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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Whoa! WHAT propaganda campaign?
Message-ID: <258@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 27-Sep-84 08:52:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxl.258
Posted: Thu Sep 27 08:52:01 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Sep-84 06:07:37 EDT
References: <592@hou5a.UUCP> <29200150@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs
Lines: 40

> >   From the National Review:
> >   "The Washington Post's news writers and columnists had been waging
> >   an uproarious food fight with the Reagan Administration over the
> >   lunches served in the nation's school cafeterias... Then some
> >   killjoy Post editorial writer decided to look into the actual facts
> >   about the Administration's school-lunch proposals, and found that
> >   the critics were telling some whoppers... "
> >   					- Paul Dolber (paul@phs)

So that liberal bastion , the Washington Post, is the one who reported
that the "ketchup is a vegetable" charge was exaggerated? That seems to
show some concern for truth on their part, doesn't it?
> 
.  However, it is instructive to examine the professed
> political beliefs of reporters and editors as a group, including their
> voting record.  The large majority with "liberal" beliefs thus revealed 
> renders implausible any theory of a "conservative conspiricy" within 
> the news media.
> 
> Scott Renner

I suggest people wishing information on this issue read the book,
"The Powers That Be" by David Halberstam.  Halberstams point is that
what editors or reporters actually get printed or broadcast depends
heavily on what publishers and media owners wish to see printed or broadcast.
I know about the study showing that most reporters tend to be moderately
liberal.  I also know that 75% of the newspapers in this country almost
always endorse Republicans.  The example of the Newsweek reporter who found
her report on Nicaragua rewritten by the editors to suit their preconceptions
is nothing new.  In "The Powers That Be" Halberstam points out that Henry
Luce at Time magazine consistently did the same thing- closing his eyes
to the many bad reports about Chiang Kai Shek coming from his reporters.
In fact, it got so bad that one interview Theodore White had with Chiang
was totally rewritten to make him appear more moderate.  After months of 
seeing his dispatches totally changed in tone White finally resigned in
disgust after this incident.
Reporters do not decide what actually gets printed, editors and publishers
do and publishers are overwhelmingly conservative. (after all they own
a newspaper which implies some degree of wealth)
Tim Sevener