therefore they must be blind.
Survey: Voters think most reporters are liberal, try to help
candidates they favor
Jim Romenesko by Jim Romenesko
<http://www.poynter.org/author/jromeneskopoynter-org/> *Published* June
23, 2011 8:46 am *Updated* June 23, 2011 9:06 am
/*Rasmussen Reports*/
<http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/june_2011/46_say_average_reporter_is_more_liberal_than_they_are>
Rasmussen Reports, in a telephone survey conducted earlier this week,
found that male voters are more skeptical than women voters of
reporters' integrity and also feel more strongly that the average
reporter is more liberal than they are. Younger voters are less likely
then their elders to think reporters are more liberal. More findings:
* 67 percent of likely voters believe that most reporters, when covering
a politician campaign, try to help the candidate they want to win; 21
percent think most reporters put the emphasis instead on trying to offer
unbiased coverage. Twelve percent aren't sure.
* 48 percent believe that most reporters would hide any damaging
information they learned to help the candidate they wanted to win.
Twenty-nine percent disagree and 23 percent aren't sure.
* 46 percent of voters feel that the average reporter is more liberal
than they are. Eighteen percent say the average reporter is more
conservative than they are, while 22 percent think their views are about
the same. Fourteen percent are undecided.
* 78 percent of political conservatives think the average reporter is
more liberal than they are. Among liberals, 38 percent think the average
reporter is more conservative than they are, while 31 percent believe
their views are about the same.
The Washington Post's Jason Horowitz wrote about the Rasmussen Reports
founder
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/16/AR2010061605090.html>
last June:
A co-founder of the sports network ESPN and former play-by-play
broadcaster, Scott Rasmussen is an articulate and frequent guest on
Fox News and other outlets, where his nominally nonpartisan data is
often cited to support Republican talking points. In October, he
hired his own communications director to handle the daily deluge of
press calls.
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rhomp2002 [Moderator] 0 minutes ago
<http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/136747/survey-voters-think-most-reporters-are-liberal-try-to-help-candidates-they-favor/#comment-233480507>
You obviously have not been paying much attention to the news
lately. When you have the MSM covering the vacation of Sarah Palin
the way they have, including paparazzi-style chasing of her van,
and you have the assignment of reporters to the emails released by
the state of Alaska, then it is obvious that the MSM is slanted.
Add to that the almost total lack of investigation of the
background of the president going back to when he first started
running for the office and still ongoing. In addition add the
reporting on Bush during the 2004 election by the major networks
which backfired thanks to the bloggers who followed up and proved
that it was all a lie. The public has seen the results of
reporting when they have been interviewed and then find that what
is reported has almost nothing in common with what went on in the
interview. The result is that the public has seen the bias for
themselves to the point that lately the profession of journalism
is ranked on about the same level as that of bad used car salesmen
and ambulance chasing lawyers and pitchmen on TV.
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ghefla [Moderator] 2 hours ago
<http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/136747/survey-voters-think-most-reporters-are-liberal-try-to-help-candidates-they-favor/#comment-233364511>
Worth noting that Rasmussen conducts automated phone polling and
doesn't appear to have provided respondents any definition of
"reporter." Without one, I'd contend the poll is basically
worthless because you have no idea who or what those responding
considered to be a reporter, though it's highly likely their
conception goes far beyond that of conventional journalism
reporters to include commentators, TV show hosts, bloggers, etc.
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rzalon [Moderator] 2 hours ago
<http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/136747/survey-voters-think-most-reporters-are-liberal-try-to-help-candidates-they-favor/#comment-233373417>
Steeped as they are in an ideological monoculture, of course
journalists are incapable of recognizing their own cultural and
political biases. Isn't it long past time the profession opened
itself up to true "diversity?"
Consistently and systematically ignoring, or showing open
contempt, for the values, experiences and lifestyles of more than
half your potential market is not exactly a viable business model
for an industry in decline.
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Rod Paul <http://profiles.google.com/rp509855> [Moderator] 2 hours
ago
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in reply to rzalon
<http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/136747/survey-voters-think-most-reporters-are-liberal-try-to-help-candidates-they-favor/#comment-233373417>
Never spent five minutes in a newsroom, have you?
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rzalon [Moderator] 2 hours ago
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in reply to Rod Paul
<http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/136747/survey-voters-think-most-reporters-are-liberal-try-to-help-candidates-they-favor/#comment-233379839>
Q.E.D.
In fact, I spent seven years as an Air Force PIO in the 1970s
interacting with media types who clearly regarded me and the
institution I represented with naked contempt.
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Rod Paul <http://profiles.google.com/rp509855> [Moderator] 1 hour
ago
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in reply to rzalon
<http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/136747/survey-voters-think-most-reporters-are-liberal-try-to-help-candidates-they-favor/#comment-233382912>
LMAO - and you accuse others of monoculture? The only group more
hidebound and pig-headed than the post-Vietnam military reporters
was the post-Vietnam military staffers, especially PAOs.
How do I know? Been on both sides for decades, including most of
the '70s and early '80 on active duty, a couple more decades in
the Reserves and almost 30 years as a military reporter, editor
and - for a few years now - in a PAO shop myself.
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BrotherMatthias [Moderator] 3 hours ago
<http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/136747/survey-voters-think-most-reporters-are-liberal-try-to-help-candidates-they-favor/#comment-233341824>
I agree, Rod -- except for that bit about being hard on polls they
like. A very small minority of reporters go after pols they DON'T
like, thus helping the candidates they prefer. I have seen this
happen but it is rare and not tolerated when found out. Newsrooms
are also no doubt plurality liberal, with independent/no opinion
coming in 2nd. I'd say libertarians and conservatives like me
account for no more than 8 or 10 percent of the newsroom staffs of
the nation.
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Rod Paul <http://profiles.google.com/rp509855> [Moderator] 2 hours
ago
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in reply to BrotherMatthias
<http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/136747/survey-voters-think-most-reporters-are-liberal-try-to-help-candidates-they-favor/#comment-233341824>
I think overall, your percentage of non-liberals is too low - when
you take into account smaller metros and mid-sized and smaller
dailies, etc. Philosopihcal (as opposed to party type)
libertarians probably outnumber conservatives by a wide margin.
Most reporters quickly become cynical about government and
politicians and their ability to do anything positive, regardless
of their political leanings coming into the business.
And certainly the majority of "fly over country" markets have
decidedly conservative, pro-business editorial stances.
These kinds of polls are skewed by the perceptions of the few Big
papers - and even more so, TV news.
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Rod Paul <http://profiles.google.com/rp509855> [Moderator] 3 hours
ago
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Not surprising, but largely off-base. Over a couple decades
reporting and editing, my experience has been that reporters tend
to be harder on politicians they like, especially if they uncover
any kind of damaging information.
And with very rare exceptions, a front page scoop trumps political
leanings - right, left or otherwise.
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