« Just say NO to Kevin O’Leary | Main | Alpha male vs beta male »

January 31, 2017

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Miles Lunn

While I agree media bias exists to some degree, I think both sides tend to overplay it. Before accusing the media of bias, I always ask, is it that they don't confirm to my bias or are they really bias. Sometimes I find it is the former sometimes the latter. Also when it comes to news, media has very limited time space available so what they chose and chose not to is often used to accuse of bias, although I've found whatever is the most catchy and will get the most viewers tends to get the top slot as they want more ad revenue, while more investigative journalism (since far too many people have 10 second attention spans) isn't done much and unfortunately to explore any issue in a neutral fashion you need more time and both sides should be given leaving the viewer to decide which they agree with.

Also agree with your last statement. Media bias or not there is nothing stopping people from starting their own coverage and you cannot be imprisoned for going against the government. If I am not mistaken a blog like this would be illegal in the former USSR. Heck even in Putin's Russia it might get one into trouble, whereas in Canada and the US this constitutionally protected as free speech.

Cincinnatus

HI Miles:

A good test to to always make:

"Before accusing the media of bias, I always ask, is it that they don't confirm to my bias or are they really bias."


old white guy

What they leave out is often as important as what they write. Lying by omission is still a lie.

Autoguy

I understand your point but to me it feels like splitting hairs. Is it a lie or simply a slanted report? Slanted reports may well be more effective in misleading the public. For example, I had a discussion with a group of friends recently, talking about Trump specifically and the US in general. Every one of my friends was horrified about gun ownership in the US. They talked about people getting killed because of the combination of road rage and gun availability and all sorts of silliness. I pointed out some facts and they scoffed.
These aren't stupid people.
But they have been affected by the slanted reports on gun ownership and gun violence that permeate the Canadian media.
I guess the point is, what do you think the difference - effectively, to the public - between a biased media and a lying media?

Cincinnatus

"I understand your point but to me it feels like splitting hairs. Is it a lie or simply a slanted report?"

Between telling a lie about a matter-of-fact and not telling a lie about a matter-of-fact lies a chasm bigger than the Grand Canyon.

"Slanted reports may well be more effective in misleading the public." Exactly. Understanding this is the first step in being able to combat MSM bias.

"For example, I had a discussion with a group of friends recently, talking about Trump specifically and the US in general. Every one of my friends was horrified about gun ownership in the US. They talked about people getting killed because of the combination of road rage and gun availability and all sorts of silliness. I pointed out some facts and they scoffed.

These aren't stupid people.

But they have been affected by the slanted reports on gun ownership and gun violence that permeate the Canadian media."

This is exactly how to combat MSM bias.

"what do you think the difference - effectively, to the public - between a biased media and a lying media?"

The first is insidious and do-able. The second is impossible, except under a totalitarian regime.

The comments to this entry are closed.

e-mail address

Blog powered by Typepad
Member since 02/2008

Blogging Tories

  • Blogging Tories