["BrooksB"]

Sorry, I forgot to put poll option on the last one, so mods delete that thread. Thanks.

Both sides point fingers. Liberals say there's a conservative slant, conservatives say there's a liberal slant in mass media. Well, which is it? Obviously both are represented in the media, but which is dominant for mass media?

Guidelines/Definitions:

Mass Media- communication that is widespread and reaches lots of people (TV, Radio, Newspaper, Internet, etc)

How do you define dominance? Well, content for mass media is highly variable, but it really comes down to who's in control of that content. So, the essence of this discussion may be about who is in control of that content and how they monitor what is presented in the media.

Poll options:
Entirely conservative
Mostly conservative
Mostly conservative except Internet
Mostly liberal
Entirely liberal
More or less even
Other: (liberal slant here, conservative slant there, depending on medium)

["BrooksB"]

I'm with the "Mostly conservative except Internet". I'll get further into it later, but now I've got to go run some errands for my mommy and visit my granny. Peace.

[Art]

From what I see, I see a bit of a liberal slant on TV and most internet I read, and a pretty major conservative slant on radio.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by BrooksB

I'm with the "Mostly conservative except Internet". I'll get further into it later, but now I've got to go run some errands for my mommy and visit my granny. Peace.

That's absurd. With the exception of Fox News, all TV is blatantly liberally biased. Radio is conservatively biased. Newspapers tend to be rather liberally biased.

[grand_master_d]

Originally Posted by Travis

That's absurd. With the exception of Fox News, all TV is blatantly liberally biased. Radio is conservatively biased. Newspapers tend to be rather liberally biased.

There is no need to get any further into it than that. That is as simple, and as full of truth, as it needs to get...

["BrooksB"]

Originally Posted by grand_master_d

There is no need to get any further into it than that. That is as simple, and as full of truth, as it needs to get...

Yeah, you're right. Who needs to support what they say? Just don't question it.


Anyways. I think you guys are neglecting the fact that all mass media are interconnected by huge media conglomerates like Comcast, Clear Channel, AOL/Time Warner, etc, that all benefitted greatly from Deregulation, a conservative notion passed by a conservative congress. Also, TV is FAR more conservative than it was at its onset, mainly because of advertisers exerting more and more control over the content of the programming. Since advertisers are usually big buisnesses, they would naturally have a conservative slant.

About Fox news being the only conservative thing on tv, what about the other channels owned and operated by the same company, Newscorps? Are they just mysteriously liberal? Come on. Fox news is no anomaly in that corporation. It's owned by Rupert Murdoch, a staunch neo-con. So, inevitably, everything he owns will have a conservative slant.

Other than that, I think some Viacom stations and programs (some CBS shows, Comedy Central) may have a slightly liberal leaning, but even their advertisers won't let it go too far. Also, MTV is also under Viacom and they show no liberal slant there. I don't know what to call MTV. Probably insane or something. Also, Nickelodeon, with its ultra-conservative vision of "raising consumers" with commercialized programming. Viacom is also under way of mass globalization that will make the company just grow and grow and grow.

And newspapers being liberal... uh.. No. USA Today is blatantly conservative, so is NYT (well, NYT isn't blatantly conservative, but they are conservative). Also, Wall Street Journal is obviously conservative. Well, there are the three newspapers with highest circulation in America.(http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0004420.html)

I guess I don't have to argue that Radio has a conservative bias, but this should be enough to generate some discussion. Have at it guys! This should be fun and interesting.

["BrooksB"]

Another interesting note... on the top of the page, where the google ads are, there's three that are for conservatives only, and one that is an open forum. Maybe even the internet is heading towards conservative bias. It makes sense, because they are the ones bent on controlling it. Someday, it probably will.

[perhaps]

From Canada it seems like the US is mostly Conservative biased. However, I am viewing it from a different country so I can't really vote. Also, Canada is very Liberal so basically anything looks Conservative to us.


EDIT: Yeah, Travis. Back that thang up.

["BrooksB"]

Originally Posted by perhaps

From Canada it seems like the US is mostly Conservative biased. However, I am viewing it from a different country so I can't really vote. Also, Canada is very Liberal so basically anything looks Conservative to us.

I say you can vote, because it's my poll. And you're kinda cool. Besides, you just have an outside opinion, possibly more objective than our own.

["BrooksB"]

Another point I'd like to make: The airwaves for tv and radio are technically "publicly owned" and we "lease" them to broadcast companies via FCC. However, these companies put a huge price on the time we try to buy back from them and sometimes won't even give the people airtime when they try to pay for it full price (for instance, when the time is intended for uses that are opposed to the network's beliefs). This sounds conservative to me, since they won't let the airwaves be democratic. Liberals would let the airwaves be open for anyone who can slap down the bucks.

[grand_master_d]

I don't understand how any person can read the Times and honestly say it takes a neutral stance in politics, let alone, "conservative". Maybe its not so obvious as The Nation, but honestly. Brooks, I guess I don't care too much about this one way or the other, I cannot say I'm influenced too much by the mass media, but the Times... they're liberal.

[grand_master_d]

Originally Posted by BrooksB

Another interesting note... on the top of the page, where the google ads are, there's three that are for conservatives only, and one that is an open forum. Maybe even the internet is heading towards conservative bias. It makes sense, because they are the ones bent on controlling it. Someday, it probably will.

Al Gore would never let that happen to his creation...

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by BrooksB

Also, TV is FAR more conservative than it was at its onset

and you know this how, where you around during the onset of TV? How old are you? 70?

About Fox news being the only conservative thing on tv, what about the other channels owned and operated by the same company, Newscorps? Are they just mysteriously liberal? Come on. Fox news is no anomaly in that corporation. It's owned by Rupert Murdoch, a staunch neo-con. So, inevitably, everything he owns will have a conservative slant.

please show me a news channel that is as conservative or almost as conservative as fox?

Other than that, I think some Viacom stations and programs (some CBS shows, Comedy Central) may have a slightly liberal leaning, but even their advertisers won't let it go too far. Also, MTV is also under Viacom and they show no liberal slant there.

What? MTV shows no Liberal slant, that's got to be the funniest thing I have ever heard.

I don't know what to call MTV.

Incredibly liberal fits.

Also, Nickelodeon, with its ultra-conservative vision of "raising consumers" with commercialized programming.

I think people are talking about news and the like, not entertainment TV.

And newspapers being liberal... uh.. No. USA Today is blatantly conservative, so is NYT (well, NYT isn't blatantly conservative, but they are conservative).

what country are you living in? The NYT is extremely liberal, especially in its editorial sections

Also, Wall Street Journal is obviously conservative. Well, there are the three newspapers with highest circulation in America.(http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0004420.html)

this i'll agree with.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by BrooksB

Another point I'd like to make: The airwaves for tv and radio are technically "publicly owned" and we "lease" them to broadcast companies via FCC. However, these companies put a huge price on the time we try to buy back from them and sometimes won't even give the people airtime when they try to pay for it full price (for instance, when the time is intended for uses that are opposed to the network's beliefs). This sounds conservative to me, since they won't let the airwaves be democratic. Liberals would let the airwaves be open for anyone who can slap down the bucks.

HA!! the Liberals would do no such thing.

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by grand_master_d

Al Gore would never let that happen to his creation...

if it is his creation, why do most websites start with WWW?