Columns

Media bias: the new normal?

David Delgado | The Daily Cougar

Throughout this year’s highly contentious presidential election, party lines and affiliations have been tightly drawn. I suppose this is why the inherent and pervasive bias of the mainstream media has become so shockingly clear. This is worrisome in that news is being spun in so many ways that the American public has no place to hear the unadulterated facts. This could be the new normal or a long-standing tradition — or a little of both.

The American press has traditionally existed in a highly partisan and propagandist form. The first truly successful newspaper outlets, such as the Boston Gazette and the New York Gazetteer, were forged during the American Revolution as Patriot and Loyalist forces to wage their own journalistic war of words.  This merely continued into the debates of 1787 and 1788 over whether to ratify the Constitution. It is even speculated by scholars that the extreme Pro-Federalist bias of the newspapers at the time can take credit for the ratifying of the Constitution.

History shows that the press has a tendency to showcase its tilt and predilection during times of intense polemics.

Although the 21st century newspaper has been forced to take a more sober, conventional and moderate stance in compliance with the desires of the advertisers and business community that supports them, there is still a distinctly partisan bias. However, the new problem is in the overwhelmingly biased television news organizations. Let’s look at the six major providers of television news: ABC, CBS News, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC and NBC News. Of these, FNC has a conservative standpoint. The other five are left-leaning, if not outwardly liberal.

Journalists and news anchors are entitled to express their party affiliation and personal political opinions.  But when these beliefs keep networks from dutifully reporting the facts and investigating the truth, there is have a problem.

On Sept. 11, 2012, the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya was strategically attacked by a heavily armed group suspected to be part of a.l-Qaida. Four Americans were killed, two of which died in a stand-off seven hours after the State Department had informed the White House of the attack.

For weeks, the Obama administration alleged that the attack was the result of a riot over an anti-Muslim video. Everyday more information is uncovered that strongly insinuates that the administration not only knew it was a preplanned attack and lied about it, but also could have deployed a Special Operations team in the nearby Sigonella, Italy. And yet, an urgent request for military aid was denied by the chain of command.

Whether Democrat or Republican, this is an issue that matters. Put yourself in the shoes of those four brave Americans. If something was done wrong, we need to fix the system so nothing like this happens again. It is the job of journalists to not only present the facts, but to earnestly investigate the truth. Only one of the six major news networks has made Benghazi a top issue.

The liberal media has treated President Obama as their first-born son; he can do no wrong and all critics of his policies should be tied to the stake. With 21 percent of U.S. adults reading below a fifth grade level, television media is an important and primary news source for a large block of Americans.

The media has had a long-standing tradition of partiality. But this recent disregard of the basic duties of a media outlet is unacceptable when the press is expected to act as a check on the government. People cannot allow this dereliction of duty to become the new normal.

Sarah Backer is a business sophomore and may be reached at [email protected].

8 Comments

  • why do conservatives always cry victim? ABC? CNN? Liberal? Hah!! MSNBC is the only liberal network. Compare their lineup too others. Just because the msm isn’t conservative as Limbaugh and Hannity, they are not left-leaning. As always, Facts and Reality have a liberal bias.

    • Two words
      George Stephanopoulos. You do know what his prior occupation was, don’t you?
      Ok, maybe a few more off the top of my head.
      Katie Couric
      John Stewart
      Brian Williams
      Fared Zakaria
      Anderson Cooper
      Lou Dobbs
      The entire staff at MSLSD
      The chief editorial board at the two major news makers, NY Times and Wash Post.
      I’ll continue after class.

      • wolf blitzer worked for aipac and was still hired. George is way too fair for a liberal. Get your head out of your rearend. lou dobbs is no liberal. try watching his fox show. cooper isn’t a liberal just because he’s gay. HAHAHA, stewart isn’t even a journalist. thats like saying bill maher is a journalist. many conservatives think if someone is an intellectual, they are liberal. (e.g. fareed zakaria) couric doesn’t even have a show but when she did, she asked normal questions which made palin stupid and rightfully so. and how is williams liberal? he has the most watched primetime news show. stop watching fox and live in reality.

        • Nah, working for Dukakis (D) presidential campaign in 1988, and then LEADING Clintons (D) 1992 presidential campaign, and subsequently becoming his main spokesman and Senior Advisor on Policy and Strategy for >4 years, makes Stephanopoulos completely neutral.

          John Stewart isn’t a journalist? I agree, but sadly, he’s the main source of news for a growing percentage of the population, especially young people.

          • Oh, and to further put Stephanopoulos into perspective, how would you feel about Karl Rove anchoring ABC’s morning and evening national news? Same thing. Your (liberals) heads would be exploding.

  • Sarah that is completely ridiculous. This article was written november 12th when everyone knew that the attack was terrorism.

  • Metoo, Did you read the column? It was about media bias and specifically, the lack of investigation of Benghazi by the mainstream media. Only one news outlet investigated the attack, without which, we would not know that it truly was a terrorist attack and not a spontaneous riot as a result of an anti-muslum video. I think the liberal media did not want to know the truth. They and their followers were way to worried about how it might effect the election.

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