According to this article in Media Matters, Editor and Publisher have painstakingly gathered data to determine what types of columnists are being published in what markets. The results demonstrate a strong conservative bias in most newspapers. Here are some of the results from the Executive Summary of the study:
- Sixty percent of the nation’s daily newspapers print more conservative syndicated columnists every week than progressive syndicated columnists. Only 20 percent run more progressives than conservatives, while the remaining 20 percent are evenly balanced.
- In a given week, nationally syndicated progressive columnists are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of 125 million. Conservative columnists, on the other hand, are published in newspapers with a combined total circulation of more than 152 million.2
- The top 10 columnists as ranked by the number of papers in which they are carried include five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.
- The top 10 columnists as ranked by the total circulation of the papers in which they are published also include five conservatives, two centrists, and only three progressives.
- In 38 states, the conservative voice is greater than the progressive voice — in other words, conservative columns reach more readers in total than progressive columns. In only 12 states is the progressive voice greater than the conservative voice.
There's not a chance we'll ever hear the end of the bloviating right going on and on about a liberal bias in the media.
I think what is lost in this study as well is the range of two views in which it contrasts. While some things are right and some things are progressive there is typically a boundary pushed further by the right wing.
To give an example you may hear right wing sentiment saying, or suggesting to invade Iran. That is very extreme, to be invading foreign nations and breaking international law. But on the other side you almost never hear a voice in corporate media advocating Bush be tried in the Hague, which is something that falls under international law.
this is true. the problem is, most americans are too right wing. you hear americans saying things like american media has a liberal bias, but its anything but that. you open the la times and its the biggest right wing propaganda. to prove my point, when was the last time you opened up the ny times and saw the destruction and damage caused by u.s. troops.
all i see is u.s. troops handing out candy bars. how realistic is that?
The truly ironic thing is the article was published by a liberal (progresive).
And, a SERIOUS problem is that it is giving equal weight to all papers. The Hartwell Sun and the New York Times are given the same weight when one had a readership of about 5000 and the other, millions.
The reason most local and state news outlets have conervative opinions is because even today, America is still conservative leaning.
But CNN, MSNBC, NYT, etc…DO NOT REPRESENT AMERICA. That is what we conservatives are saying when we say that there is bias in the media…I think Fox News calls it the "elite media."
I find it interesting the word "liberal" has now been replaced with "progressive" I suspect that it suppose to make it sound more neutral and less "leftist". If you have to hid what your really after is that a sign even they know its wrong? Simple really.
So, it's Right vs. Progressive now, is it? There are so many below the belt incriminations in that terminology, it's staggering. To say that we conservatives are not progressive is an outright lie. As many innovations in Medicine, Science, Technology, etc., have come from the conservative, traditional thinking camp as have come from the Left and let's just say it like it is, the Liberal side of the fence.
I'm tired of us conservatives all being lumped
together with the radical Right. True conservatives are neither left nor right. We are more moderate, open minded, and tend to be more balanced than the ultra radcal right we are always being lumped in with. Our views and values are shared by the majority of the population, at least in the US. And there is as much radical extremism on the left as there is on the right. Should we label all "Progressives" as extremists? Of course not.
Not in Louisville, Kentucky. The one and only newspaper is the very openly liberal Courier Journal. By their own admission, they are extremely liberal. Most of the local consider the paper's editorial board to be virtually socialistic. The paper has lost a large number of subscribers over the years due the left tilt of the newspaper, resulting in periodic layoffs.