I was talking with someone at work today and discussed news. In particular, the change at work from CNN Headline News as the default channel in the breakroom two years ago contrasted with the default now of Fox News. I have a hard time not calling Fox News Faux News, considering how blatantly slanted their news is. My coworker mentioned the liberal bias of CNN, which I can certainly agree with. However, CNN Headline News doesn’t have the time to be blatantly biased, with their 30 minute recycle rate.
Here’s the meat of the discussion though – when did journalists stop pretending to be objective? It is impossible to keep all your personal biases out of your job, if you’re a human being with any opinions at all. But, ever since the days of Hearst, the journalists have at least had the pretense of objectivity. For decades, people would turn on the evening news with Huntley and Brinkley or Peter Brokaw (intentional joke, don’t write me), and believed they were hearing the unvarnished facts surrounding the events of the day.
In 2003, conversely, we who wish to be well-informed have to filter our own filth to find the truth. We absorb news from multiple biased sources and attempt to winnow the wheat of reality from the chaff of political posturing. CNN is liberal, Fox is conservative, Salon is liberal, Drudge is conservative, and so on ad nauseum. Where is the news source for those who don’t want to be condescended to? Where is the journalist who will tell us, “Here’s the facts so far as I can gather them, and you are smart enough that I don’t need to tell you what your opinion should be.”? I don’t want someone forcefeeding me their political views when they claim to be telling me the truth.
Of course, some would say blatant bias is easier to filter out than subtle bias. Sure, but how about no discernible bias?
Previous 
Next 
Categories
Tag Cloud
Blog RSS
Comments RSS
Last 50 Posts
Back
Void 
Life 
Earth 
Wind 
Water 
Fire
Journalism HAS become horribly biased. Right after 9/11, I couldn’t help but feel that CNN had become Bush’s mouthpiece and advocate. Everything on that channel was pro-Bush, and anti-Middle East. Even before we actually had a target for our anger and revenge, they were hollering anti-arabic epithets disguised as post-trauma commentary. And, as the furor over 9/11 and later “Operation Iraqi Freedom” (what bullshit) died down, their bias didn’t wain.
That’s why I just stick with Steve Edwards on Fox 11, Good Day LA. He was careful to avoid pointing fingers, he displayed no overt bias, and when people started placing blame on the middle east, Steve told viewers to be careful of lumping all arabic people in with the guilty. He also, while on one hand complimenting Bush on how he handled the aftermath of 9/11, at the same time commenting on how things could be handled differently, etc. Steve has never steered me wrong. 🙂
Interesting that you view CNN as being the administration’s mouthpiece, when the more conservative folks are convinced that CNN is a haven for near-pinko liberals.
CNN is a haven for crackpots of all types and biases….but it just felt to me like they were spreading a lot of pro-Bush propaganda around.