Why does the media go out of their way to find "the other side of the story" only in some cases?

[Empowerer]

This first occurred to me this morning listening to Mika Brzezinski - for the third day in a row - whining that she just needed to hear "the other side of story" in the Gates case (and then insisting that "the other side of the story" was the only perspective worth considering).

I thought, "Hmmm. I don't remember Ms. Brzezinski and her brethren being all that concerned with 'the other side of the story' when they were trashing Rev. Wright up one side and down the other, for months on end."

But I realized that Ms. Brzezinski was not the only one to blame. From the second the Gates story gained traction, the media fell all over themselves trying to get the cop's side of the story, as if Gates' being arrested on his own porch couldn't possibly be assessed without hearing from the cop himself. Apparently, the police report wasn't enough - we had to see and hear from the police officer himself.

And now the media is playing the fake balancing act they like to do in such situations - putting up the two men in some form of point-counterpoint and trying to make America choose sides between false alternatives: "Is Officer Crowley a racist? Or is Prof. Gates a crazy man? Or are those who criticize the arrest (yeah, we're talking about YOU, Obama) smearing an innocent man?"

It's interesting, however, how they only do this in some cases. For example, they never demanded to hear the other side of the story when it came to Rev. Wright. They didn't seek out Rev. Wright or his friends or colleagues to try to bring him into focus. No, they just kept showing those same clips over and over and over. I don't recall them going out of their way to try to "see both sides." Instead, they just kept telling us day after day after day that Rev. Wright was a racist, a crazy man, a demagogue, etc., without ever putting him into any perspective.

Am I the only one aware of and concerned about this double standards?

[FrenchieCat]

1. I am aware and concerned.

[zbdent]

2. "Apparently, the police report wasn't enough" ... which one?

I heard that there were at least two ...

[Karenina]

3. American media is a fucking menace.