# Who’s got more control over the media, liberals or conservatives? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 17, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349 "2004-12-17T15:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349/81 "2004-12-20T15:03:08Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > If you think the media isn’t biased to the left, ask yourself this: _If you could, would you switch places?_ We’ll replace Rush with Al Franken, hand FOX over to Ted Turner, you can have the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Times, and in return, conservatives get to control CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, the New York Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe… Switch places? The New York Times … the paper that uncritically spread the administration’s lies about the evidence of Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction? The Washington Post … the paper that uncritically spread the administration’s lies about how Bush’s tax cuts would be distributed among low- and medium-income taxpayers? CBS … which chose to delay airing a moderately critical (“critical” in the sense of “honest”) look at the WMD issue because it was afraid of Republican backlash after the faked memo incident? And you can say similar things about all the outlets you call “liberal.” They’re not on our side. They’re certainly not on the liberal or Democratic side. They’re not even reliably on the side of rigorous reporting. They serve well, however, as a straw man for the Republican house organs like Fox News and the Washington Times. If the mainstream media didn’t exist, they’d have to point to something else to scream about “liberal bias.” You know, this whole argument is a trap, because it’s the actual strategy of the conservatives to continue to repeat “liberal media, liberal media, liberal media, liberal media, liberal media …” in the face of overwhelming evidence. Just getting into this conversation at all is playing into their hands. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349/82 "2004-12-20T15:50:18Z")
> [@sevastopol](#): > > No, you’re also still completely wrong about the G-Convs. The only salient feature you drift towards is that US personnel become disentitled to their protection on account of US govt non-application. > . Your going to have to do a bit better than telling me I’m completely wrong when I’ve highlighted text of the actual convention that supports my statements. ---
**Author:** ![Wrath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ee7513/32.png) [@Wrath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrath)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349/83 "2004-12-20T15:51:03Z")
> [@](#): > > If there is any real evidence of the supposed liberal media bias to be had then let someone bring it forth so we can examine it. Every time evidence is provided, the liberals here either ignore, deny it, or discard it. Y’all discredit any source if it’s not to your liking. You haven’t convinced anyone that there ISN’T a liberal bias in the media. And I can’t BELIEVE someone would actually avow that the NY Times is NOT liberal. ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349/84 "2004-12-20T16:06:50Z")
> [@Wrath](#): > > Every time evidence is provided, the liberals here either ignore, deny it, or discard it. I did no such thing. **Shodan** presented something I hadn’t seen before. I examined it and found it wanting. Then I explained why it fails to convince. You know, in [that post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5629585&postcount=77) you are ignoring, denying, and discarding? > [@](#): > > _You haven’t convinced anyone that there ISN’T a liberal bias in the media._ How would you know? You a mindreader now? > [@](#): > > _And I can’t BELIEVE someone would actually avow that the NY Times is NOT liberal._ Then there would no point in trying to convince you. ---
**Author:** ![pkd88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@pkd88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkd88)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349/85 "2004-12-20T17:17:19Z")
> [@Wrath](#): > > Well then, how about [this source:](http://www.mediaresearch.org/biasbasics/welcome.asp) The link you provide is: http://**[www.mediaresearch.org](http://www.mediaresearch.org)**/biasbasics/welcome.asp > [@Wrath](#): > > Well then, how about Every time evidence is provided, the liberals here either ignore, deny it, or discard it. Y’all discredit any source if it’s not to your liking. You haven’t convinced anyone that there ISN’T a liberal bias in the media. > > And I can’t BELIEVE someone would actually avow that the NY Times is NOT liberal. It is very easy to ignore, deny, and discard your evidence. They have a clear agenda and say so. Hey at least they are honest. [http://www.mediaresearch.org/about/aboutwelcome.asp](http://www.mediaresearch.org/about/aboutwelcome.asp) > [@Media Research Center](#): > > Leaders of America’s conservative movement have long believed that within the national news media a strident liberal bias existed that influenced the public’s understanding of critical issues. On October 1, 1987, a\*\* group of young determined conservatives\*\* set out to not only prove - through sound scientific research - that liberal bias in the media does exist and undermines traditional American values, but also to neutralize its impact on the American political scene. ---
**Author:** ![annaplurabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@annaplurabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annaplurabelle)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349/86 "2004-12-20T17:17:28Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > Blogs written by US military serving in Iraq and Iraqi civilians. Well, I get most of my news from the net too. I could make a case that Falluja is “spun” as pro-US/military in broadcast/print media because we don’t see things like [this](http://dahrjamailiraq.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album28&page=1). Do you not think those pics are part of the _true picture_ you are clamoring for? What _significant_ “good news” is being withheld, Kid? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349/87 "2004-12-20T18:40:06Z")
And from the liberal media front, MSNBC is apparently ready to get[Tucker Carlson](http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/archive/2004_12_19_archive.asp#1103407635038748440) a 9:00pm prime-time slot: > [@](#): > > MSNBC is close to signing a deal with CNN’s Tucker Carlson, paving the way for the conservative Crossfire co-host to fill the 9:00pm primetime position soon to be vacated by Deborah Norville. > > MSNBC staffers have been buzzing about the possibility in recent days, three sources told TVNewser. One insider speculated that Carlson’s program would attract new viewers to the network, but more importantly, “it shows that MSNBC is a priority and folks are trying their darndest to make it work.” > > …The courting of Carlson is MSNBC president Rick Kaplan’s first opportunity to create a new primetime show on MSNBC. “It’s going to surprise a lot of Kaplan’s critics,” a source said recently, because conservatives have criticized Kaplan for being liberal (due in part to his relationship with former President Bill Clinton). Them sneaky liberals – getting a conservative as a lead-in to a show hosted by another conservative (Joe Scarborough)! This is _obviously_ an attempt to smother the voice of conservatism by… uh… well, I don’t know what, exactly, but I’m sure Rush Limbaugh will have the spin soon enough. Oh yes, damn that liberal media! \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-s-got-more-control-over-the-media-liberals-or-conservatives/280349.md?page=4)