Quote:
Originally posted by Pileon@Nov 9 2004, 09:34 PM
Doesn't this support Lanny's premise that the right wing has moved what used to be the center, to the right. It would then make what used to be center (fair and balanced) appear to be left.
The bigger question is, has the electorate genuinely moved to the right? Is it just a temporary reaction to 9/11? Or has the right wing media managed to dominate (change the focus) to the point where it appears the media has moved left?
Lanny's point about Canadian media is equally valid. Can you think of the media personalities in Canada that have a following like their counterparts in the states? Rutherford has strong political views but I don't think his opinions hold any more water than anyone else. If you hang around the American discussion boards, you get guys rolling out Limbaugh opinions like they were fact (or truth in their eyes).
The thing I find most disconcerting, is that there is now no longer a moderate or unbiased voice. Even if a journalist is moderate, his views are discounted because he works for liberal or conservative paper. They even go so far as to check out who the shareholders are of the paper before they can attach any validity to the report.
I don't know where it ends. Perhaps we should ask the grocery store to mark their displays with liberal or conservative so we don't buy the "wrong" oranges. 
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An amusing link: How to Identify left wing media bias.
http://www.mrc.org/books/identifybias.asp
Secondly, an excellent essay on the subject of concentration of media ownership in the USA.
http://reason.com/0401/fe.bc.domination.shtml
I've posted both links before.
The bigger question is, has the electorate genuinely moved to the right?
A percentage has. There was a time when Brian Mulroney had two consecutive overwhelming majority governments in Canada, destroying the Liberals in the process. Was the media right wing and helping it along or were Canadians just tired of socialists and listening to Reagan?
CBC attracts certain viewers. FOX attracts certain viewers. The trend in media lately has been people gravitating towards commentators they are already pre-disposed to agree with.
It's like Farenheit 9/11 - polls showed the film had virtually ZERO influence on the presidential election because Michael Moore was preaching to the choir. The audience was sold before they even knew it was in theatres. He merely confirmed in their heads what they already wanted to think. People watch FOX because its a warm blanket. Ditto CBC. But neither feed is likely to attract the audience of the other.
Both sides have their advocates and there is no shortage of champions on either side as you can see from one guy arguing the right is in control and another arguing the left has the advantage.
Cowperson