Bias by Bernard Goldberg

One thing that I really enjoy about the News-Sentinel's Voters Guide is when candidates are asked about their favorite books. Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison in July 2006 listed Bias by Bernard Goldberg. I obtained a copy of this book and this Labor Day weekend have read the book. Thanks Sheriff.

Bernard Goldberg was on the inside at CBS and decided after an on camera report about Steve Forbes flat tax to expose the obvious. Goldberg authored a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece that acknowledged what most of America already knew. And that is the media have Bias.

Here are some excerpts from the book. That make the case for the liberal bias that exist today.

The Freedom Forum and The Roper Center conducted a survey that revealed that

89% of the journalist said they voted for Bill Clinton in 1992, compared with just 43% of the non-journalist voters.

7% of the journalists voted for George Bush; 37% of the voters did

2% of the news people voted for Ross Perot while 19%of the electorate did.

What party do journalists identify with?

50% said they were Democrats.

4% said they were Republicans.

On a conference call Roxanne Russell, sitting at a desk in the CBS News Washington bureau referred to Gary Bauer as "Gary Bauer, the little nut from the Christian group". Gary Bauer was the head of a major group of American Christians and a Presidential candidate. No one on the call challenged Russell.

The book goes on to point out. What if she said?

"Tomorrow we'll be covering that pro-Israel lobby and Sam Schwartz, the little nut from the Jewish group, will be there."

or
"We'll be covering that gay parade on Saturday and Billy Smith, the little fag from the gay group will be leading it."
or

"There's a rally at the Washington Monument this weekend and Jesse Jackson, the big nut from that black group, will be there"

Then the Notable Quoteables

Nina Totenberg says, "[I]f there is retribution justice, he'll [Jesse Helms] get AIDS from a transfusion, or one of his grandchildren will get it,"

What if a Conservative journalist said

"If there's any justice in this world, Teddy Kennedy will drive off a bridge late at night and kill himself. Or one or two of his kids."

USA Today columnist Julianne Malveaux says of Clarence Thomas, "I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early like many black men do, of heart disease." and she gets invited back on TV talk shows all the time.

If Robert Novak , the conservative columnist and CNN commentator had said, "I hope Jesse Jackson's wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early like many black men do, of heart disease." he'd rightly be seen as a nasty right-wing nut and compared to the Grand Wizard of the KKK.

Finally in the book, Goldberg and Dan Rather are talking on the phone. Rather is upset because this op-ed was printed in the Wall Street Journal, in Rather's mind the WSJ is conservative or the enemy. Goldberg asked "Well, what do you consider the New York Times?" Rather replies. "middle of the road" enough said.

Is there bias. Absolutely, there is. Does bias only exist on the national media stage? No. Does bias exist at local media outlets? Absolutely. After reading this book, all media reports will be viewed differently.

If I know the reporter or anchor personally, I may not be as questionable.