Liberal
bias in the media traced back to 1964 Jennifer
Harper - The Washington Times - Monday, October 17, 2016
A
research study finds liberal bias in the media goes back decades. (Library of
Congress) more > Jennifer
Harper - The Washington Times - Monday, October 17, 2016
When
Donald Trump claims the news media is against him, there are
clear numbers to back him up and the evidence stretches back decades.
It
is an entrenched phenomenon. Consider that veteran media researcher Robert Lichter examined the voting records of what he
termed the “media elite” to find that 81 percent to 94 percent of the nation’s
journalists voted Democratic in presidential elections from 1964 to 1976. Mr.
Lichter released this research in 1986.
There’s
lots more evidence. Research from U.S. News & World Report, the Los Angeles
Times, the Freedom Forum and other organizations tracked the liberal or
Democratic leanings of the press with similar findings; one report found that
90 percent of the White House press corps voted Democratic. And according to a
meticulous and ongoing analysis of polling data by Indiana University, only 7
percent of journalists now say they are Republicans.
This
documented liberal bias has morphed into a behemoth presence in America thanks
to the 24/7 presence of the news media and its endless permutations across
social media. So Mr. Trump
has a case when he cites the media as a driving force behind an election he
feels is “rigged” and unfair.
“What
do you think Trump is talking about when
he says the election is rigged? What is he talking about?” talk radio host Rush Limbaugh asked his vast audience Monday. “He’s
talking about the media. He’s talking about the fact that 95 percent of the
media is stacked against him. He’s talking about all the dirty tricks the media
are playing. He’s talking about that.”
It’s
a complicated force. The bias affects what gets reported, as well as what gets left out. It is difficult
for skilled researchers to track it all, as the analysts at the Media Research
Center, a conservative press watchdog, will attest.
It
is near impossible, however, for the voting public to determine the truth, or
even a reasonable facsimile thereof.
JOURNALISTS’
SOCIETY CONDEMNS DONATIONS
In
a significant report released Monday, the Center for Public Integrity parsed
journalists’ donations to the campaigns of Hillary
Clinton or Donald Trump. This year, it amounted to almost $400,000.
The organization found that 96 percent went to Mrs. Clinton. Other news
organizations have found similar patterns, however. MSNBC, for example, found
that out of 143 journalists who made political contributions in the 2004 and
2008 presidential elections, 125 gave only to Democrats, 16 only to
Republicans, and two donated to both.
This
may not sit well with the Society of Professional Journalists, which has taken
a stand on whether journalists should engage in political activity. “The
simplest answer is ‘No.’ Don’t do it. Don’t get involved. Don’t contribute
money, don’t work in a campaign, don’t lobby, and especially, don’t run for
office yourself,” the group notes in an official ethics statement.
ON THE MENU
While
hubbub continues over the election, it’s business as usual at the White House. President Obama and Michelle Obama
host a big meal on Tuesday, the 13th and last state dinner they will host
before Mr. Obama leaves office. The event honors Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi; 500 guests are expected and will dine al
fresco in a tent on the White House lawn, done up with chandeliers and mirrored
tables.
The
supervising cook here? That would be none other than celebrity chef Mario Batalio, who arrived Monday with four assistants to
get the meal rolling.
The
menu includes an appetizer of sweet potato agnolotti with butter and sage,
followed by warm butternut squash salad with “pecorino di New York,” beef
braciola with broccoli rabe — and, for dessert, green apple crostatata “with
thyme caramel and buttermilk gelato,” plus five kinds of petit fours. Pop
chanteuse Gwen Stefani will entertain the
throng; C-SPAN covers the fancy doings live, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.
A
Manta survey released in September found that 60 percent of small business
owners around the nation back Donald Trump. The candidate also has the support of some
big business folk. RawStory.com political writer Travis Gettys has established a list of “10 business
leaders who are risking their reputations to endorse Trump.” And And here they
are:
Pete Coors (chairman of
MillerCoors); Jenny Craig, co-founder of
the weight-loss company; Steve Forbes,
editor-in-chief of Forbes; Brian France,
chairman and CEO of NASCAR; David Green, CEO
of Hobby Lobby; David Kushner, co-owner of
Kushner Properties (his son Jared is the
candidate’s son-in-law); Bernard Marcus,
co-founder and former CEO of Home Depot; Terry Neese,
founder of Terry Neese Personnel Services and the Institute for the Economic
Empowerment of Women; Dana White,
president of Ultimate Fighting Championship; and Steve Wynn, the casino magnate and CEO of Wynn Resorts
unlimited.
ONE FOR ARNOLD
Former
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will be
in Donald Trump’s home turf for a while Tuesday. The action
film icon will journey to the ultraswank Rainbow Room in New York City to
receive an Adweek award for “Brand Visionary of the Year.” Well, OK. The
industry publication notes that the movie star/politician/bodybuilder has a
“career’s worth of achievement in creating a world-renowned brand” and praises
his “personal reinvention.”
For
those curious about Mr. Schwarzenegger these days, he has lent his name to the
Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy at the University of
Southern California, has vowed he will not support Donald Trump and was recently spotted at an Oktoberfest in
Munich, Germany — accompanied by Heather Milligan,
his girlfriend of four years.
POLL DU JOUR
• 68 percent of Americans
like it when a stranger starts a conversation with them; 77 percent of
Republicans, 59 percent of independents and 73 percent of Democrats agree.
• 44 percent of Americans
describe themselves as “introverts”; 46 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of
independents
and 39 percent of Democrats agree.
• 31 percent overall say they are “extroverts”; 36 percent of
Republicans, 28 percent of independents and 30 percent of Democrats agree,
• 25 percent overall are not sure which they are; 18 percent
of Republicans, 24 percent of independents and 30 percent of Democrats agree.
Source: A YouGov poll of 1,000 U.S.
adults conducted Oct. 6-10.
• Indignant squawks, polite applause
to jharper@washingtontimes.com
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/17/inside-the-beltway-liberal-media-bias-entrenched-f/
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