Researchers measure bias in media

[zephyrprime]

The number of media outlets tested is small so keep that in mind.


link

Tim Groseclose, of UCLA and Stanford, and Jeff Milyo of the University of Chicago used data comparing which think tanks various politicians liked to quote and which think tanks various media outlets liked to quote in their news stories to estimate two ADA scores for each media outlet in the study, one based on the number of times a think tank was cited, and the other on the length of the citation.

The media outlets were The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the three network news shows, Fox News' Special Report and The Drudge Report (the paper is online at www.yale.edu/isps/seminars/american_pol/groseclose.pdf).

 

[conjur]

Interesting how they picked more centrist newspapers (with a bit of liberalness to them) and only one conservative source (FOX News' Special Report).

Wonder why they didn't consider a sampling from both sides, say, throw in Washington Times or Spewsmax?

 

[her209]

Media as in television, newspapers, and radio?

 

[Dissipate]

As far as I know, all the major media outlets are cheerleaders for the Federal Reserve, and none of them have anything negative to say about the IRS; The two most wicked institutions in America today.

 

[Insane3D]

Better study that disagrees

 

[Czar]

a studdy that says drudge and fox is centrist just cant be right

 

[SViscusi]

Originally posted by: conjur
Interesting how they picked more centrist newspapers (with a bit of liberalness to them) and only one conservative source (FOX News' Special Report).

Wonder why they didn't consider a sampling from both sides, say, throw in Washington Times or Spewsmax?

It's not even that, it's the fact that it's based upon references to think-tanks.

 

[Jhhnn]

From the linked article, from the Rocky, our local Murdoch Tabloid-

The authors say they expected to find that the mainstream media leaned to the left, but they were "astounded by the degree."

So-called "Researchers" usually find what they want to find, it's called ontological methodology, something honest researchers avoid like the plague...

Nor is it particularly difficult to find "Liberal Bias" when anybody to the left of the John Birch Society is defiined as Pinkos....

 

[Vadatajs]

Originally posted by: Czar
a studdy that says drudge and fox is centrist just cant be right

Agreed, I think that the original poll (not the good one posted later) assumes the center to have an extremem rightward slant. Plus the same method used to rate senators is fundamentally flawed when applied to journalists, because THEY DON'T VOTE ON ANY BILLS.

The estimated ADA score for Fox, based on citations, was 35.6. That puts it in the company of Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and a few points below the House median, 39.0. The two highest were The New York Times, at 67.6, and CBS Evening News, at 70.0. The average Republican in Congress has an ADA score of 11.2, and the average Democrat 74.1.

When you are using a method that cannot be properly applied to the situation, any estimates or conclusions drawn are no more valid than if they just made the numbers up.

Tim Groseclose, of UCLA and Stanford, and Jeff Milyo of the University of Chicago used data comparing which think tanks various politicians liked to quote and which think tanks various media outlets liked to quote in their news stories to estimate two ADA scores for each media outlet in the study, one based on the number of times a think tank was cited, and the other on the length of the citation

I wasn't aware that there were any liberal think tanks. Maybe the center for american progress, but that's the only one I can think of. Plus if a news organization is getting too much news from think tanks (ala fox) it is in much more danger of being biased (either leftward, or rightward).

This study is complete bullsh1t. The only bias in the mass media is the LAZY BIAS; they are too fvcking lazy to do their jobs, ask real questions, and demand real answers.

 

[Riprorin]

Originally posted by: Czar
a studdy that says drudge and fox is centrist just cant be right

You're just so far to the left that anything centrist looks right-wing to you.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Czar
a studdy that says drudge and fox is centrist just cant be right

You're just so far to the left that anything centrist looks right-wing to you.

You're calling FOX centrist??

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: SViscusi

Originally posted by: conjur
Interesting how they picked more centrist newspapers (with a bit of liberalness to them) and only one conservative source (FOX News' Special Report).

Wonder why they didn't consider a sampling from both sides, say, throw in Washington Times or Spewsmax?

It's not even that, it's the fact that it's based upon references to think-tanks.

It also seems to me, to whatever extent their methodology is valid, they are simply not measuring where media fall with respect to center. Instead, they are "measuring" where media falls with respect to Congress. At best, they've shown that some media are to the left of your average Congress-critter. That is hardly surprising news, not only because Republicans dominate Congress, but because the entire political spectrum has shifted to the right, especially at the national level.

 

[sMiLeYz]

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Czar
a studdy that says drudge and fox is centrist just cant be right

You're just so far to the left that anything centrist looks right-wing to you.

Czar far left? HAH!
Most cons I know call drudge and Fox right-leaning.

 

[Gaard]

Originally posted by: conjur

Originally posted by: Riprorin

Originally posted by: Czar
a studdy that says drudge and fox is centrist just cant be right

You're just so far to the left that anything centrist looks right-wing to you.

You're calling FOX centrist??

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Rip? Care to answer?

 

[Jhhnn]

I think this whole exercise exemplifies the way that the Far Right frames the issues. They represent centrist and even moderately right views as "Liberal" or even "Leftist". Which affects folks' attitudes about themselves and the world around them

It's not that the political spectrum has shifted right, it's that it's become truncated on the Left. The old Left is dead, buried with the fall of the Soviet Union, and no couterbalance currently exists to the Money, power and influence wielded on the far right... The Bush Admin is their attempt to swallow us whole, before we realize what's happening. And they do it with doublespeak, and with the usual characterizations of anybody who disagrees... vilifying the term "Liberal" to the point where many would rather be identified as pedophiles...

When politicians and pundits can't find anybody further right than themselves, it would seem obvious that their views are a little extreme, and that their characterizations of the opposition somewhat slanted...

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: Jhhnn
I think this whole exercise exemplifies the way that the Far Right frames the issues. They represent centrist and even moderately right views as "Liberal" or even "Leftist". Which affects folks' attitudes about themselves and the world around them

It's not that the political spectrum has shifted right, it's that it's become truncated on the Left. The old Left is dead, buried with the fall of the Soviet Union, and no couterbalance currently exists to the Money, power and influence wielded on the far right... The Bush Admin is their attempt to swallow us whole, before we realize what's happening. And they do it with doublespeak, and with the usual characterizations of anybody who disagrees... vilifying the term "Liberal" to the point where many would rather be identified as pedophiles...

When politicians and pundits can't find anybody further right than themselves, it would seem obvious that their views are a little extreme, and that their characterizations of the opposition somewhat slanted...

I agree, that's a more accurate way to put it.

 

[conjur]

Hmmm....the networks are refusing to air commercials for Fahrenheit 9/11

That darn liberal media. :roll:

http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/45/deadline-finke.php

 

[Todd33]

Interesting, but I'm not sure their methodology makes complete sense or applies to in a broad way. References to think tanks? Drudge hardly had any data points, why include them? They are not even a news source are they? If you look at the graphs at the end, the only outlier is Fox, it's all alone.

It also says the mean and median (38 and 42) for the congress leans right. So if they are comparing the media to the congress and the congress leans right, does that mean the media is left or that they need to find a better way to normalize the data? I need to look at this more, it leaves out so much of the media, think tank citations is so microscopic. I need to see how they label a think tank liberal and conservative. Who knows, maybe "liberal" think tanks are quoted more because they study more mainstream issues.

 

[Spencer278]

I like the irony a report on media biased is so baised it isn't worht the PDF file it is saved in.

 

[conjur]

Not-So-Great Expectations: Media's spin favors Bush -- again
http://mediamatters.org/items/200409280009


And, MSNBC has let Frank Luntz go after an email campaign revealing Luntz's GOP ties was revealed:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200409280002 (letter to MSNBC from mediamatters.org)

 

[PatboyX]

link isnt working for me.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: PatboyX
link isnt working for me.

I did bump an older thread to post some related info.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Vadatajs
Agreed, I think that the original poll (not the good one posted later)

It's obviously got to be better; It agrees with your opinion

 

[desteffy]

This is just total BS. Fox news is ridiculous and thats what most people watch. Even CNN is pretty far right compared to the mainstream media of other english nations (BBC, CBC).

 

[1EZduzit]

Originally posted by: Jhhnn
From the linked article, from the Rocky, our local Murdoch Tabloid-<BR><BR>

The authors say they expected to find that the mainstream media leaned to the left, but they were "astounded by the degree."

<BR><BR>So-called "Researchers" usually find what they want to find, it's called ontological methodology, something honest researchers avoid like the plague...<BR><BR>Nor is it particularly difficult to find "Liberal Bias" when anybody to the left of the John Birch Society is defiined as Pinkos....

We need a "Researchers measure bias in researching" study now.