69% Say Reporters Try To Help The Candidate They Want To Win

[Sofiyya 1,687]

After the election

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Bump

[symbiosis 0]

Associated Press, MSNBC and CNBC Seen as Having Liberal Bias

Sunday, July 22, 2007

In the final poll of a series measuring perceptions of media bias, the Associated Press, local television stations, MSNBC, and CNBC are all perceived as tilting to the left when reporting the news.

Earlier releases showed that Americans tend to believe the major broadcast networks, CNN, and NPR have a liberal bias. Fox News is seen as having a bias in the other direction. In print, the New York Times, Washington Post, and local newspapers were also seen as having a liberal bias.

Americans are evenly divided as to whether or not the “Fairness Doctrine” should be restored. That regulation required broadcast outlets to present alternative viewpoints. Thirty-four percent (34%) of Americans want the Fairness Doctrine expanded and applied to web sites as well as broadcast outlets.

Interest in the Fairness Doctrine was revived on Capitol Hill after public opinion overwhelmed the preferences of the Senate on the immigration debate. Some legislators advocating “comprehensive” reform blamed talk radio for the defeat of their proposal.

The current survey finds that 30% of American adults believe the Associated Press has a liberal bias and only 12% believe it leans the other way. Local television news is viewed as having a liberal bias by 30% and a conservative bias by 17%. MSNBC is seen as being a bit more to the left—33% say it has a liberal bias and 13% say the opposite. For CNBC, 29% say it has a liberal bias and 14% say a conservative bias.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) say local television stations deliver news without bias while 36% say the same for the Associated Press.

Associated Press?! That's laughable.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Hey, I'm so sorry about your little hammy, Tara. I love little furry rodents, and yours sounded like a sweet little baby.

[Alex+R 0]

Most journalists take their responsibility to be as fair as possible seriously. Then the work goes through two stages of editing, where bias is often caught and checked.

VW, I'm sure you have no idea how biased reporting is perceived in the journalism world, and this post makes me think you and any American who answered "yes" has no idea how this process works.

But please, keep spreading the ignorance, by all means.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Most journalists take their responsibility to be as fair as possible seriously. Then the work goes through two stages of editing, where bias is often caught and checked.

VW, I'm sure you have no idea how biased reporting is perceived in the journalism world, and this post makes me think you and any American who answered "yes" has no idea how this process works.

But please, keep spreading the ignorance, by all means.

True in theory, not in practice. I know more than you think I know. Political and historical research is part of what I've done for decades, and the decline in professionalism is more than evident. Have you read the survey of journalists that point to the rising depression and doubt among them re their profession? I don't blame them. Network news is sagging in the ratings, newspapers are laying off and shutting down. People are voting with their feet away from the traditional media.

[Alex+R 0]

Most journalists take their responsibility to be as fair as possible seriously. Then the work goes through two stages of editing, where bias is often caught and checked.

VW, I'm sure you have no idea how biased reporting is perceived in the journalism world, and this post makes me think you and any American who answered "yes" has no idea how this process works.

But please, keep spreading the ignorance, by all means.

True in theory, not in practice. I know more than you think I know. Political and historical research is part of what I've done for decades, and the decline in professionalism is more than evident. Have you read the survey of journalists that point to the rising depression and doubt among them re their profession? I don't blame them. Network news is sagging in the ratings, newspapers are laying off and shutting down. People are voting with their feet away from the traditional media.

"The decline in professionalism is more than evident." Care to share some evidence of that? Other than just nostalgia for a poorly-remembered past? All you did is just say "Nuh uh."

Do you really think people are moving away from the traditional media because of the journalists? Or do you think it's because of the rise of technology? Because the journalists online are just the same as the journalists writing for newspapers. I just started working in online media, and it's full of ex-print journalists. The only ones who aren't traditional journalists are bloggers, and they're far more biased than any newspaper, so your argument falls apart there, too.

I don't know why I'm bothering to argue with you, since I'm sure as usual you'll claim to know more than I do about my own profession. I will tell you that copy editors care more about this kind of thing than anyone else, and they're only compromised by the conservative owners of news outlets who don't care about the details. It has nothing to do with a decline in professionalism. It seems kind of unpatriotic of you to slam a group of Americans struggling to do their jobs in an economy that barely allows that to happen.

eta: Re: the rising doubt: Journalists are mostly incredibly idealistic when they enter the profession, and it's pretty demoralizing being told that you're just there to support the ads, not the other way around, and that you could lose your job any minute. Especially when this profession used to be respected.

Edited November 3, 2008 by Alex+R

[Peikko 1,575]

69% Say Reporters Try To Help The Candidate They Want To Win

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Seven out of 10 voters (69%) remain convinced that reporters try to help the candidate they want to win, and this year by a nearly five-to-one margin voters believe they are trying to help Barack Obama.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of voters think most reporters are trying to help Obama win versus 11% who believe they are trying to help his Republican opponent John McCain. Twenty-six percent (26%) say reporters offer unbiased coverage (demographic crosstabs available for Premium Members).

Just last week a Rasmussen Reports survey found that 51% of voters believed reporters were trying to hurt McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, with their news coverage.

Interestingly, while 83% of Republican voters think most reporters are trying to help Obama, 19% of Democrats agree, one percentage point higher than the number of Democrats who believe they are trying to help McCain. Unaffiliated voters by a 53% to 10% margin see reporters trying to help Obama.

Forty-five percent (45%) of Democrats say most reporters are providing unbiased coverage in the current presidential campaign, but only 20% of unaffiliateds and nine percent (9%) of Republicans agree.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls).

Voters from both parties, however, are skeptical of media bias in general. Eighty-six percent (86%) of Republicans think reporters try to help the candidate they want to win, and a plurality of Democrats (49%) believe that, too. Seventy-four percent (74%) of unaffiliated voters agree.

Only 21% of voters overall say reporters try to offer unbiased coverage.

These numbers track closely with findings from a Rasmussen Reports survey in mid-July and follow criticism throughout last week's Republican convention of media coverage viewed as exceptionally hostile to Palin. Democrats, however, are a bit more questioning of the media now and slightly less inclined to regard them as favorable to Obama.

Among all voters, 57% believe Obama has received the best treatment by the media, while 21% say McCain has been treated best. Only nine percent (9%) believe the media has been most favorable to Senator Hillary Clinton, who was Obama's closest rival for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Forty-two percent (42%) think reporters would hide information that hurts the candidate they want to win, but 34% do not agree. But there's a partisan divide here: While 63% of likely McCain voters believe reporters would hide information harmful to the candidate they favor, 52% of potential Obama voters do not agree.

Perhaps this explains why 46% of voters say they most trust information about the presidential campaign from family and friends as opposed to 32% who trust the information from news reporters more.

*****************************************************

Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.

The Rasmussen Reports ElectionEdge™ Premium Service for Election 2008 offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage ever provided for a Presidential election.

Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.

This national telephone survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports September 8, 2008. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

These are people who are giving their perception of what they believe journalists are doing. That is not the same as what the journalists are actually doing. Perceptions are reality are often miles apart.

That said, if people are aware of a perception of bias, in this case the 'left wing journalists' support Barack Obama aren't they going to feel as though they are above the bias take that into consideration when they make their decision? (reference the bolded)

I am not quite sure what your point is, other than it's not fair. Yeah, life is like that.

My advice, try listening to NPR reading foreign papers and media. At least that way the journalists have different axes to grind than their home grown counterparts. Maybe that way you might learn not to believe all the 'outrage' pieces.

I have a theory about outrage - if you feel you are being directed to feel outrage, be extremely suspicious of the sourse.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Hey it does make you wonder what some of these self-described "Conservatives" actually believe in when they make out that not only is the education system evil and something to be suspicious of, but that the mass media is out to get them as well.

[Amby 490]

Hey it does make you wonder what some of these self-described "Conservatives" actually believe in when they make out that not only is the education system evil and something to be suspicious of, but that the mass media is out to get them as well.

welcome back

[natty bumppo 297]

fox news = propaganda

CNN = propaganda

CBS = propaganda

NBC = propaganda

ABC = propaganda

etc ... etc ...

your point is that Fox doesn't play the same propaganda news as the others?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Hey it does make you wonder what some of these self-described "Conservatives" actually believe in when they make out that not only is the education system evil and something to be suspicious of, but that the mass media is out to get them as well.

welcome back

[HAL 9000 96]

6er... where did ya go?