BBC admits to Bias!

[JaJae]

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...318582,00.html

An internal memo, recently discovered by the British media, revealed what the BBC has been trying to hide. Senior figures admitted in a recent 'impartiality' summit that the BBC was guilty of promoting Left-wing views and anti-Christian sentiment.

Most executives admitted that the corporation’s representation of homosexuals and ethnic minorities was unbalanced and disproportionate, and that it leaned too strongly towards political correctness, the overt promotion of multiculturalism, anti-Americanism and discrimination against the countryside.

This is interesting because the UK is more liberal than America and most Americans consider BBC to be more centrist than our media.

At least BBC's executives admit their bias. Of course they tried to hide it from the public. But this is a good first step for any news organization. At least the executives are letting people know where they stand. If only American media outlets would do the same. Either directly or indirectly like what happened with the BBC.

We are biased, admit the stars of BBC News | News | This is London
Yes, we are biased on religion and politics, admit BBC executives | News | This is London

[Kytro]

I'll agree it is positive that there is at least some acknowldegement.

Bias is inevitable in large organisations, and likely even in small ones

[imind]

If only American media outlets would do the same.

i don't watch much bbc, and i've never read a study that included them in its data. but every study i have seen suggests there is no liberal media bias. please prove otherwise.

and enough with individual stories. we can go back and forth all day with those.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by imind

i don't watch much bbc, and i've never read a study that included them in its data. but every study i have seen suggests there is no liberal media bias. please prove otherwise.

and enough with individual stories. we can go back and forth all day with those.

Show me the studies that show there is no media bias. I'd be interested in seeing them.

Here's a couple
Media Bias Basics
A Measure of Media Bias

[Kytro]

I think imind was suggesting (though I might be wrong) that overall there is not a tendancy for bias to be liberal.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Kytro

I think imind was suggesting (though I might be wrong) that overall there is not a tendancy for bias to be liberal.

Overall in this nation there is though. As far as I've been able to tell. There are more liberal outlets than conservative.

[Donkey®]

Media outlets are either bias towards liberalism or biased towards conservativism. "Liberal media" is a joke.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

Media outlets are either bias towards liberalism or biased towards conservativism. "Liberal media" is a joke.

I agree there's no such thing as a centrist media outlet. But in this country there are far more liberal outlets than conservative. Fox News is really the only televised outlet that leans right. They have national newspaper (Washington Times) and then radio. The vast majority of national newspapers are liberal. Nationally televised news is liberal. The only place liberals aren't flooding the media is on the radio.

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Overall in this nation there is though. As far as I've been able to tell. There are more liberal outlets than conservative.

It seems unlikely, though possible. There would need to be a study conducted to determine bias.

A critical story does not mean bias toward the object of criticism per se. it may simply be that the sensationalist claim will generate more money.

While it is clear that some media outlets have obvious and strong bias, others may be more subtule and driven by internal culture.

The media cannot have a very strong liberal bias otherwise the democrats would be in power - the media has a great deal of power of what information is disseminated.

[Donkey®]

Originally Posted by JaJae

I agree there's no such thing as a centrist media outlet. But in this country there are far more liberal outlets than conservative. Fox News is really the only televised outlet that leans right. They have national newspaper (Washington Times) and then radio. The vast majority of national newspapers are liberal. Nationally televised news is liberal. The only place liberals aren't flooding the media is on the radio.

There may be more televised "left leaning" media but there is more radio "right leaning" media. Print media is about even and internet is a clusterfuck.

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Kytro

It seems unlikely, though possible. There would need to be a study conducted to determine bias.

A Measure of Media Bias

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Donkey®

There may be more televised "left leaning" media but there is more radio "right leaning" media. Print media is about even and internet is a clusterfuck.

Print media is nowhere near even in terms of syndication. If you take away local newspapers (which are fairly even) and look at national news (NY Times, Washington Times, USA Today, LA Times, Wallstreet Journal, Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, US News and World Report, etc) you'll see the vast majority of them are lean left. In fact, the only one that leans right is the Washington Times. When it comes to the printed media that most people are exposed to, it's mostly left leaning unless you happen to have a conservative paper in your area. I don't... In fact if you give me a dollar I'd be able to find basically every one of those papers on sale within 5 minutes of my house. I'd have to try the library for the Washington Times and it's likely they won't even have it, but they will have the vast majority of the others.

Then if you go on the internet there really isn't any reputable major online source other than the Washington Times. Going through Yahoo News and Google News I see AP, Reuters, NY Times, LA Times, Fox News, Times, BBC, etc. Conservatives have Washington Times, Fox News and that absurd Newsmax crap. Conservatives have to resort to blogs while liberals have no trouble finding an abundance of sources catered to them.

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by JaJae

A Measure of Media Bias

I just found this also. It seems to indicate a liberal bias, but not heavily so.

What is more interesting is this is reasonably recent.

Edit: In order to ensure a balanced viewpoint, I tend to look a few sources, and try to pick up on "common" parts

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Kytro

I just found this also. It seems to indicate a liberal bias, but not heavily so.

What is more interesting is this is reasonably recent.

Edit: In order to ensure a balanced viewpoint, I tend to look a few sources, and try to pick up on "common" parts

Almost all non-partisan studies I've seen (I have about 5 bookmarked) show there is a liberal bias in US media. Private studies done by website that promote liberal agendas have been the only thing I've seen to show otherwise. Most notably Fair.org did a study that was so absurd they claimed reporters aren't typically liberal. I guess that's what you would expect from a "progressive" organization trying to find fairness in reporting by attacking media for not being liberal enough.

[Kytro]

So far the data does indicate a somewhat liberal leaning, but as with all things, there are counterbalances (to fufill a market).

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by Kytro

So far the data does indicate a somewhat liberal leaning, but as with all things, there are counterbalances (to fufill a market).

Yessir. That is also why Fox News destroys all other televised news outlets in ratings. They have no competition.

And according to this study (which is the best and most comprehensive) Fox News leans right, but is more centrist than the other major media outlets. At least it was when the study was conducted. This is why a lot of people defend Fox News. Because while it leans right, it does show to have a better balance than the competition.

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Overall in this nation there is though. As far as I've been able to tell. There are more liberal outlets than conservative.

I think this depends almost entirely on how you define liberalism and conservatism. If liberal= democrat and conservative=republican, then yes i think the news media is slightly left leaning. If liberal mean progressive and liberal media implies openness to uncensored and harsh criticism of the host government (which is what I would think the term implies), then I think that news media in America is most certainly conservative leaning.

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Yessir. That is also why Fox News destroys all other televised news outlets in ratings. They have no competition.

And according to this study (which is the best and most comprehensive) Fox News leans right, but is more centrist than the other major media outlets. At least it was when the study was conducted. This is why a lot of people defend Fox News. Because while it leans right, it does show to have a better balance than the competition.

The question is what is driving the media to lean left?

I don't really expect the mjor news agencies to present a balanced view, and regardless of bias they are sensationalist and use emotive appeal.

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by Kytro

The question is what is driving the media to lean left?

Perhaps they prefer to report the truth

[Kytro]

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

Perhaps they prefer to report the truth

A bias isn't about truth or lies. More about selective reporting, or adding opinon.