Study: ‘People Who Matter’ To Sunday Talk Shows Are ‘White, Male, Senior, and Republican’

[cal04]

Study: ‘People Who Matter’ To Sunday Talk Shows Are ‘White, Male, Senior, and Republican’
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/09/13/sunday-shot-study/

NBC’s Meet the Press, CBS’s Face the Nation, Fox News Sunday, CNN’s State of the Union, and ABC’s This Week are the five major Sunday talk shows that aim to bring “a diverse group of voices” that “reflect the cultural, economic, and political landscape” of the U.S. However, according to a new study published by George Mason University School of Law this month, the Congressional guests featured in 2009 were anything but diverse, failing not only to represent the demographics of the American population but also the diversity of Congress. In fact, according to the study, the congressional voice was disproportionately represented by one type of guest in 2009: “white, male, senior, and Republican”:

“In 2009 the talk shows told us (by their selection of Congressional guests) that the people who matter are disproportionately white, male, senior and Republican — disproportionate not just when compared to the American population overall, but also when compared to the population of Congress itself,” concluded a study published this month in The Green Bag, a quarterly journal supported by the George Mason University School of Law.

The study, of the five network Sunday shows from February to December 2009, found that while 14.6 percent of members of Congress were minorities, just 2.5 percent of the Congressional TV guests were minorities; and that while 16.9 percent of members were female, 13.5 percent of the guests were female.

The study also singled out “the 49 white, male U.S. senators in office six-plus years” who represented 9.2 percent of the Congressional populace, but 61.4 percent of the TV guests.

This Week’s executive producer Ian Cameron explains that “bookings are dictated by the news and newsmakers” and “few of those newsmakers in top leadership positions are women or members of minorities.” In reviewing 2009, he noted that the guests relevant to the most prevalent issues were “white and mostly men.” According to the study, the top guests were Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John McCain (R-AZ), and Jon Kyl (R-AZ). The Republican leadership “appeared on these shows a total of 43 times” while Democratic Leadership, including the first female Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), “appeared only 11 times.” And 2010 is shaping up to be more of the same, with McConnell “again leading the pack – appearing 10 times on Sunday shows – a rate even higher than he achieved in 2009.” (HT: Media Decoder)

Seeing a Tilt in Sunday Talk
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/seeing-a-tilt-in-sunday-talk/

[bushisanidiot]

1. Our eyes and ears were not deceiving us. The MSM trumpets right wing talking points

and clearly favors all things republicon.

As if we needed proof to tell us what we already knew.

[Bitwit1234]

5. Now now how can you say that ....remember the

republicans tell us we have a "Librual" media. And Palin expressively complains it is a lamestream media. She is correct about lamestream, but not lamestream liberal, lamestream republican as this report proves all too well.

[molly77]

41. Librul media is so much propaganda

When Clinton was in office , we were told MSM had to broadcast details of Monica Lewinsky 24/7. This was because they had to make money. We said , "What about the children?"

The children had to learn really quick all about the cigar etc. because MSM had to make money.The answer had to suffice our curiosity.

Then when g bush came to office and we find out Jeff Gannon was a hooker who just happened to land a job in the WH press corpse for two years and nobody knew one thing about it . He even spent the night at the WH sometimes. MSM didn't have to make money when it was a republican's private sex life.

So we have two standards. This is not free media. It is state media.It is designed and propagated to make one group of people look better than they are. ....one group to look worse than they are.

[Mosaic]

32. When was there a liberal media

As far as I can remember the Village, the inside the beltway center-right culture, has dominated the media. There was "liberal", which really meant center-right, and far right. I hate the terms right and left to describe human activities but we understand which is the best way and which is the inferior way, those would be better terms.

We need a fair media, one that would balance the people's real needs with the status quo. Truth and progress need to be the standard at all times for journalism. Not truth CNN style, center-right style, but more like independent media, not for profit, free to tell the truth. These Sunday shows are a joke.

[AspenRose]

2. That Damn Liberal Media! (tm)

:eyes:

(I'll also add that George Mason is one of the most diverse college campuses in the country. So it doesn't surprise me that they are the ones behind the study.)

[laughingliberal]

3. K & R nt

[NoSheep]

4. Look who makes it into the history books. n/t

[Vinnie From Indy]

6. These Sunday shows have become nothing more than pure propaganda platforms

for corporate and wealthy elite interests.

One need only look at their advertisers on any given Sunday. BP, GE, Wall Street banks and a host other of the vampire companies that have "acquired" our government. The nakedness of the bias and slant is beyond belief.

[kiranon]

10. That's why I never watch them anymore. n/t

[JerseygirlCT]

7. "the guests relevant to the most prevalent issues"

Says who?

There's the problem, in a nutshell.

In the view of the people making the booking decisions, the people who are relevant are old, white, Republican, and male. Exactly what issues are they more qualified to speak about? Why would a female, or Democratic or minority politician be any less relevant to *any* issue of the day?

Are women only relevant to discuss, say, abortion or working mothers or the like?

Minorities to discuss civil rights or immigration?

It's infuriating and absurd, but it also explains much.

[KansDem]

8. KnR!!!

Whenever I listen to NPR (less and less these days), I'm always amazed at how they'll go to Republicans for comment regarding current issues. I keep thinking, "but the Democrats are in power! Shouldn't you be getting their views and opinions?"

No matter the issue, the first comments and opinions are from Republicans...:grr:

[Jackpine Radical]

20. Since the Dems are in power, they don't need media coverage.

The minority needs a platform to make sure their views aren't buried by the majority.

This is to be contrasted with periods when the Republicans are in power. At those times, it is natural to cover the Republican majority, for they are the newsmakers.

This is all very simple, you know.

[rufus dog]

31. Exactly

I believe a similar study during the Bush years resulted in a 2 to 1 republican advantage on average.

This is something people always need to remember.

Boehner is on more than Pelosi, not because Pelosi turns downs requests, but due to the media driving the narrative.

Also Democrats can't go on and spout off bullshit lies, they will be challenged repeatedly on facts, while repubs can spew unvalidated talking points.

[Jackpine Radical]

46. And that is only fair, considering Jon Stewart's famous observation

that the truth has a liberal bias.

[Initech]

9. What liberal media?

[DCKit]

11. Even if we accuse them of being sexist, racist and biased in every way....

They'll just trot out tokens like Palin and Steele.

Yes, it could be even worse.

[spanone]

12. democrats are in power but the republicans have a 3 to 1 appearance on talk shows

fair and balanced as faux

[HomerRamone]

17. When the 'pubs were in control, that was their excuse for having more of them on.

Now?

[asdjrocky]

13. File this under 'duh'. nt

[old mark]

14. Speaking as a white male senior Democrat, this is why I never watch that bullshit.

:puke:


mark

[Sherman A1]

39. Precisely

Which is why I never waste my time with the Sunday Morning Talk Shows.

[Cosmocat]

43. I used to ...

I was in to it, but the demographics on the guests (as noted in this article) and the general media tendencies to let republicans spew compelte bullspit unchallenged while stomping on the heads of democrats drove me away ...

I SERIOUSLY could not handle being that red faced 9:30 on a Sunday morning ...

It was like being a Steelers fan and having to watch Ravens games every week with the referees giving the game to the Ravens every time ...

[butterfly77]

15. Same old people ,...

slinging the same old shit from 30 years ago,still living in the past while the world is moving on..

[66 dmhlt]

45. 4 out of 5 most frequent guests: Teapublicans (surprise, surprise)

Senators Lindsey Graham, Jon Kyl, John McCain, and Mitch McConnell - all with an "R" behind their name

Sen. Kent Conrad is the lone Democrat in the top 5

Source is the study itself (PDF):
http://www.greenbag.org/v13n4/v13n4_mitchell.pdf

[JDPriestly]

16. Thanks for posting this. Need I add -- straight.

The rest of us need not apply.

[AlbertCat]

51. Need I add -- straight.

In public anyway....

[Hissyspit]

18. Don't we get all interested in Meet The Press when a young gay woman shows up?

She's quite the novelty, isn't she?

And by dog, she even has the termerity to call them on the bullshit with facts and stuff.

[CLANG]

28. That's another reason to love Tammy Baldwin!

[erodriguez]

19. No surprise here.

[Arugula Latte]

21. Quelle surprise

Non

[newtothegame]

22. Our talking points on the issues are meritorious enough...

to not rely on cries of racism, sexism, etc. to get our opinions heard.

[Number23]

23. “few of those newsmakers in top leadership positions are women or members of minorities."

Absolutely! I mean, it's not like foreign policy is a big deal or anything, is it?? If it was, then maybe you could have Susan Rice or Hillary Clinton as a guest.

Military operations are not a big issue right now, either. If it were, maybe Colin Powell or Eric Shinseki could provide their more than 50 years of military expertise on the subject.

Re: current events -- too bad there's no one like Fareed Zakaria or Gwen Ifill that can discuss these matters.

Re: law -- too bad that we don't have any Hispanic, female Supreme Court justices we can talk to. Or on matters of health, a massively educated black first lady who's drawing attention to health issues or a black, female Surgeon General would have been nice.

Oh well! It's perfectly understandable why the media has to rely on the same demographic that they've ALWAYS relied on to discuss the issues -- old, white and male. Too bad things haven't changed.

[autorank]

24. They're WEALTHY k*r

And minions for the super wealthy.

That's the salient fact, the critical variable.

Back to the drawing boards for this study;)

[NBachers]

25. And don't get me started on George Swill or David Crooks

[defendandprotect]

26. Who watches those shows . . . ???

The only time we ever saw anything real was when

JFK -- or Bobby Kennedy -- or Malcolm X -- or James Baldwin --

or Martin Luther King, Jr. -- were speaking --

Few others, of course -- and you knew it was LIVE and worth watching!

[Initech]

30. Old, white, senior male republicans?

[defendandprotect]

35. That's highly possible that's all it has ever been . . .

because everything the right wing does is bought and paid for --

EVERYTHING --

and that probably includes the Sunday shows!!

Anyone watching them really needs their BS-meter turned up waaaaay higher!!

[Initech]

52. And they show those shows at 6:00 AM

Who gets up at 6:00 AM on a Sunday to watch political television? What, are they trying to keep this shit a secret???

[leftstreet]

34. I bet crab fishing gets more viewers

seriously

(if they still have crab fishing shows?)

[garthranzz]

27. THE WMDs NEED TO BLOW UP THE WORMs

White Male Democrat = WMD

White Old Republican Male = Worm

Let's start a campaign to get better representation: I'll give up my spot on Meet the Press for a different minority (I am one, too), and on Face the Nation to a female.

The WORMs should be embarrassed at this self-privileging, but they're not.

[CLANG]

29. I wonder if Howard Kurtz will talk about this on CNN "Reliable Sources"?

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

47. I think he will.

He'll have Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Jon Kyl on to discuss it.

[Scurrilous]

33. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Safetykitten]

36. They needed a study for that? It's right there in front of their faces.

[4lbs]

37. I stopped watching all those Sunday shows right after the 2004 election.

Now I rarely glimpse at what's on them.

I have better things to do on a Sunday morning than to be lied to by a bunch of idiot Repuke politicians and the media that let them say whatever they want, virtually unchallenged.

[Enthusiast]

38. The past Sunday was disgusting!

If our media was any more unfair we would be better off without it entirely. As is it serves very little purpose other then to convey misinformation.

[go west young man]

40. Those Sunday shows fall right in line with all the religious shit

that plagues the airwaves each Sunday morning. Pure crap for the stupid and weakminded.
That's the right wing demographic.

[undeterred]

42. Yeah, but aren't they supposed to be in church on sunday morning?

[Wednesdays]

44. A glimpse at some of the shows' sponsors will give ya a clue as to why

It's been a while since I've watched the shows, but I clearly remember them being sponsored by the likes of Merril Lynch, Morgan Stanley, E.F. Hutton, etc.
Big Finance, in other words.

The audience is that Top 1% we've been talking about.

[ut oh]

48. Oh gee... what a surprize!

not...

[harun]

49. Why I don't watch "Sunday Talk Shows". Not because of their race, age,

or political affiliation, but because they are all completely full of shit. I literally have NEVER seen McConnell tell the truth about anything.

[AlbertCat]

50. ‘White, Male, Senior, and Republican’

Is there anybody else on Sunday talk shows?????