C-SPAN Favors Conservative Think Tanks 3-to-1 Over Left-of-Center, Study Finds

[Robbien]

Source: Center for Economic and Policy Research

A new study has found that C-SPAN overwhelmingly favors conservative think tanks in its coverage by a three-to-one margin over all left-of-center think tanks. The paper, “Tilting Rightward: C-SPAN’s Coverage of Think Tanks,” by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), found that conservatives received 44 percent of total think tank coverage, while conservative/libertarian received another 7 percent, for a right-wing majority of 51 percent.

Everything left of center received only 18 percent, with center-left and progressive think tanks garnering 13 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Centrist think tanks got the rest of the coverage.

“C-SPAN is failing to live up to its mission of providing ‘a balanced presentation of points of view,’” said Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of CEPR and co-author of the study. “In a significant amount of its coverage – events and analysis by influential organizations shaping policy – C-SPAN is presenting opinions that, most of the time, are far to the right of most Americans. It is also lopsided by any common definition of the political spectrum, with a very large bias toward the right.”

Read more: http://www.mediachannel.org/wordpress/2007/12/20/c-span-favors-conservative-think-tanks-3-to-1-over-left-of-center-study-finds/

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Or to put it another way

Progressives get 5% of coverage.
Conservatives get 44%
and Centrists (whether labeled left/right or just center)get 51%.

Bias isn't just to the right, it is also to the center while the left is just thrown a bone.

[fascisthunter]

1. It's Why I Do Not Watch it That Much

The bias is startling...

[Doctor_J]

2. And considering that AEI, for example, is considered "Centrist",

most of the centrist ones are actually right-wing by any normal standards. Frankly I am surprised that the number for leftist representation is even this high.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. The DLC stinktank is no doubt counted as "leftist."

(Center for Progress or whatever the hell they call themselves.)

[EFerrari]

9. AEI is considered a think tank, too, and not a propaganda mill

which is most certainly is.

My dog does more actual mentation than those "people".

[nashville_brook]

14. the right-wingers are 30 years ahead of us *employing* people in cultural production

thru think tanks. we need equality in this area.


this is an important point and an important article.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. kinda sorta like talk radio

newspaper coverage, same, cable stations, same.

[Donnachaidh]

4. uhh - no shit, sherlock

I stopped watching it because I kept throwing shoes at the TV. There is NO way they can claim a Balanced viewpoint. Not at all.

[Marie26]

5. Could that just be because there's more of them? nt

[Robbien]

12. More right wing thinks tanks yes. But what rule says CSpan has to talk to only think tanks?

There is a big pool of educated talented people not related to think tanks but related to universities, institutions, etc. to pick from.

But the CSpan board is probably loaded with right wingers.

[EFerrari]

13. I had that thought, too. But, how hard would it be to book

the progressives that no one is booking as individuals? We have more real grassroots groups than the Thugs do, for one thing. They have corporate funded stink tanks, we have volunteer organizations working their remotes off.

[Doctor_J]

15. Americans are about 70%

against the GOP policies. Yet CSPAN's talking heads are about 70% in favor of them. It's supposed to be a PUBLIC AFFAIRS network, not a free outlet for fascist propaganda.

[Hardrada]

6. A pipeline right to all the sewers.

[EFerrari]

7. No kidding. n/t

[Zorra]

10. If the American MSM did not promote fascist propaganda on a daily basis

the republican party would become extinct.

And corporations would lose their stranglehold on our government.

[balantz]

11. We've got to fight these entrenched corporations who represent the

minority super-wealthy. They have monopolized everything and are strangling us.

[givemebackmycountry]

16. Well Kevin Martin and his two right wing FCC whores just made that a LOT harder.

Because we all know that we need WAY more FOX news outlets to provide us with a "fair and balanced" viewpoint.

[nealmhughes]

17. Really? How shocking! And I thought that all of the snide comments

about Brian Lamb having a secret office staffed by Sciafe donors was just facetious. :sarcasm:

[glitch]

18. That's fair. With their 1/3rd brainage, we gotta give them a big head start.

And yet they still can't compete. Sad really.
I guess we could give them 4 to 1 or 5 to 1, they don't seem to get embarrassed by the hand outs.

[barbtries]

19. i 've noticed it

and it sickens me, because i thought c-span was maybe the last place to get straight news. but i find myself scrolling and scrolling to find a program with a talking head i can bear to watch and listen

[Toots]

20. Well Duhhhhhh

Anyone that watches Washington Jpurnal at all knows that to be a fact...

[chill_wind]

21. Fair Study of overall MSM-- center and right-wing get **87% of the pie. **

In the overall mass media, progressives get a whopping 13%.

2006 study:

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2897


http://journals.democraticunderground.com/chill_wind/8