Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site cmu-ri-isl1.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!cmu-cs-pt!cmu-ri-isl1!apm From: apm@cmu-ri-isl1.ARPA (Andrew Mendler) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Reply to tim sevener re. Media usage Message-ID: <203@cmu-ri-isl1.ARPA> Date: Tue, 5-Mar-85 17:14:43 EST Article-I.D.: cmu-ri-i.203 Posted: Tue Mar 5 17:14:43 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Mar-85 11:31:50 EST Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI Lines: 39 "Classifications both direct and reflect our thinking. The way we put things in order represents the way we think" -- Stephen Jay Gould There was a call for evidence of liberal bias, to demonstrate a systematic distortion of the truth, proof that the reporter's views color and shape the the news we see and read. If you agree with the beginning quote then I submit to you that I have that proof. Evidence that the @b(MEDIA) is liberal can be demostrated by the number of times they label people "conservative", as though that is something out of the ordinary. While rare is the time someone is called "liberal" since that is what @i(they) see as the "status quo". In particular, during the five year period ending October 31, 1984, The Washington Post used the term "far right" 390 times and "far left" 131 times. "Ultraright" was 47 times, "ultraleft" was only 12 times; "Ultraconservative" was used 74 times, "ultraliberal" was used only 27 times. Of stories referring to "extremists" of the left or right, 56 percent referred to rightists and five percent to leftists; the remainder of the stories referred to both left and right. There were 58 stories using the term "archconservative", and there was one story (one! uno!) using the term "archliberal". If you wish to have evidence which you can confirm yourself, Nexis lists 846 stories that have appeared in the nation's press in the last few years using the word "ultraconservative". Only 118 stories have used the word "ultraliberal". I could go on but I think I have made my point. Politicians are "ultra" and "arches" and "far rightists" by one standard only - the standard of the prevailing opinion within the national journalistic community. Ted Kennedy is not an "ultraliberal" because, to the average Washington reporter, he seems rather moderate. Drew Mendler apm@cmu-ri-isl1.arpa "LIVE FREE OR DIE"