The 'Myth' Of Media Bias — Could the Timing Be Worse?

SEIU's newest hire, Teddy Davis, with impeached ex-President

In light of this story today, what are we to make of this story by Ken Paulson, the president of the Newseum?

At a time when America seems polarized over virtually every major issue, there’s one thing that politicians of all persuasions can agree on: The media are biased.

One side argues that the media have gone soft on the Obama administration; the other side maintains that the coverage has been unfairly negative and destructive.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that 60% of Americans believe that news organizations are politically biased. Only 29% said the news media generally get the facts right.

Has there ever been a time in American history when the news media were held in such low regard?

Sure. Pretty much since the birth of this nation.

Wait! Here comes the good part:

Despite the perception of news media bias, the truth is that most traditional news organizations — primarily newspapers, their Web sites and local TV and radio — adhere to in-house ethics codes and keep politicians at arm’s length.

Yes, you read that right. Most traditional news media strive daily to report news about their communities without regard to political affiliation or special interests.

Paulson makes the perfectly valid point that for much of American history, journalism was a rough-and-tumble exercise in passion and point of view. It was, in fact, this very kind of journalism — raucous, insulting, highly politicized — that the First Amendment was designed to protect.

It wasn’t until the rise of “professional journalism” in the mid-20th century that reporters became “journalists” and looked upon what they did as a craft, not a calling. Later, in an effort to improve their fairly low self-esteem, they decided it was a “profession,” which in their minds put them on a par with the doctors and lawyers they so envied.

Today, though, it’s politicians whom they envy. If every senator looks in the mirror and sees a potential president, every Beltway journalist looks in the mirror and sees the simulacrum of a senator.

When Americans take surveys about media bias, are they thinking about their local daily newscast or about cable channels that shamelessly favor one side or another? When they think of journalists, do they think about the young reporter carefully taking notes at city hall or a blustering pundit spewing outrage on air or online? There’s a lot of junk journalism out there and it feeds the public’s sense that “the media” are high on agenda and low on ethics.

Not quite sure I follow this: are the bonzes and pundits on Fox, MSNBC and CNN purveying “junk journalism?” But didn’t they get there by first being that young reporter at the sewer board meeting, diligently taking notes?

Yes, America’s news media have plenty of warts, including understaffed newsrooms and errors made in haste. But the truth is that most traditional news organizations in this country still take their watchdog roles seriously. To the extent there is bias in America’s traditional newspaper newsrooms, it’s not liberal or conservative. It’s a bias against whoever’s in charge in the moment, maintaining a healthy skepticism about how the public’s business is done.

That’s not always comfortable for government officials, but it’s in the best interests of a democracy.

So there. There’s no media bias. Just ask Teddy Davis.