This is all over National Review and Instapundit -- a Pew Research Poll shows liberals out number conservatives 5-1 in national media, according to the journalists' own self-categorization. Results: 34% self-describe as liberals, 59% as moderate, 7% as conservative. In 1995, the last time Pew did this poll, there were 22% liberal, 73% moderate, 5% conservative. The full breakdown by national, local, etc. journos is here. The notion that "no one would ever expect this to impact the way news is covered" (stated sarcastically here) is just fanciful.
End result? Michael Barone hits it on the head:
Franklin Roosevelt did that [periodically updating the nation] during World War II with his fireside chats. The news was not always welcome: In one early speech, he explained why we would be driven out of the Philippines. And his address to the nation on D-Day was in a form that would arouse shrieking criticism if it came from Bush today: It was a prayer. But for the most part, Roosevelt did not have to deal with one problem Bush faces today. And that is that today's press works to put the worst possible face on the war.
No comments:
Post a Comment