The Democratic and Independent MSM...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth
It has been fairly common knowledge that the majority of journalists are democratic leaning. But the percentages that are was surprising, even to me. The shift away from a more conservative or middle of the road (note the 70's) to a more liberal or progressive journalist pool explains at least in part why Obama and democratic candidates running for office are generally given softball questions. It also explains why the administration gets as many passes as it does from the MSM.
Unfortunately this trend is likely to continues unless and until the conservative movement and the republican party gets it's act together and puts forth a positive, sensible, and realistic vision for America in the 21st century. Americans is not happy with the democratic leadership just as it is unhappy with the current republican leadership. This provides an opportunity for conservatives and republicans to formulate a no nonsense agenda of fiscal conservatism, a social agenda that addresses the concerns of the middle and lower economic strata, and changing the party to truly a party of inclusion.
It's time for the republican party to shed it militaristic love for the MIC and realize we should no more break the bank with war machine spending than we should break the bank with domestic spending. Oh, and to believe you can continue to cut, cut, ct taxes and provide the kind of society that the MAJORITY of Americans want is just insane.
Another suggestion for conservatives and republicans: Since religion is personal and money has no place in politics drop both from your agenda driven ideological paradigm.
Via: Memorandum
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth
It has been fairly common knowledge that the majority of journalists are democratic leaning. But the percentages that are was surprising, even to me. The shift away from a more conservative or middle of the road (note the 70's) to a more liberal or progressive journalist pool explains at least in part why Obama and democratic candidates running for office are generally given softball questions. It also explains why the administration gets as many passes as it does from the MSM.
Unfortunately this trend is likely to continues unless and until the conservative movement and the republican party gets it's act together and puts forth a positive, sensible, and realistic vision for America in the 21st century. Americans is not happy with the democratic leadership just as it is unhappy with the current republican leadership. This provides an opportunity for conservatives and republicans to formulate a no nonsense agenda of fiscal conservatism, a social agenda that addresses the concerns of the middle and lower economic strata, and changing the party to truly a party of inclusion.
It's time for the republican party to shed it militaristic love for the MIC and realize we should no more break the bank with war machine spending than we should break the bank with domestic spending. Oh, and to believe you can continue to cut, cut, ct taxes and provide the kind of society that the MAJORITY of Americans want is just insane.
The Washington Post - A majority of American journalists identify themselves as political independents although among those who choose a side Democrats outnumber Republicans four to one, according to a new study of the media conducted by two Indiana University professors.
Write Lars Wilnat and David Weaver, professors of journalism at Indiana, of their findings: Compared with 2002, the percentage of full-time U.S. journalists who claim to be Democrats has dropped 8 percentage points in 2013 to about 28 percent, moving this figure closer to the overall population percentage of 30 percent, according to a December 12-15, 2013, ABC News/Washington Post national poll of 1,005 adults. This is the lowest percentage of journalists saying they are Democrats since 1971. An even larger drop was observed among journalists who said they were Republicans in 2013 (7.1 percent) than in 2002 (18 percent), but the 2013 figure is still notably lower than the percentage of U.S. adults who identified with the Republican Party (24 percent according to the poll mentioned above).
The great thing about this survey, called "The American Journalist in the Digital Age", is that its been conducted four previous times -- in 1971, 1982, 1992 and 2002. That allows for some fascinating comparisons of how partisanship (or the lack thereof) among reporters has evolved over that time.
Back in 1971, the first time this survey was conducted, there was simply more partisanship among reporters. More than one in three (35.5 percent) said they were Democrats while more than one in four (25.7 percent) described themselves as Republicans. At that point, 32.5 percent called themselves independents.
Over the last several decades, three things have happened: 1) The number of Democratic-identifying reporters increased steadily prior to a significant drop in the latest survey 2) The number of Republicans has steadily shrunk with that number dipping into single digits for the first time ever in the new survey c) more and more reporters are identifying as independents. What seems to be happening -- at least in the last decade - -is that journalists are leaving both parties, finding themselves more comfortable as unaffiliateds.
These numbers will likely affirm the belief in conservative circles that "all" reporters are secretly Democrats. (The study was conducted via online interviews with 1,080 reporters.)...
Another suggestion for conservatives and republicans: Since religion is personal and money has no place in politics drop both from your agenda driven ideological paradigm.
Via: Memorandum
As long as the Republican party is tied to the hip with internationalism/neoconservatism and the radical religious right, it really doesn't matter all that much who brings us the news, I'm afraid, the grand old party will deteriorate even more. Hopefully at least a few of these folks will heed the advice of Senator Paul and refrain from dogmatism on the social issues and be willing to cut the defense.
ReplyDeleteThe "main stream media" is in reality the commercial media, and what they choose to do reflects profit incentive as much as anything else. That said, it should come as no surprise, as we can see manifested by the non-profit news media, that the sorts of people who would want to be reporters would be more liberal than not. Liberals are more likely to want to question authority, to want to do some sort of public good, etc. These aren't universal rules, but it's more often the case than not. If you are media savvy, put the wipers on to get the view you want shouldn't be very hard.
ReplyDeleteJMJ
Les: " It has been fairly common knowledge that the majority of journalists are democratic leaning. But the percentages that are was surprising, even to me."
ReplyDeleteWashington Post article: The Washington Post - A majority of American journalists identify themselves as political independents although among those who choose a side Democrats outnumber Republicans four to one, according to a new study of the media conducted by two Indiana University professors.
Lars Wilnat and David Weaver, professors of journalism at Indiana, of their findings: Compared with 2002, the percentage of full-time U.S. journalists who claim to be Democrats has dropped 8 percentage points in 2013 to about 28 percent, moving this figure closer to the overall population
I don't understand how you can write that the" majority of journalists" are Democratic leaning, when the article itself clearly states that the majority of journalists identify as "independent."
Just because, as the report says, conservatives will continue to believe that journalists "secretly" are still Democrats, that little secret paranoia doesn't make it so. Lots of conservatives believe lots of other "secret" things (President Obama is a secret Muslim for example) that are not true.
Okay... a technical point I concede. I should have said a significant number rather than majority. My bad.
ReplyDeleteParanoia? Who's paranoid? Certainly not I, or any other rational conservative or libertarian I know.
Reality is what reality is. Any thoughts on the balance of my comments.
Les, I wrote "lots of conservatives," not YOU. And you know where they go to broadcast their paranoia. And anyone who DARES to bring facts or balance to those blogs is called names.
ReplyDeleteRe: The article. Could the reason for more left-leaning journalists be simply because those who seek employment in journalism tend to be left-leaning? Has anyone done a survey on why people are attracted to that profession?
Gets one thinking about the demographics of politics of others besides journalists: certainly, there are huge disparities between conservative/liberal among the clergy, while businessmen (and in my experience, computer nerds) tend conservative, educators liberal, physicians conservative, scientists liberal, etc. As Shaw notes, it could be the innate proclivity that motiviates certain types to certain professions, or conversely, the profession somehow (osmosis?) determines one's politics. I wonder how a totally non-political journalist would treat the Cliven Bundy affair? Perhaps it would be cold and boring and not very informative? Does it titillate the news receptors in our brains to see the conservative/liberal take on news and sort it out for ourselves?
ReplyDeleteHere's a survey for ya' - how about we see what political affiliation most white collar criminals have?
ReplyDeleteJMJ
Like with most things, Jersey, I suspect that it's probably about 50-50. I mean, you guys do have the Jon Corzines, Rod Blagojeviches, Chris Dodds and Elliot Spitzers of the world and Obama is as crony a President as any.......Of course if it gives you some psychic comfort to think that the Republicans are worse, please, free there, me-bucko.
Delete"Could the reason for more left-leaning journalists be simply because those who seek employment in journalism tend to be left-leaning? Has anyone done a survey on why people are attracted to that profession?"
ReplyDeleteSurvey says: On measures of spelling, grammar and punctuation, liberals score higher than Republicans.
(Snicker)
What, no link? :-)
Delete