December 04, 2006
What Media Bias?
This book is one you may want to put on your Christmas* wish list:
BLACKSBURG, VA., November 30, 2006 -- Jim A. Kuypers, assistant professor of communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, reveals a disturbing world of media bias in his new book Bush's War: Media Bias and Justifications for War in a Terrorist Age (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 2006).
Convincingly and without resorting to partisan politics, Kuypers strongly illustrates in eight chapters “how the press failed America in its coverage on the War on Terror.” In each comparison, Kuypers “detected massive bias on the part of the press.” In fact, Kuypers calls the mainstream news media an “anti-democratic institution” in the conclusion.
“What has essentially happened since 9/11 has been that Bush has repeated the same themes, and framed those themes the same whenever discussing the War on Terror,” said Kuypers, who specializes in political communication and rhetoric. “Immediately following 9/11, the mainstream news media (represented by CBS, ABC, NBC, USA Today, New York Times, and Washington Post) did echo Bush, but within eight weeks it began to intentionally ignore certain information the president was sharing, and instead reframed the president's themes or intentionally introduced new material to shift the focus.”
This goes beyond reporting alternate points of view. “In short,” Kupyers explained, “if someone were relying only on the mainstream media for information, they would have no idea what the president actually said. It was as if the press were reporting on a different speech.”
Like I said, what media bias?
*Yes, I said Christmas list instead of the ubiquitous holiday list. Please address all complaints to someone who cares.
Show Comments »
We're finding out that it may not be possible to win a protracted war if the media actively takes the enemy's side, no matter how weak the opponent.
Posted by: Van Helsing at December 4, 2006 02:10 PMHi Pam,
Great post on media bias. And that painting looks familiar..... where have I seen it before? (Thirdwavedave???)
Missing you in the chatroom.
Andrea / Mark
Radio Patriots
constitutional Public Radio
Great post and I just updated my CHRISTmas list.
Merry CHRISTmas to all!!
JM
Posted by: DJ at December 5, 2006 11:11 AMthis study really made me very sad...
if the major media establishments are dishonest, how can a Nation determine the correct path for it's future?
if the media is basically a dishonest partisan, we are in deep trouble...
Posted by: hnav at December 5, 2006 01:10 PMTell ya what. I'll pick this thing up at the library, give it a read and a report back to ya.
In return, I'll pick a book for you to to read and report back to me on. Nothing like Bush Lied Ten Times more than Hitler, something with some credibility.
Posted by: paul at December 5, 2006 03:19 PM
