University study shows liberal bias in media (although not as bad as I thought)

6SpeedTA95 · 04-03-2007, 10:35 PM

Research Exposes Liberal Bias in Mainstream Media

By Jeremy Diener

Pundits have long argued about the liberal bias of mainstream mass media outlets, presenting cases on both sides of the issue. Applying a novel approach based on frequently used ratings of the liberal or conservative leaning of politicians, a researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia discovered that most mainstream media outlets do exhibit a strong liberal bias.

“We found that most of the mainstream media view events through a 'lens' that is very similar to that used by Democrats in Congress,” said Jeff Milyo, MU associate professor of economics and public affairs. “That is, most major media outlets and Democrats cite similar sources of expertise, such as particular think tanks and advocacy groups. This suggests that popular complaints about a liberal bias in the media are well-founded.”

To determine the bias of media outlets, Milyo and colleague Tim Groseclose, a political scientist at UCLA, applied the Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) scoring system. ADA scores are used widely in political science to describe the placement of an individual member of Congress on an ideological scale, from conservative to liberal. The researchers examined the patterns by which media outlets cited particular think tanks and policy groups, and then compared these to the citation patterns of legislators with known ADA scores. This research is unique from previous studies because it does not rely upon subjective classifications, Milyo said.

“Up to this time, evidence has consisted mainly of anecdotes, or relied upon highly subjective analyses of news reports,” Milyo said. “Ours is a systematic and objective test of the liberal media hypothesis.”

The results demonstrate a strong liberal bias. All news outlets examined, except for Fox News' Special Report and the Washington Times, received a score to the left of, or more liberal than, the estimated position of the average U.S. voter. The scores for CBS Evening News and the New York Times were among the most liberal, while outlets such as USA Today, NPR's Morning Edition, NBC's Nightly News and ABC's World News Tonight were moderately liberal. The most neutral outlets were the Newshour with Jim Lehrer, CNN's NewsNight with Aaron Brown and ABC's Good Morning America. Fox News' Special Report, while more conservative, was closer to the center than any of the three major networks' evening news broadcasts.

The study referred strictly to the news stories of the outlets, omitting editorials, book reviews and letters to the editor, Milyo said.

Research Exposes Liberal Bias in Mainstream Media

Another article on the same study
Liberal Bias Quantified in Media Study

I found this to be particularly interesting, it is no secret that I feel the media is blatantly biased and for the most part leans left. However, I was surprised to find the findings in this studied mirrored another study from UCLA. Many outlets that I consider moderately left and even strongly left weren't as far left as I think/thought. I found the overall presentation to be pretty good and while I now find myself questioning my previous thinking on the issue I found it interesting at least. I may have to rethink some of my disdain for some of these outlets

Here's the whole study for those who'd like to read it
http://economics.missouri.edu/Workin...0501_milyo.pdf

RMNIXON · 04-03-2007, 10:54 PM

“We found that most of the mainstream media view events through a 'lens' that is very similar to that used by Democrats in Congress,” said Jeff Milyo, MU associate professor of economics and public affairs. “That is, most major media outlets and Democrats cite similar sources of expertise, such as particular think tanks and advocacy groups. This suggests that popular complaints about a liberal bias in the media are well-founded.”

And Democrats in Office are fully aware of this. I wish I had a video clip of that program I watched on PBS with Top Congressional Dems after they lost the Congress in 1994. They are sitting around a table talking strategy and are saying things like "did the media get our message out" on such and such today? Like it was normal. Like the media worked for them and there was no shame in that. Those were the days of hating Rush Limbaugh and Talk Radio but before the dreaded FOX NEWS!

imind · 04-04-2007, 09:27 AM

um, isn't this the same study as the one released from UCLA?

groseclose and milyo are the same researchers.

ucla study

thomez · 04-04-2007, 10:02 AM

I don't think that using certain groups/thinktanks as sources is a great way to measure bias. I mean, I'm not saying it isn't at all effective, but to judge a certain think tank as liberal or conservative sometimes requires making an academic judgment about the level of correctness in their work. Is it not possible that on certain issues the liberal or conservative side of an argument is actually correct? I don't think the truth should be labeled as liberal or conservative; it seems to conduct a study like this that would have to be done to some degree.

6SpeedTA95 · 04-04-2007, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by thomez

I don't think that using certain groups/thinktanks as sources is a great way to measure bias. I mean, I'm not saying it isn't at all effective, but to judge a certain think tank as liberal or conservative sometimes requires making an academic judgment about the level of correctness in their work. Is it not possible that on certain issues the liberal or conservative side of an argument is actually correct? I don't think the truth should be labeled as liberal or conservative; it seems to conduct a study like this that would have to be done to some degree.

They didn't, they used a wide variety of data and if you read the entire study you can see how it was done including the equations used to come up with their ratings of various sources.

The "truth" will always be labled conservative or liberal, unfortunately thats just how it is goin to be. I do not like it but when you think about it what both sides consider "truth" can vary widely.

Thorgrim · 04-04-2007, 11:42 AM

Any study that says Brit Hume's conservative tirade of a show is less bias and closer to the average voter than NBC's Tom Brokaw is flawed somewhere

50% democrat, 35% GOP, yet more voters allign themselves with a hard-right conservative republican than a universally praised objectivist, who, if there was any bias, was very slightly democratic

6SpeedTA95 · 04-04-2007, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Any study that says Brit Hume's conservative tirade of a show is less bias and closer to the average voter than NBC's Tom Brokaw is flawed somewhere

50% democrat, 35% GOP, yet more voters allign themselves with a hard-right conservative republican than a universally praised objectivist, who, if there was any bias, was very slightly democratic

Not really, Brokaw was insanely biased and I do not think this study is too far off. Hume came in more conservative than I thought he would and NBC less liberal than I would have guessed.

Edit: BTW Brit Hume and the NBC Nightly news were both fairly close to being the same amount off center...

The biggest surprise to me was the WSJ news pages being ranked so liberal, I knew it was liberal, I read it everyday but I was surprised to see it wayyyy over there. Good thing they have a conservative editorial page

Thorgrim · 04-04-2007, 12:51 PM

examples of Brokaw's insane bias when he hosted nightly news

for SR, i present you with the All-Star Panel "fair and balanced" of 2 extreme neocons and a conservative republican that take up half the program, and ofcourse the first half his selection of prime time stories include such gems as "California is as safe as Iraq" and any story out there that could hurt democrats

yet NBC was on every night talking about Clinton's latest scandal investigation, even though raving right winger Ken Starr cleared him of basically every charge

Gee, who is bias?

grembert · 04-04-2007, 12:53 PM

It is an interesting study. I doubt if it changes anybodies viewing habits.

Thorgrim · 04-04-2007, 12:55 PM

Bill Kristol from Fox News:
"I admit it: the liberal media were never that powerful, and the whole thing was often used as an excuse by conservatives for conservative failures."

There is a pro-corporate and advertising companies bias in newsrooms, corporations beat liberals everytime:

During the debate on health care reform, the New York Times ran stories persistently in favor of managed competition, a program which would have been profitable to major health care corporations. Other proposals for reform, like the Canadian single-payer program, were criticized or ignored. Reason: four members of the Times board of directors are also directors of major insurance companies, and two are directors of pharmaceutical companies.
Victor Neufeld, the executive producer of ABC's top-rated news show 20/20, repeatedly rejected several promising stories on nuclear power hazards. Reason: His wife is a prominent spokesman for the nuclear and chemical industries.
Walter Annenberg, owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, used his paper to attack a candidate who opposed action that would have benefited the stockholders of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Reason: he was the single largest stockholder.
Rupert Murdoch's Post endorsed President Carter in the crucial New York Presidential primary, contributing to his victory. Reason: two days earlier, Murdoch had lunch with Carter, convincing him to lean on the Export-Import Bank of the United States to give him a taxpayer-subsidized loan of $290 million. The bank had previously rejected the loan.
A four-month study by FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting) analyzed how the New York Times and Washington Post covered NAFTA. Of the experts quoted in their articles, pro-NAFTA outnumbered anti-NAFTA sources by three to one. Not a single labor union representative was quoted. Reason: these newspapers' boards of directors are drawn from big business.
Journalist Elizabeth Whelan asked ten major women's magazines to run a series of articles on the rise of smoking-related diseases in women; all ten magazines refused. Reason: "I frequently wrote on health topics for women's magazines," says Whelan, "and have been told repeatedly by editors to stay away from the subject of tobacco."

Rouger2 · 04-04-2007, 02:41 PM

The media is very polically correct in hiring people so many females and minorities are hired and a large majority of both are liberal so what do you expect the news to be. The thing is the owners are conservative business people so the overall coverage is conservative but the window dressing is liberal but both newscasters and owners are both conservative when it comes to the economy. The owners I am sure insist on that.

6SpeedTA95 · 04-04-2007, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Rouger2

The media is very polically correct in hiring people so many females and minorities are hired and a large majority of both are liberal so what do you expect the news to be. The thing is the owners are conservative business people so the overall coverage is conservative but the window dressing is liberal but both newscasters and owners are both conservative when it comes to the economy. The owners I am sure insist on that.

what makes you so sure they "insist" on that?

There is no conservative news at NBC, CBS or ABC...the news is very liberal IMO and according to this study they are all moderately liberal.

Owners are shareholders, I think maybe you mean the CEO? The CEO doesn't care about much except making money for the overall company, which btw is something many news orgs are struggling to do.

tbone · 04-04-2007, 03:19 PM

If I'm reading the table at the end of the report correctly, it says NPR/PBS is the least biased news there is?

And is proving FOX is in line with many republican legislators in the scoring?? Certainly not in the most biased category, but definately solidly in the conservative realm.

I am a bit shocked at those most biased as well, not who I thought it would be.

Rouger2 · 04-04-2007, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

what makes you so sure they "insist" on that?

There is no conservative news at NBC, CBS or ABC...the news is very liberal IMO and according to this study they are all moderately liberal.

Owners are shareholders, I think maybe you mean the CEO? The CEO doesn't care about much except making money for the overall company, which btw is something many news orgs are struggling to do.

Our home town newspaper has a single owner. I am sure the business people who are on the board of directors have a great influence on the CEO and I am sure they demand conservative news on the economy. No good news about socialism or a socialistic ideas even though this country is highly socialistic. Any government intervention in the economy is socialistic. All you will hear about on the news is the free market this and the free market that, no good news about controlling the free market excesses.

JaJae · 04-04-2007, 03:40 PM

I've posted studies in the past that compared media outlets to ADA scores. People refuse to accept it because Fox is considered less biased than the average mainstream. People need that warm and fuzzy feeling it brings them to think Fox News is more biased than their average media outlet. The reality is in context next to the mainstream media they are pretty damn far right, but compared to the views of America and ADA scores they're actually less biased than what liberals are probably watching every night.

But because Fox isn't considered off the charts, holy cow crazy bat-shit biased in comparison to the average media this study will be ignored by people who wish to believe Fox is the root of all media evil and the mainstream media isn't that bad.

6SpeedTA95 · 04-04-2007, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by tbone

If I'm reading the table at the end of the report correctly, it says NPR/PBS is the least biased news there is?

And is proving FOX is in line with many republican legislators in the scoring?? Certainly not in the most biased category, but definately solidly in the conservative realm.

I am a bit shocked at those most biased as well, not who I thought it would be.

Yeah I was very surprised at NPR. Although certain shows of NPR display more bias than others overall it wasn't overly biased. Which is surprising I"m a regular NPR listener.

Fox definately scored more conservative than I thought they would but I'm a person that leans conservative so that is probably why I view them that way.

6SpeedTA95 · 04-04-2007, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

I've posted studies in the past that compared media outlets to ADA scores. People refuse to accept it because Fox is considered less biased than the average mainstream. People need that warm and fuzzy feeling it brings them to think Fox News is more biased than their average media outlet. The reality is in context next to the mainstream media they are pretty damn far right, but compared to the views of America and ADA scores they're actually less biased than what liberals are probably watching every night.

But because Fox isn't considered off the charts, holy cow crazy bat-shit biased in comparison to the average media this study will be ignored by people who wish to believe Fox is the root of all media evil and the mainstream media isn't that bad.

Yeah I think you hit the nail on the head here.

Pro Street · 04-04-2007, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

I've posted studies in the past that compared media outlets to ADA scores. People refuse to accept it because Fox is considered less biased than the average mainstream. People need that warm and fuzzy feeling it brings them to think Fox News is more biased than their average media outlet. The reality is in context next to the mainstream media they are pretty damn far right, but compared to the views of America and ADA scores they're actually less biased than what liberals are probably watching every night.

But because Fox isn't considered off the charts, holy cow crazy bat-shit biased in comparison to the average media this study will be ignored by people who wish to believe Fox is the root of all media evil and the mainstream media isn't that bad.

I think how one sees a news outlet depends on personal views more than anything. Reporting "in line" doesn't seem like a fair assessment to me.

The things that I take into account are the number and degrees of bias in pundit's shows, as well as "special report" documentaries.

The main issue though that shows bias is the memos that are leaked from Fox News. Those are things that have yet to be seen from CNN or even MSNBC (which is liberal).

Add that on top of FNC's obvious graphics that show a slant (especially during punditry shows) and their choice of topics all leads to the bias.

In addition, another way to show an indirect bias and the effect is through the polls.

tbone · 04-04-2007, 04:40 PM

An interesting study would be camparing headlines and teasers of the news organizations, something I like to look at on Google news. It's interesting the lense some news organizations take. FOX is definately biased in that realm, but then again so is almost every major news network just in the opposite way. I'm not sure how to quantify it though since it's a use of words.