likely do the same thing to an extent.

That being said, it is different than what these people do.

They collectively cheer republican's and negatively frame democrats.

I have heard Wolf Blitzer countless times refer to republicans he is interviewing as "You are a good conservative."

They clearly try to drive public perception in a way that frames republicans positively and democrats negatively.

I have heard/read the term "slim lead" 1,000 times this election, and I swear to god every single time it has been used for the President, never once for Romney.

It never ends, and it is tiresome.

[_ed_]

17. CNN MSNBC and FOX all suffer from the same problem

Corporate bias. They are corporate news sources, designed to protect their corporate masters. There are countless sources of independent news out there. Why would you knowingly subject yourself to corporate propaganda.

MSNBC is assumed to be the "liberal" channel. If that's true, then GE and now Comcast must be "liberal" corporations. Does anyone on earth believe that GE and Comcast are progressive or liberal organizations?

Support indy media. Ignore corporate whores.