Deconstructing Media Bias

Follow the money....

It's been said that those words were uttered by the infamous "Deep Throat" of Watergate fame. Maybe yes, maybe no, perhaps it just sounded good in the book All The Presidents Men. I don't really know, I never read the book or watched the movie. But either way, its one of the truest statements I've ever heard. It applies to most any situation or issue.

Another good quote comes from one of the best "guy" movies of all time, Scarface with Al Paciano. "First you get the money. Then you get the power. Then you get the woman."

The second quote is to remind us that the true goal isn't money, but the power that comes from money. And so, money is also a trail of the quest for said power.

What the heck is he talking about? Good question. Everyone needs money. It's a pretty cool invention, if you ask me. I'd hate to have to carry around 40 bushels of wheat in my back pocket to buy groceries. Greenbacks, on the other hand, are one size fits all, convenient, and everyone's favorite color, money!

We all want money. We all need money. We all need a roof over our head, need food in the fridge, need heat and electricity. And how do we get those things? Money. How do we get money? Mostly, through working. I'm dealing with society here, not crime [Editor's interjection: or government!], or anything like that. But just how most of us, basically honest people, get along in society. We do it by working, earning a living, paying our bills.

Which brings us to today's topic. Earning a living. We all do it. Most likely you, definitely me and my family. My brother and sisters, most of my friends. I know a few who've managed to skate along without working, and they seem happy. But by and large, we all work for a living, to earn our keep. Policemen, firemen, garbagemen, idiots like me who help keep the internet up and running - more or less.

(In order to save bits, please realize when I say 'policemen', I mean policemen AND policewomen. I fully acknowledge those of the fairer sex who work as hard or harder than us males do. I just don't feel like typing out, for example, 'policemen and policewomen' over and over. Your understanding is appreciated on this.)

So do reporters. And TV newsmen. So does Rush Limbaugh and so does Howard Dean. For that matter, so does Howard Stern. We all work. In some form, we all contribute back into society (save the jokes on Rush, Dean and Stern), and receive payment for that effort. How Howard Stern does is beyond me. But again, I digress.

Since we all contribute efforts to what we call society, it is hardly surprising that many of us take shortcuts, where prudent, to get the most money back for the least effort possible. I know I've goofed off when I should be working. Heck, I'm supposed to be working now, but instead I am writing to you. So lets get back to the media. Reporters, anchor people, journalists, whatever you want to call them, in whatever form they take. How about Matt Drudge? He's just earning a living. And he managed to break the story on the blue dress. Not bad for some yahoo with an internet connection. Way to go!

So when a reporter tells you they are in business because they want help the poor, tell the story of those who've been wronged, want to shine the light of compassion on the ills of society, they may be telling you the truth - to a point. What they're really doing is making a living, paying the bills, getting by.

This brings us to media bias. Is the media biased one way or the other? Of course. I doubt anyone can look at Dan Rather's 'Memogate' and not see where he made a wrong turn. The story was more important than the truth. Did he do it because he believed so passionately in the story, or did he desperately wanted to scoop his rivals, gain ratings, and secure for himself a place in the pantheon of modern media history? My guess is a combination of the two. you decide the proportions.

But one thing that should not be forgotten, is the people in media are in it for the money. From the receptionist at the front desk, to the guy running the camera, to the people in the advertising department, to the people in the sales department, to the people selling - or delivering - the newspapers and the magazines, they are in it for the money. They are earning a living.

So what exactly is 'media bias'? Is it an effort to inject one's own perspective onto an issue, story or event? Or is it just a reporter trying to garner the most eyeballs, thereby increasing their audience, and in turn, making more money when 'raise' time comes around? My guess is its a mixture of both. You decide the proportions.

That media bias exists, especially by those with job security, is obvious. But how about the common, everyday, garden variety reporter? Are they pushing an agenda, or are they just trying to make a living? My money is a lot more on the latter, though there may be hues of the former. One need only look at the recent hurricane disasters on the Gulf Coast. "10,000 dead" is what the Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, told us to expect. Was it verified by the reporters on the scene, or was it bloody enough to run with? I think we all know the answer to that. How about the reports of cannibalism at the Super Dome and Convention Center? Does that grab enough eyeballs for the marketing department, or should they dig deeper to find the real story? We also know the answer to that. How about the fact that the federal government is not a first responder to local catastrophes, should that be pointed out, or do they run with stories about how out of touch the President is? Once again, history tells us how the media played it out.

If it bleeds, it leads.

I remember an episode of Saturday Night Live I saw awhile back in syndication. Jerry Seinfeld guest-hosted. They did a skit on a local nightly news program. Every few seconds, Jerry - playing the anchor - would remind his audience there was a chemical in everyone's household, that was guaranteed to kill the entire family before the end of the day, and as long as you stay tuned till the end he'd let you know what it was. The punch line was, he would tell those who tuned in for the last news broadcast of the night, at 11:00. For comedy to really work, its needs at least a hint of reality.

I believe there is definitely a media bias in whatever we read, watch, or experience. It's impossible for there not to be a bias. We are all individuals, and we all experience life in different ways. What I may like, you may hate. What I find engrossing, you may find, just plain gross. And there's no way that will not come through in any type of reporting. What we, as media consumers, must realize, is to learn to differentiate between what is news, and what sells. Because, they aren't going to tell us the difference. They want it all wrapped up into one, nice, neat, saleable package.

Will Karl Rove and 'Scooter' Libby be indicted? I have no idea, no one does. But does that stop all the talking heads from hanging them out to dry? Of course not. If they went on the tube or to print, admitting they have no idea, who'd watch, who'd read? How would money be made? How would paychecks be funded? Will Harriet Meirs vote to overturn Roe v Wade? No one knows, but stating that fact doesn't sell advertisements.

We all need to take a step back from media and realize, they are just selling a product. No different from Capt'n Crunch. Just trying to earn a living, make a buck. Heck, who isn't? I know I am.