Media bias:

[Nadienne]

[GregorStocks]

1. MUST GET TINFOIL HAT!!! nt

[gyopsy]

2. Already got mine

You can stuff tin foil into any baseball cap and make it yourself at home. When the judgement day comes, I assure you the grocery store will be out of them. :)

[Nadienne]

4. I thought tinfoil hats work best

when they're conical...

:)

[Gringo]

10. I HATE this attitude.

Maybe you are being facetious, but dismissing the fact that all media are owned by a handful of huge corporations (some of which are defense contractors) and the fact that advertisers have a HUGE influence over the editorial content on the news & even entertainment is worse than naive, it's STUPID.

This is not UFO's and area 51 we are talking about. Media consolidation is very real, and most of what is on TV is designed to mold people into unquestioning, docile consumers, and little more. Read some Vance Packard, then some Chomsky and tell me that the public isn't constantly being manipulated by corporate interests (and corporate interests more often than not favor the GOP)

[Armand]

3. I think it exists...to a point.

But I don't think everything that's said on the media are outright lies, unless it's on Faux News Channel.

[redqueen]

6. Would you accept that everything said on mainstrea media

that is scripted (i.e. controllable, no telling what people will do on live TV -- e.g. Michael Moore award speech) is FILTERED to better maintain manufactured consent?

[Armand]

7. Yeah, I think it may be filtered...

but not filtered so much that everything that's spouted off are outright lies.

[redqueen]

15. I think that's why option 5 says: "or tailored..."

A LOT is lies, much more is just filtered (i.e. tailored).

Glad the poll indicates that people seem to be secure enough in the coronation process to recognize / admit this.

[ret5hd]

24. They don't have to lie if it is never mentioned at all...

When the local "News Squad" swoops down on some local construction swindler asking why he ripped off some elderly woman on a re-roofing deal, you should be asking why they aren't using that time to explain the "rip-off" inherent in tax-cuts for the rich.

Or when the news is showing the latest shark attack (or whatever the scare-o-the-week is) you should wonder why they aren't exposing the real reasons behind our war-for-oil.

sometimes a lie is what isn't said.

[Nadienne]

9. It certainly does depend on what your primary source of info is

But one might argue that everyone is biased, and all news comes from a limited number of perspectives, and therefore all their perspectives are biased. I suppose it would be different if all news reporters were Vulcan...

[mikehiggins]

5. Choices one through four miss the point, which IS choice five. eom

[Nadienne]

11. Choices one through four

represent perspectives I've encountered here. Let 'em have their say.

[buckeye1]

8. Here's a clue.

If you don't like it, move on. If you pay for it and then bitch, you must be crazy.

[Monte Carlo]

12. I think the media's greatest bias is to itself.

There is a strong Conservative side to the media, to be sure, but I think it's biggest commitment is to itself. They want a maximization of ad revenue at a minimization of journalistic costs. That's it. So, they prefer easy, pre-packaged stories fed to them from those in power as opposed to actual investigative journalism.

[redqueen]

16. Denial

Studies of corruption and fraud are not just not pursued, they are actively killed.

See Fear and Favor in the Newsroom the next time it comes on Link TV.

[Monte Carlo]

18. Right, they don't want to hear it.

That would be expensive. They're running a business, not serving the common good.

[redqueen]

20. Is it any cheaper to do investigative stories on Clinton's sex life?

It's not about cost.

[Monte Carlo]

21. I think so.

It's not as cheap as sports scores, but there was a lot of money to be had. Fox News and MSNBC were founded on Clinton-scandal stories.

[redqueen]

25. So then you must think that Clinton-scandals sell better than

other scandals? I disagree.

I think the people of this country would be riveted by an investigation into the war lies.

They would be, but lo, there is an investigation underway! And what happens? Does the media sensationalize it the same way they did the Zippergate crap? No! The media distorts, obfuscates, and de-sensationalizes these stories, to ensure that people are bored out of their skulls or frustrated into giving up entirely.

Works so well I'm not suprised so many here are so incurious about it.

[Monte Carlo]

34. Yes, I do.

Sex sells. What Clinton was accused of, with something new coming out every day, made for some great headlines in the tabloids, endless over-analysis on the TV news, and skits on SNL. War just isn't as appealing or funny, especially when we're the bad guys. People would be concerned about investigations, but with the GOP in control of all three branches of the federal gov't and lots of friends in the media world, they're not going to happen without a power change.

[neoteric lefty]

13. all forms of popular media

are trying to push an agenda. It is human nature. Some instances, the source outright lies about the truth of the story. Sometimes, they exaggerate the points they want to stress. Sometimes they leave out the stories that don't fit their views. The editorial process is controlled by human beings and those pesky humans make choices in respect to their ideals and/or desires. As long as the media is controlled by man (and woman), there will always be bias. It is our job as citizens to search through all this biased information and try to pick out the truth (at least the truth to us). I would say all of DU is filled with bias (bias towards certain viewpoints concerning each DU'ers post) and this message I am writing now most definately has some bias attached to it.

We have to recognize that it is natural and decide the merits on our own.

[Nadienne]

14. It is our responsibility to seek the truth

and yet when most easily-accessible sources of information (TV, newspaper, radio) tell the same lie, should responsible citizens believe, or should responsible citizens dig deeper?

[neoteric lefty]

22. well,

if you disagree with the message being spit out then it is your right to express your disgust and let your viewpoints be known. The problem I see is this: When you give a group of people the freedom of speech, you have to be aware that not everyone is going to use it for good. It is inevitable because all freedoms have consequences attached. Same thing when you give that same group the freedom of the press. Shit is going to be produced, its a fact. If you don't like it, then you do what you can to either stop it or offset it.

to answer your Q: I think a responsible citizen should do what he wants. If he wants to believe what is fed to him, then fine. That is his right. However, it will be hard for him to complain when the cave starts to crumble. If he wants to educate himself on many different viewpoints then that is fine too. I don't feel it is my place to tell someone what to do or to judge him or her on that decision.

[Nadienne]

26. Doing what I can to stop or offset media bias

might mean that I will have to resort to standing on a street corner with a big sign and hope that enough people saw me and could read my sign...

If John Q. Citizen believes what is fed to him, and the cave starts to crumble... Maybe that's what is needed in order to wake up this country. Of course, I'm one of those who now realization that in order for a democracy to work, citizens have to get involved. It's a responsibility that is easily shrugged off, especially since it's more convenient to be distracted by entertainment.

[Festivito]

17. And it ain't a left-wing news media. nt.

[Nadienne]

19. Funny, isn't it?

The Conservative media constantly talks about how the media has a liberal bias... But the media is dominated by those who say the media has a liberal bias. Is Hannity calling Rush liberal?

[Festivito]

23. Yes, and funniness is their reasoning.

The put right-wingers on TV and have them chuckle at the notion that the media is not left-wing. Well!!! If people chuckle... they must be being honest! Right?! Yeah, right.

[Nadienne]

27. Vote, people!!

:dem:

[Nadienne]

32. One last kick

And then I'm outta here...

[w4rma]

28. I voted for #4, because #5 paints with much too broad a brush, IMHO. (n/t)

[Nadienne]

30. My intention with # 5

(and I know I could have been clearer) was to provide an option that said, "No, shit, the media is biased, and only a fool would think other wise." Or even "Bias is inexcapable, and we ought to take that into consideration..."

[CalebHayes]

29. It sure killed Dean.

[Nadienne]

31. I wonder, though, if Dean was propped up as front-runner

so that Kerry could sneak up unchallenged... and blind supporters of the front-runner followed along accordingly...

But if that is true...

:tinfoilhat:

[Bread and Circus]

33. Great poll