The Observer, September 2, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1
The Right Stuff: Biased major media face heightened competition
If you've read this column in the past, you'll have noticed a consistent underlying theme: a continuously growing disgust for mainstream or otherwise media sources that mislead the public with biases and agendas. Having noted that, publications that exist solely for the dissemination of largely unbiased information are invaluable.
Two of the biggest journalistic blunders in recent memory involve U.S. military operations. People seem to have forgotten Newsweek's major foul-up when it reported that American troops desecrated the Qur'an in order to demean and upset Muslim prisoners – a report that led to rioting and deaths in mid-east nations. Rather than verify their facts, Newsweek ran to press with their absurd story which resulted directly in human fatalities and a needless black eye for U.S. foreign policy, which will likely cost some troops their lives. Unfortunately, the mishap does not seem to have cost Newsweek enough in terms of circulation. Media watch-blog www.rathergate.com details this and other major media blunders from a perspective that admits its own conservative bias.
While Newsweek floundered, the "independent" Cleveland Free Times sprinted to press with a front page article featuring an interview with an Army officer recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. The unidentified soldier attested to everything the Free Times wanted to print: poor troop morale, helplessness amongst the Iraqi population, and apathy from military leadership. A week later, the Free Times was forced to report that the soldier, who had not served in Iraq, had fabricated the entire story. The publication still continues to run its own reputation through the mud, having printed a critique of Ohio voters and claims of fraud as its cover story three weeks ago, 10 months after the November 2004 election. The article could have been described as scathing, had it been printed in a timely and factual manner. While the Free Times was once considered a respectable bastion of alternative journalism, many now hold it with similar esteem as other tabloid papers.
The fact that publications like Newsweek and the Cleveland Free Times suffer trivial consequences for irresponsible and unprofessional journalistic practices should disgust news media consumers. And yet you can find Newsweek in any gas station, Free Times on any corner in Cleveland. Why aren't Americans fighting back against them? In a way, they are. The number and popularity of alternative media outlets continues to grow faster than the circulation of publications like Newsweek, which has declined to a rate similar to that of 1999. This means Americans are turning to alternative media outlets to supplement mainstream press, while some have come to avoid major media entirely. With websites like www.drudgereport.com that act like clearing houses for free online news content, major media outlets will need to change their tactics in order to compete.
Ultimately, I would be happier if every media outlet simply disclosed its overarching bias and perspective. While that may be difficult for larger outlets like ABC or the The Wall Street Journal, the contention that any media source is "fair and balanced" deserves as much credibility as Governor Taft does at this point. Once Americans realize the power they have as news media consumers, the positive advances made in providing real balanced reporting will grow exponentially.
