The statesman is an easy man,
He tells his lies by rote;
The journalist makes up his lies,
And takes you by the throat.
Irish poet and dramatist William Butler
Yeats, "The Old Stone Cross."
Anti-Life Philosophy.
The news media television, radio, magazines, and newspapers does an
excellent job of reporting the news. It is unbiased and completely
neutral on the issue of reproductive choice and gay rights and all of
the other sensitive social issues of our time.
It also represents Christians and adherents of other religions in a
fair and evenhanded manner.
Introduction.
We report news, not truth. There is no such thing as objectivity.
Any reporter who tells you he's objective is lying to you.
Syndicated columnist Linda Ellerbee.[1]
Our media generally represent themselves as intelligent, fair-minded
individuals who always give us the news in a calm, dispassionate, and
unprejudiced manner, allowing all sides of each issue equal
consideration and air time.
However, even media representatives, in rare moments of off-camera
honesty, acknowledge their biases, which run very deep indeed.
The only people who claim that the media is truly impartial are those
who benefit from its not-so-subtle biases: Homosexuals,
pro-abortionists, porn pushers, and pro-euthanasia activists. No
knowledgeable Christian activist believes in the media's self-assumed
veneer of fairness.
A Definition of
"Media."
Television a medium. So called because it is neither rare nor well
done.
American comedian Ernie Kovacs.[2]
Who They Are.
The "media" can be defined as that group of persons whose
professions involve the use of communications to transmit ideas and
information to a large number of people. This media may be scheduled on
a regular basis (magazines and newspapers and programmed radio and
television) or intermittently (motion pictures, books, and art
exhibits).
Their Power.
Needless to say, the media are the most influential group of
individuals and corporations in the world relative to their numbers due
to their control of communications networks. They are an elite,
highly-paid professional force who manipulate public opinion on a vast
scale.
In most Communist countries, the government uses the media as a tool
to keep the masses ignorant, pacified, and compliant. The situation
seems to be the reverse in the United States: The media as a body
generally erodes confidence in the government with its constant attacks
and ridicule of the administration, and is justifiably proud of its
ability to motivate large numbers of people to take concrete action.
The Lichter-Rothman Study
On Media Attitudes.
I think we are destroying the minds of America. And that's been one
of my lifelong ambitions.
John Kricfalusi, producer-director of The
Ren & Stimpy Show.[3]
Background.
In 1979 and 1980, veteran researchers S. Robert Lichter and Stanley
Rothman conducted hour-long interviews with 240 members of the most
prestigious media establishments in the United States, including the New
York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal,
Time and Newsweek Magazines, U.S. News and World Report,
all of the news departments at CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, and all of the major
public broadcasting stations.
Their studies included a complete cross-section of the professions at
each corporation: Reporters, department and bureau heads, syndicated
columnists, anchormen, producers, news executives, and correspondents.
Results of the Study.
Figures 124-1 and 124-2 summarize the results of the Lichter-Rothman
study.
Figure 124-1 summarizes the characteristics of the American
television, movie, and media elite, and compares them with those of the
general American public.
Figure 124-2 summarizes the attitudes of the American media elite
regarding important social issues.
FIGURE 124-1
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AMERICAN MEDIA ELITE
[A medium text size on your computer's 'view'
setting is recommended, otherwise, the tables may be discombobulated.]
Television Movie
Media Average General
Characteristic
Elite
Elite
Elite
Media Public
General Demographics
White
99%
99%
95%
98% 61%
Male
98%
99%
79%
92% 49%
From Northeast
corridor
56%
58%
68%
61% 38%
From metro-
politan
area
82%
81%
42%
68% 65%
From "pro-
fessional"
family
42%
36%
40%
39% 6%
College graduates
75%
63%
93%
77% 21%
Postgraduate study
31%
24%
55%
37% 6%
Personal income
$175,000 $185,000
$46,000 $135,000 $17,700
Family income
$235,000 $275,000
$48,000 $186,000 $23,700
Political Outlook
Self-described
liberal
75%
66%
54%
65% 27%
Self-described
moderate
11%
17%
27%
18% 41%
Self-described
conservative
14%
17%
19%
17% 32%
Religious Factors
Agnostic or
atheist/none
31%
55%
50%
45% 9%
Protestant
12%
11%
20%
14% 56%
Jewish
38%
21%
14%
24% 2%
Catholic
5%
6%
12%
8% 28%
Other
7%
7%
4%
6% 2%
Attends church
weekly
7%
4%
8%
6% 42%
Attend church
seldom/never
93%
88%
85%
89% 25%
Voting Record (presidential elections)
Voted Democrat
in
1964
80%
76%
94%
83% 61%
Voted Democrat
in
1968
82%
82%
87%
83% 43%
Voted Democrat
in
1972
72%
78%
81%
77% 38%
Voted Democrat
in
1976
49%
51%
81%
60% 50%
Reference: S. Robert Lichter, professor at
George Washington University, and Stanley Rothman, professor at Smith
College. A three-part series on the influence and attitudes of the media
in society. National Federation for Decency Journal, August 1986
(television elite, pages 4 to 7); September 1986 (movie elite, pages 4
to 6); and October 1986 (media elite, pages 11 to 15). Reference for
public voting and religious affiliations: United States Department of
Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Reference Data Book and Guide to
Sources, Statistical Abstract of the United States. Washington,
DC: United States Government Printing Office. 1990 (110th Edition), 991
pages. Table 417, "Vote Cast for President, By Political Parties:
1920 to 1988." Also Table 75, "Religious Preference, Church
Membership and Attendance: 1957 to 1988."
FIGURE 124-2
AMERICAN MEDIA ELITE ATTITUDES REGARDING THE LIFE ISSUES
Strongly
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Disagree Disagree
Abortion on demand should remain legal.
Television
elite
91%
6%
1%
5%
Movie
elite
92%
4%
0%
4%
Media
elite
79%
11%
5%
5%
Average
media
94%
6%
General
public
51%
49%
Adultery is acceptable.
Television
elite
19%
32%
33%
16%
Movie
elite
19%
40%
29%
13%
Media
elite
20%
34%
32%
15%
Average
media
55%
45%
General
public
30%
70%
Homosexuality is acceptable.
Television
elite
49%
31%
15%
5%
Movie
elite
45%
24%
21%
7%
Media
elite
45%
31%
16%
9%
Average
media
75%
25%
General
public
34%
66%
Homosexuals should teach in public
schools.
Television
elite
66%
20%
9%
6%
Movie
elite
64%
22%
9%
4%
Media
elite
54%
31%
12%
3%
Average
media
86%
14%
General
public
27%
73%
Reference: S. Robert Lichter, professor at
George Washington University, and Stanley Rothman, professor at Smith
College. A three-part series on the influence and attitudes of the media
in society. National Federation for Decency Journal, August 1986
(television elite, pages 4 to 7); September 1986 (movie elite, pages 4
to 6); and October 1986 (media elite, pages 11 to 15).
Study Conclusions.
Using the information they compiled, Lichter and Rothman drew several
extremely important and informative conclusions regarding the American
media elite. These conclusions are summarized below.
The media elite are definitely not drawn from the mainstream of
American
society. They are the children of privileged upbringings
and social
endowment.
According to television's creators, they are not 'in it' just for
the money.
They also seek to move their audience toward their own
vision of "the
good society."
Of the television elite;
66% believe that television should promote social reform;
88% think that television is not critical of traditional and
religious values;
70% think that there isn't too much sex on television; and
41% believe that there isn't too much violence on television.
Affirmation of the Lichter-Rothman Study.
Predictably, the Lichter-Rothman study was lambasted for studying too
small a sample (240 persons) and for interviewing only those media elite
who worked for large, nationally-based organizations.
In order to resolve the debate, the Los Angeles Times set out
to check the study's conclusions. Its huge 1985 study of 3,000
journalists working across the country at 621 newspapers concluded that
"Members of the press are predominantly liberal, considerably more
liberal than the general public." Its conclusions coincided almost
exactly with those of the Lichter-Rothman study.
In a second affirmation, the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance
Company conducted a study entitled "American Values in the 80s: The
Impact of Belief." The study was based upon 2,018 hour-long
interviews of members of the public and 1,700 hour-long interviews of
media leaders.[4]
The Connecticut Mutual Life study showed how out of step the media
are compared to the general public on the two most critical life issues,
abortion and homosexuality, as shown below.
RESULTS OF THE CONNECTICUT MUTUAL LIFE STUDY OF MEDIA ATTITUDES
Agree with Statement
Public
Media
Abortion is
immoral
65%
36%
Homosexuality is
immoral
71%
42%
Reference. The Connecticut Mutual Life study
is described in Dave Farrell. "The Media is the
Message." Human Life Review, Spring 1986, pages 45 to 55.
Results of the Second Study.
Lichter and Rothman conducted a second study in which they asked
journalists whom they consulted when they were seeking expert advice in
four areas regarding sensitive social issues. The results of this survey
are as follows.
RESULTS OF THE LICHTER-ROTHMAN SURVEY ON JOURNALIST CONSULTANTS
Expert(s) Consulted Were;
Issue
Liberal
Conservative
Welfare
75%
22%
Consumer
issues
63%
22%
The
environment
79%
18%
Nuclear
energy
77%
20%
Reference. S. Robert Lichter, Stanley
Rothman, and Linda S. Lichter. The Media Elite: America's New
Powerbrokers. New York: Hastings House Publishers, 1990.
In other words, Lichter and Rothman found that journalists simply
consulted those persons whose views confirmed their own preformed
opinions and attitudes.
Labeling: A Powerful
Weapon.
Objectivity was invented by journalism schools. It has very little
to do with real life.
Talk show host Geraldo Rivera.[1]
Introduction.
Neoliberals wholeheartedly despise what they call labeling or
'pigeonholing' people. This practice, they say, conflicts with their
notion that everyone is equal, no matter what their origin, personality,
or lifestyle.
It is curious, therefore, that the demonstrably liberal media does
not hesitate to attach labels to those whose value systems differ from
its own.
The organization Media Watch used the Nexis news data retrieval
system and a word-key search routine to pinpoint every mention of three
Neoliberal and three conservative individuals and groups in 1987 and
1988 in The Washington Post, the New York Times, the Los
Angeles Times, Newsweek and Time Magazines, and U.S.
News and World Report.
The six individuals and groups studied performed parallel functions,
so that the results of the study would be valid. The percentage of time
they were labeled by the media is shown in Figure 124-3.
FIGURE 124-3
TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF MEDIA IDEOLOGICAL LABELING
Conservative or Liberal Entity Percent of
Time Labeled
Conservative women's group
(Concerned Women for
America)
41.0% ( 25 of 61 references)
Liberal women's group
(National Organization for
Women)
2.4% ( 10 of 421 references)
Conservative think tank
(Heritage
Foundation)
58.6% (217 of 370 references)
Liberal think tank (Brookings
Institute)
1.4% ( 10 of 737 references)
Conservative judicial expert (Patrick
McGuigan, Free Congress
Foundation) 73.8% ( 31 of 42
references)
Liberal judicial expert (Ralph Neas,
Leadership Conference on Civil
Rights) 2.4% ( 3
of 125 references)
Total Instances of Ideological Labeling
Conservative-type
labeling
57.7% (273 of 473 references)
Liberal-type
labeling
1.8% ( 23 of 1,283 references)
Typical Ideological Labels Used By the Media
Conservative
Liberal
New
right
Mainstream
Archconservative
Liberal
Strongly
conservative
Moderate
Ultraconservative
Centrist
Fringe group
Extremist
Extreme conservative
Right-wing
'Religious right'
In summary, the conservative individual and groups were labeled 32
times as often as the Neoliberal individual and groups. Overall, the
Neoliberal entities were mentioned or quoted three times as much as the
conservative entities.
It is interesting to note that the National Organization for Women
(160,000 members), which is only one-fourth the size of Concerned Women
for America (600,000 members), was quoted six times as often in
news media reports.
References: Source and Nature of Media Biases.
Everything you read in the newspapers is absolutely true, except
for that rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge.
American editor Erwin Knoll.[2]
[1] Linda Ellerbee and Geraldo Rivera, quoted in George Grant.
"Media Bias and Abortion." Legacy, October 1991, page
1. Newsletter of Legacy Communications, Post Office Box 680365,
Franklin, Tennessee 37068.
[2] Quotes are from Jonathon Green. The Cynic's Lexicon. New
York: St. Martin's Press. 1984, 220 pages.
[3] John Kricfalusi, producer-director of The Ren & Stimpy
Show, quoted in Stefan Kanfer. "Loonier Toon Tales." Time
Magazine, April 13, 1992, page 79.
[4] The Connecticut Mutual Life study is described in Dave Farrell.
"The Media is the Message." Human Life Review,
Spring 1986, pages 45 to 55.
Further Reading: Source and Nature of Media Biases.
Accuracy in Academia Report and Accuracy in Media
Report.
These reports track the various excesses committed by Neoliberal
academic institutions and by the liberal media. Order from the groups
Accuracy in Academia and Accuracy in Media, both at 1275 K Street NW,
Washington, DC 20005, telephone: (202) 371-6710, FAX (202) 371-9054.
American Family Association. Talk Back.
Softcover. Order from the American Family Association, Post Office
Drawer 2440, Tupelo, Mississippi 38803. This book shows how to get your
opinion across to television advertisers and producers who seem to be
totally indifferent to the Christian point of view. A strategy for
fighting pornography and violence on television for both individuals and
organizations, written by the AFA, which has many years of experience in
this field.
Bacon's Publishing Company. Bacon's Media Alerts.
Covers the publishers of more than 1,700 magazines and more than 200
major daily newspapers. Information provided includes the publication
title, address, telephone number, names and titles of editors and
advertising managers, dates and frequency of publications, criteria and
lead time required for submitted material. Magazines are by market,
newspapers are listed geographically. 900 pages, published annually in
December by Bacon's Publishing Company, 332 South Michigan Avenue,
Chicago, Illinois 60604, telephone: (312) 922-2400.
Bacon's Publishing Company. Bacon's Radio/TV Directory.
Information on more than 10,000 radio and television stations,
including college and public education radio and television stations.
Information provided includes station call letters, frequency or channel
number, target audience data, name, address, and telephone numbers,
programs and times broadcast, network affiliation, and contact name. 950
pages, published annually in November by Bacon's Publishing Company, 332
South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604, telephone: (312)
922-2400.
Greenhaven Press. The Mass Media: Opposing Viewpoints.
Greenhaven Press Opposing Viewpoints Series, Post Office Box 289009, San
Diego, California 92128-9009. 1988, 237 pages. Each section includes
several essays by leading authorities on both sides of each issue. The
questions asked are: "Are the Media Biased?;" "Should
Government Regulate the Media?;" "What Influence Do the Media
Have on Society?;" "How Do the Media Affect Politics?;"
and "Is Advertising Harmful to Society?" Authors include
Charles Krauthammer, Theodore Glasser, and the National Coalition on
Television Violence. A catalog is available from the above address and
can be obtained by calling 1-(800) 231-5163.
Rael Jean and Erich Isaac. The Coercive Utopians: Social
Deception By America's Power Players.
Regnery Gateway Publishers, 360 West Superior Street, Chicago, Illinois
60610-0890. 1983, 320 pages. This book exposes the real agenda and
identities of what the authors call the "social elite:" The
rich population controllers, banks, media moguls, and other institutions
who appeal to American values but who are working to destroy them at the
same time. The Isaacs describe who the elite are; where their money
comes from; and what their true goals are. Addresses the
environmentalists, the media, the Neoliberal think tanks, and the
counterfeit peacemakers, among others.
David Lebedoff. The New Elite.
New York: Franklin Watts Publishers, 1981. Reviewed by Paul Weyrich
on page 6 of the August 12, 1982 issue of National Right to Life News.
The nature, goals, and methods of the new anti-democratic elite are
examined in this interesting book.
S. Robert Lichter, professor at George Washington University, and
Stanley Rothman, professor at Smith College.
A three-part series on the influence and attitudes of the media in
society. National Federation for Decency Journal, August 1986
(television elite, pages 4 to 7); September 1986 (movie elite, pages 4
to 6); and October 1986 (media elite, pages 11 to 15).
S. Robert Lichter, Stanley Rothman, and Linda S. Lichter. The
Media Elite: America's New Powerbrokers.
New York: Hastings House Publishers, 1990. 337 pages. Lichter and
Rothman are the two researchers who caused turmoil in the media when
they published their findings on the backgrounds and many biases of the
media moguls in several areas. This book includes and elaborates on
these studies, showing how the ingrained biases of journalists deeply
affect their product and their objectivity.
Media Watch.
This monthly newsletter reviews the manner in which the secular
media covers current events, and gives examples of media bias. Subscribe
by writing to Media Research Center, Publications Department, 113 South
West Street, 2nd Floor, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. Telephone: (703)
683-9733.
Notable Quotations.
A biweekly compendium of the most outrageous and humorous examples
of bias by the secular news media. The last issue of the year presents
the "Linda Ellerbee Awards" for the most extreme examples of
bias shown during the year. Subscribe by writing to Media Research
Center, Publications Department, 113 South West Street, 2nd Floor,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
Oxbridge Communications. College Media Directory.
Information on more than 5,000 college newspapers, magazines, and
yearbooks on about 2,500 campuses nationwide. Data includes name of
college, address and telephone number of college media outlet, the name
of the student advisor, description of contents, trim size and method,
frequency, circulation, budget and method of financing, and advertising
and subscription rates. 300 pages, published every four years (latest
edition in April of 1989) by Oxbridge Communications Inc., 150 Fifth
Avenue, New York, New York 10011, telephone: (212) 741-0231.
L. Brent Rozell III and Brent H. Baker (editors). And That's
the Way It Is(n't): A Reference Guide to Media Bias.
TV, Etc.
This monthly newsletter investigates the Neoliberal agenda that
saturates the secular media, including the political activities of the
radical Hollywood Left. Subscribe by writing to Media Research Center,
Publications Department, 113 South West Street, 2nd Floor, Alexandria,
Virginia 22314.
William A. Rusher. The Coming Battle for the Media: The Power
of the Media Elite.
Morrow Publishers, 1987. 228 pages. Reviewed by William Murchison on
pages 49 to 51 of the May 27, 1988 issue of National Review. The
author begins by outlining the deleterious effects of the monochromatic
viewpoints the media foists off on American society, and then offers
proof of the pervasive media bias. The balance of the book is devoted to
a discussion of how the rank-and-file citizens of this country might
alter the course the media have taken and force it to reflect a more
realistic view of world events.
© American Life League BBS 1-703-659-7111
This is a chapter of the Pro-Life Activists Encyclopedia published
by American Life League.
|