A Look at the Liberal Media Bias

Does a liberal media bias exist, and if so, how significant is this phenomenon? Programs such as "Rush Limbaugh" and "The Colbert Report" clearly exhibit political bias, but are these biases hidden in everyday programs, unbeknownst to us? "Media bias is a perceived concept that certain press has is pushing a viewpoint, rather than reporting news or broadcasting programs in an objective manner" ("What is Media"). This is the best definition I have found for media bias. Based on this information, I would say this concept definitely exists in today's media.

In a fascinating paper by Tien-Tsung Lee, he states that the Pew Research Center conducted a study on the belief in media bias. 47% of the respondents agreed that there is a bias in today's media, while 35% disagreed. He also discusses the difference between skepticism and cynicism in today's media and the political biases claimed within it. In his conclusion, Lee states, "Overall, this study's findings suggest, if one claims that a media bias exists, the complainant is likely to favor the far right on partisan and ideological scales. These extreme positions, along with a cynical attitude, influence one's interpretation of the news media. Therefore, the perception that the media are biased is more likely grounded in a viewer's own position rather than in manifest media content" (Lee, 2005).

Beyond politics, bias exists in the media today, with the Trayvon Martin case serving as a prime example. George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman, is being tried for the murder of what appears to be an innocent, young, African American man. Bernard Goldberg raised some interesting points in an article on his page. "If Trayvon Martin had been shot that night by another black teenager, there would have been no reaction from President Obama, no nationally televised protests, no demands for justice by prominent civil rights leaders, and no one outside his immediate circle of family and friends would even know his name" (Goldberg). He then pointed out that the New York Times referred to Zimmerman as a "White-Hispanic". His mother being Peruvian, Goldberg insists that the media has painted him as a "white" man, not a person of color.

Bernard Goldberg is presently a commentator for Fox News, according to http://mediatemetrics.wordpress.com, Fox news is a largely republican based prejudice. (------------). With that in mind, exactly how does one feel concerning Mr. Goldberg's stance on the issue of Trayvon Martin? Once more predisposition enters play, and raises the position on if there is any media that does not include a side of prejudice. I believe Mr. Lee stated it completely, as the assumption of media prejudice, depends on the observers own stance.

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