Bias in the Media

[Riverwind]

Here is an interesting study on media bias: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...tory/Technology

I don't think these conclusions will surprise anyone:

The CBC's viewership skews to the centre and left-of-centre, more popular with Liberal and NDP voters than Conservative. Only 32 per cent of Albertans say they would watch the CBC frequently, as opposed to 45 per cent of Maritimers.

CTV's audience draws equally from Liberal and Conservative voters, but is less popular with NDPers. Its viewers also tend to be older than the CBC's and in a lower tax bracket.

Global gets proportionally more of its viewers from B.C. and Alberta, and attracts more Conservative voters than either the CBC or CTV.

An interest thought on the idea of bias:

Does this mean the various networks each have their own bias? If by "bias" one means willfully or unconsciously falsified coverage, nope. It does mean, however, that the three networks offer different shadings of political events, in different packages and in different timeslots, that appeal to different segments of the public for different reasons. Nothing wrong with that. If it doesn't quite amount to a marketplace of ideas, it's at least a news media mini mall.

The original study is here:

http://decima.ca/en/pdf/news_releases/051219E.pdf

[apollo19]

I would have thought Global would have been more popular in BC, although I don't neccesarily think that is because of their news -- but rather the viewership carried over from BCTV along with all the staff. CBC is clearly to the left on issues -- what other kind of station would allow George Strombowhatshisname to host a Bush-bashing show? CTV and the Globe and Mail I always though to be a mix of liberals and conservatives, and I guess it is true.

[Rovik]

Going by the Decima survey, it seems the NDP are the most biased against.

And I can understand this. For example, when I read the different columnists across the country it seems most either succintly or blatantly support either the Conservatives or Liberals. I have read some that support the NDP but they are by far the minority.

It's a hurdle that the NDP face that the Conservatives and Liberals don't have.

[August1991]

That was interesting Sparhawk.

I note however that nowhere is it mentioned that the CBC/Radio-Canada receive taxpayer funding.

There is something profoundly frightening about State-financed media being perceived as biased to the governing political party.

There is a fundamental difference between state and private media. I can choose not to give my money to a corporation but I have to pay my taxes.

[daniel]

I could swear that ever since the election was called Harper received the majority of the airtime both with CTV and CBC. Well, it's probably because of Harper's annoucements of childcare, GST, and now Quebec.

Well, I just started to take notes this past weekend and report:

Saturday Dec 17 11PM - CTV The coverage was Harper, Harper, Layton, Harper, Martin, Harper. And finally a story at the Liberal HQ with only the reporter but none of Martin.

Can't report on CBC because of Hockey Night in Canada.

Monday Dec 19 11PM CBC - On Quebec & the constitution:Harper 95s, Martin 15s, Duceppe 5s.

Other stories: Martin 25s at a furniture factory, Layton 40s about a coalition with the Conservatives.

Media Bias? So far it doesn't appear so for the governing party that's for sure. Well it's only been two days of recording keeping so it's not scientific or conclusive.

[Leader Circle]

I could swear that ever since the election was called Harper received the majority of the airtime both with CTV and CBC.  Well, it's probably because of Harper's annoucements of childcare, GST, and now Quebec.

Well, I just started to take notes this past weekend and report:

Saturday Dec 17 11PM - CTV  The coverage was Harper, Harper, Layton, Harper, Martin, Harper.  And finally a story at the Liberal HQ with only the reporter but none of Martin.

Can't report on CBC because of Hockey Night in Canada.

Monday Dec 19 11PM CBC - On Quebec & the constitution:Harper 95s, Martin 15s, Duceppe 5s.

Other stories: Martin 25s at a furniture factory, Layton 40s about a coalition with the Conservatives.

Media Bias?  So far it doesn't appear so for the governing party that's for sure.  Well it's only been two days of recording keeping so it's not scientific or conclusive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You missed the point daniel, the post is about their political leanings, not who makes the headlines the most.

Sorry, if I have you confused now!

LOL

[Montgomery Burns]

What a load of crap. Claiming that "the CBC's viewership skews to the centre and left-of-centre" does not mean that the ultra-leftwing CBC is centrist, left-of-centre or unbiased. Only someone from a school of journalism would try to muddy the CBC's ridiculous leftwing bias.

Oh wait! The article was written by the director of the Carleton University School of Journalism and Communication. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you! I know the brainwashing that goes on in those leftwing journalism schools. I know a girl taking journalism in university and according to her, the most evil news channel in North America is the Fox News Channel. She claims that because they allow liberals and conservatives to debate issues, they are providing "loud" entertainment (I think it irks her that Democrats are readily demolished in debates on the FNC).

Note the author's use of "rightwinger" in the article, nowhere does the term "leftwinger" appear. This is a constant in Canada's major media, from the CP, CTV, G&M, and Toronto Star.

*We aren't leftwing, we're the norm, and anyone to the right of us is a rightwinger.*

I had to chuckle at the author's claim that Maclean's has a political agenda. The nerve of Maclean's pointing out Svend Robinson's repeated disrespect of the law (fined $750 for his part in an anti-logging blockade in 1985, a 2 week jail sentence for contempt of court in 1994, witnessing the illegal assisted suicide of Sue Rodriguez in 1994, protesting with the thugs that clashed with police during the Quebec City free trade summit in 2001, and the theft of a ring in 2004 - in which he turned himself in only after he learned the theft was caught on tape) and the conventions of Parliament while serving as a MP (heckling Ronald Reagan in Parliament in 1987, petitioning to have the word God stricken from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1999, and resigning as NDP foreign policy critic after making nasty remarks about Israel).

Seems to me that the director is showing his political agenda.

Or perhaps the G&M liked the potshots Dornan took at Maclean's because Maclean's pointed out the G&M's political agenda in their latest issue....reporting the G&M having a 5-alarm headline on their front page "Liberals surging in Ontario" (a poll had given the Liberals a whopping 5 point lead over the Conservatives). The next day their front page story was about Harper's image problem; he doesn't smile enough. Yet on the same day, they buried a poll deep inside their paper that stated that 61% of Canadians find PMPM the dishonest national leader and that 57% said that PMPM was the most likely of the national leaders to tell a lie for political advantage.

Sounds like Dornan thinks that Maclean's is looking for an audience of "worked up rightwingers".

[shoop]

Monty,

I agree with many of the things in your post, but you are missing a very big point. You are attacking Dornan for understating the bias of the CBC, agreed. However, you are guilty of the same thing on the right side of the spectrum.

Maclean`s has definitely become right of centre. Maclean`s does have a political agenda. That we *both* agree with their agenda doesn`t mean that there is no agenda.

You are clearly acting like the *worked up right winger* to which Dornan refers.

Relax!

The MSM is giving the Conservatives the best coverage the Canadian right has received in an election since 1988. Take your victories where they come and don`t rock the boat. You could go for the moral victory, but remember moral victories are for chumps...

What a load of crap.  Claiming that "the CBC's viewership skews to the centre and left-of-centre" does not mean that the ultra-leftwing CBC is centrist, left-of-centre or unbiased. 

*We aren't leftwing, we're the norm, and anyone to the right of us is a rightwinger.* 

I had to chuckle at the author's claim that Maclean's has a political agenda. 

Seems to me that the director is showing his political agenda.

Or perhaps the G&M liked the potshots Dornan took at Maclean's because Maclean's pointed out the G&M's political agenda in their latest issue....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Montgomery Burns]

Monty,

I agree with many of the things in your post, but you are missing a very big point. You are attacking Dornan for understating the bias of the CBC, agreed. However, you are guilty of the same thing on the right side of the spectrum.

Maclean`s has definitely become right of centre. Maclean`s does have a political agenda. That we *both* agree with their agenda doesn`t mean that there is no agenda.

You are clearly acting like the *worked up right winger* to which Dornan refers.

Relax!

The MSM is giving the Conservatives the best coverage the Canadian right has received in an election since 1988. Take your victories where they come and don`t rock the boat. You could go for the moral victory, but remember moral victories are for chumps...

What a load of crap.  Claiming that "the CBC's viewership skews to the centre and left-of-centre" does not mean that the ultra-leftwing CBC is centrist, left-of-centre or unbiased. 

*We aren't leftwing, we're the norm, and anyone to the right of us is a rightwinger.*  

I had to chuckle at the author's claim that Maclean's has a political agenda. 

Seems to me that the director is showing his political agenda.

Or perhaps the G&M liked the potshots Dornan took at Maclean's because Maclean's pointed out the G&M's political agenda in their latest issue....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Since I got suckered (well actually I got a good deal) into getting a subscription to Maclean's, I have to say I disagree with you.

I have seen no political agenda by Maclean's. Indeed, I was shocked that they pointed out the G&M political bias in a short blurb in their latest issue (I wasn't surprised about them going after Svend--his record speaks for itself), since I have always considered Maclean's to be left-of-centre. It's not just the articles by Sascha "it's a human tragedy in Iraq (the liberation)" Trudeau, but also articles headlined, "The US wants to take our water".

[betsy]

We tuned in to the CBC for its classical music and the hourly report and let me tell you that we actually saw the big difference when that lock-out happened. We prefer the CBC during the lock-out, for it was just straight news reporting with no obvious slant.

Same with the Ottawa Citizen. National Post tries to be center, but ocassionaly slips to the left.

Hey, propaganda worked for dictators and oppressive regimes. They come in different forms....all aiming to brain-wash!