# So, where can we get unbiased news? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 22, 2004, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568 "2004-09-22T21:58:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/41 "2004-09-29T07:43:09Z")
Which way is CNN supposed to be biased? I liked their story today on the lies in the campaign ads. First they showed how Bush was a liar (oh, I mean exagerating) about how Kerry voted on certain things. Then they showed how Kerry lied (um, exagerated?) by making up a quote and noted that the plan he claims that Bush doesn’t have for Iraq is little different from his own proposed plan. It seemed balanced to me, but I think that politicians lie like breathing, so… ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/42 "2004-09-29T12:58:51Z")
> [@Evil One](#): > > I’m curious, Barbarian…what do you produce? I’m currently a junior producer/writer at a national morning show. I used to produce morning news on the west coast. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/43 "2004-09-29T13:31:23Z")
If you’re put off by bias in the media, try writing a totally objective news story yourself. I’m convinced it can’t be done. Meanwhile, listen to Pacifica and watch Fox News. The truth is somewhere in between. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/44 "2004-09-29T13:42:07Z")
What about Newsweek International ? How center/moderate is it ? In orkut a Bushite labeled it a “leftist rag” but then he labels a lot of things like that. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/45 "2004-09-29T18:44:19Z")
> [@Rashak Mani](#): > > What about Newsweek International ? How center/moderate is it ? In orkut a Bushite labeled it a “leftist rag” but then he labels a lot of things like that. IIRC, Newsweek is owned by the same family that owns The Washington Post, so he may be tarring them for the association. It doesn’t read like lefty subersion, though. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/46 "2004-09-29T18:57:51Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > IIRC, Newsweek is owned by the same family that owns The Washington Post, so he may be tarring them for the association. It doesn’t read like lefty subersion, though. I subscribe Newsweek and I think they did a great job of covering all views. I’d say they deserve praise. Still just making sure. After all no one is totally unbiased… that is impossible… but how little are they ? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/47 "2004-09-29T20:18:15Z")
Unbiased? Can’t be done. We all have bias. My feeling is, I can sort through biases, if I’m getting the relevant information. (Though I’m liable to throw the newspaper at the wall if they can’t seem to figure out that there’s a big disconnect between the facts and their analysis, but that doesn’t hurt me, the newspaper, or the wall. :)) The problem is when a source either omits relevant facts due to their bias, or isn’t good at digging for the facts to begin with. One of the reasons I put up with the Washington Post, despite their all-too-frequent moments of cluelessness, is that they have a few reporters who will get important stories that weren’t always obvious to even look for. But I find links to more interesting stories via the half-dozen blogs I regularly read, than I could have ever possibly imagined. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/48 "2004-09-29T21:53:26Z")
Apparently Rep. Joe Barton thinks it’s possible to get [unbiased news](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1944&ncid=1944&e=1&u=/variety/20040928/va_ne_al/solon_calls_for_hearing_on_tv_news): > [@](#): > > Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chair of the House Commerce Committee, told a meeting of the TV engineering trade group MSTV in Washington that broadcast network news divisions “need to have safeguards to prevent reporters from infusing their opinions into news reports.” … The lawmaker said he wanted to hear from execs of all the net(work)s and threatened to introduce legislation requiring TV news operations to impose safeguards against partisan bias seeping into reports. Now the next sentence made me laugh: > [@](#): > > He backed off the threat of legislation when pressed for specifics. Way to stick to your guns, Congressman. In other news, Joe Barton gets a little media attention. ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/49 "2004-09-30T13:22:07Z")
> [@pervert](#): > > …I also find the BBC to be an interesting perspective. … I also like the way they don’t have bumper music on the radio. You’re right, they (BBC) stay away from bumper music. Granted, on National Public Radio ‘some’ bumper music between topics has a theme, yet the repeated stuff that starts and ends the programs is more than a waste of time IMO. What’s the purpose of bumper music anyway? I always figured the longer the music played the less work had to be done. So we hear some bumper music extend for a minute or more. Is that it - laziness?? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/50 "2004-09-30T18:50:59Z")
> [@Tigers2B1](#): > > You’re right, they (BBC) stay away from bumper music. What is bumper music? I’ve never heard that term before. ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568/51 "2004-09-30T18:55:08Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > What is bumper music? I’ve never heard that term before. The music that a radio station places between programs - or within a program between topics or before or after commericals. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-can-we-get-unbiased-news/265568.md?page=2)