Broadcasting&Cable: Accused by FAIR, PBS NewsHour Stands by Its Balance

[DeepModem Mom]

NewsHour Stands By Its Balance
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/4/2006

PBS NewsHour stands by its political balance in the wake of a study by Fairness and Accuracy in Media (FAIR) that accused it of a lack of balance and diversity and with not providing "a true public-minded alternative to its corporate competition."

FAIR, which endeavors to track media bias, says it pored over the show's guest list from October 2005 to November 2006 and found that Republicans outnumbered Democrats two to one, people of color only represented 15% of "U.S. sources," male sources outnumbered women four to one, and "stay the course" war sources outnumbered pro-withdrawl from Iraq sources by more than five to one.

"The NewsHour has been known for balance, we strive to provide political balance with the people we choose to interview, and to provide diverse views and opinion," said the show's public relations manager, Anne Bell. "Everything we hear is that that is the impression our viewers have."...

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6378109.html?display=Breaking+News

[glitch]

1. Fair is rarely wrong, they actually do the research and don't rely on what

"they hear" thanks for posting, it doesn't sound like PBS is open to improvement.

[Tesha]

2. If your funds depended on Republicans, would you be open to improvement?

If "improvement" meant no longer spewing Republican propaganda?

Tesha

[Tracer]

3. This doesn't sound quite right to me.

I watch the NewsHour almost every night and I don't see a huge tilt in either direction.

Each segment that follows up with a guest discussion has one person from left and one from the right.

I can't be that dense that I can't recognize TWO righties on at the same time, can I?

[Writer]

5. I have a problem with this study, too.

FAIR is saying, essentially, that the Newshour should support some type of advocacy journalism. Yet because it remains fairly neutral it's not doing the job it should be doing by being an alternative to its "corporate counterparts." I think that's the wrong way to approach assessing bias.

[followthemoney]

8. Yes, it is possible that you can. That doesn't make you evil.

You may not have been exposed to the much wider range of opinion and perspective that exists beyond the Republican-Democratic dialog in the media.

[NorthernSpy]

4. "Everything we hear is that that is the impression our viewers have."...

Yeah -- because that's the impression that PBS and the News Hour actively promote. But if you keep close track of the actual content of the show, it becomes evident that this perception doesn't match reality.

Figures.

Those who wish to rebut the study's conclusion will need to show hard, specific evidence that this:

Republicans outnumbered Democrats two to one, people of color only represented 15% of "U.S. sources," male sources outnumbered women four to one, and "stay the course" war sources outnumbered pro-withdrawl from Iraq sources by more than five to one.

... isn't really the case.

Rather than just sticking their fingers in their ears and chanting, 'lalala we ARE TOO balanced', or 'lalala the News Hour is a part of the anti-Republican leftwing media'.


:eyes:



(edit: typo)

[w4rma]

6. Yup. That is hard evidence. "Feelings" won't disprove that. (nt)

[mom cat]

7. Rec #5. for telling the truth!