“If the conservatives are so concerned about liberal bias in the news media, then they need to join the media and contribute their perspective rather than just wondering why the media is so liberal. ” -

um, the man worked for CBS for twentysomething years and published four nonfiction books.

The whole issue of media bias is a lot more complicated than Goldberg lets on. But it’s understandable that the guy who wrote 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America wouldn’t be particularly interested in nuance.

Are the majority of reporters for major print publications left-leaning? Yes. But those reporters have their stuff reviewed by editors who get pressure from corporate employers who are obviously going to want the interests of their sponsors and affiliates represented.

And as for the bubble, Goldberg talks about–I think a lot of times, the conventional wisdom groupthink of DC and reporters’ personal feelings towards the candidates they cover can overwhelm ideology. So can the desire for a good story. That’s why, until recently, the entire press corps was basically in McCain’s pocket; he was friendly with them, relatively open, and his unlikely rise to power made for a damn good story. It’s also why they reported the race as “tightening” in the last few weeks even though there was virtually no data to back that up.

As for television–of the three major news networks, MSNBC is the only one to give an openly progressive commentator her own show, which they “balance” with more Joe Scarborough per week than any human being could be reasonably expected to tolerate. CNN, on the other hand, has no progressives with their own shows, yet still gives people like Glenn Beck and Stephen Hayes a platform.

My point isn’t that the media is conservatively biased–it’s that talking about “the media” as a homogeneous, entirely ideologically-driven institution, is reductive and stupid.