This morning's Duluth News Tribune had yet another rant from a global warming denier: "Global warming a prime example of junk science". He then goes on to use isolated facts and hearsay assumptions to berate those who have made numerous scientific observations. I wonder why the DNT even gave space to this letter.
Of course, to show they are not biased, that they give "both sides" a hearing.
Actually, if they want to give "both sides" a hearing, then they should give equal weight to the global warming alarmists who act as if the world is doomed if we don't take draconian measures yesterday.
I would put giving global warming deniers in the same category as flat earth believers. After all, all those pictures of the moon were staged, right?
The media bias charge does come from two extremes: from those in lock step with "Republican" "principles" and from those who believe all corporations are evil.
"The media", whatever that monolithic entity is, does have the job of addressing truth to power. Many on the so-called right were up in arms about criticism of President Bush, but now they are strangely silent about criticism of President Obama. Or even about reporting of the "right's" criticism of Obama. Interestingly, most of the reasoned criticism of Obama is coming from columnists who gave supportive views of Obama during the presidential campaign.
Some have made an "objective" study to prove media bias. They rate stories as to being favorable to "conservatives" or to "liberals", often finding there are more "liberal" stories than "conservative". This is a false dichotomy, assuming that both groups have equally legitimate views and interests.
First, let's admit that there are both "kooky conservatives" and "loony liberals", people whose views are not shared by many others. Now is it possible that the number of pragmatists with honest differences of opinion might be larger in one group than in the other? Currently it is "liberals" who have more pragmatists than the "conservatives". In another era, the balance may shift the other way.
Until we give more balance to the pragmatists, we will have biased media.
