Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 11:58 pm
Some conservatives are upset because PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley, told Harry Reid to put down the crack pipe and acknowledge that Democrats in Congress work for Barack Obama. Smiley added that, “We all work for Barack Obama.” This little comment has brought out the media bias conspiracy again.
Here is the video:
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This comment had Mark Finkelstein over at the conservative Newsbusters saying ah ha, media bias. If Tavis Smiley, who is a talk show host, is an example of media bias, does this mean that Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly are also examples of media bias? I guess the Limbaugh form of media bias is ok, as long as it represents their point of view.
No one should be surprised that some Republicans are blaming the media for their defeat. These people are delusional. They either don’t want to admit, or can’t understand that the nation has changed around them. It can’t be their fault for becoming the party of no ideas. Nope, this election was stolen from them by the media.
Media bias exists. It is everywhere in our system, but it occurs on both sides. There are conservative and liberal biases. I see Smiley’s bias as no different from Sean Hannity’s while he spent the last eight years cheerleading for George W. Bush. Smiley is a talk show host. He is not
delivering the nightly news. He is paid to have opinions.
How many listeners would Rush have if he had to be objective and cover both sides? I would guess not very many. Opinions and conflict provide the entertainment that draws the audience which pays the bills. People should not get their news from talk shows on either the left or right, because they are meant to entertain, not inform.
If Smiley or Countdown want to have their biases, that’s fine, as long as they are treated the same way as their colleagues on the right. I don’t see anything wrong with what Smiley said, but that is my own bias coming out. I guess we should prepare for 4-8 years of daily Republican whining about the big bad liberal media.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
