Shedding Light on "Liberal Bias" in the Media

The study by UCLA political science professor Tim Groseclose is but the latest purporting to show "bias" in the media. What is troubling is not that media outlets tend to lean left in their reporting. What is troubling is that professor Groseclose seems to have no idea what he is actually studying. He is also giving a false impression that there is any "bias" at all. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines bias:

3 a: BENT , TENDENCY b: an inclination of temperament or outlook; especially: a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment : PREJUDICEc: an instance of such prejudice d (1) : deviation of the expected value of a statistical estimate from the quantity it estimates (2) : systematic error introduced into sampling or testing by selecting or encouraging one outcome or answer over others

The main definition for the adverb is fine, and better states the results of the study. Media outlets have a liberal bent or tendency. However, professor Groseclose seems to present his findings using the more stringent definition of the word, implying unreasoned judgment or prejudice in the media. This gives conservatives ammo with which to further their complaint about the conspiracy of a "liberal media", but offers no real facts other than that most media studied made more references to liberal groups and think-tanks in their reports than to their conservative counterparts. What the study really shows is the political views of the American public. To see this side of the coin, perhaps the professor should have included a marketing professor in his study.

Media outlets, despite their lofty statements concerning keeping the public informed, exist in large part for one purpose: Profit. That, my friends, is the god of capitalism. Without the profit motive, the corporate owners of the media would have little reason to care about keeping anyone informed. Therefore it benefits these corporate entities to tailor their programming to satisfy the public's desire for news and opinions that interest them and fit with their own beliefs, political or otherwise. What this study really shows, therefore, is that the majority of the American public have a liberal "bias", despite any poll results, voting records, or statements to the contrary. Many conservatives will imply that most Americans are conservative, citing the Republican leadership of the House and Senate, or the fact that a Republican won the presidency (which is actually false in the case of the 2000 election, and possibly the 2004 election, but that is for another article). They may say, "there are more Republicans than Democrats", which may or may not be true. But we must remember that, just as not all conservatives are Republican, not all liberals are Democrats. The Green Party, for example, removes many liberals from the current two-party system, effectively silencing their voice in the process. The same goes for Socialists and other liberals.

Americans are intelligent people. Most will not see any point in making an issue of this study. Conservatives, however, are sure to gleefully toot their horns in celebration of what they consider a confirmation of their fears that liberals are trying to subvert American thought. Americans have always loved Liberty, and therefore have always been a very liberal people. What this study and conservative reaction to it really shows is that it is the conservative minority that seeks to impose its beliefs and mindset on an already liberal society.