In the 2004 Presidential election is was said that the media provided the effect of a 15% bump in poll results, presuming to translate to a 15% edge in voting results. I don't think anyone believes that Bush's advantage in the popular vote was in fact 18%, but what impact does the media have?
In an interview of j-school students, I heard that the most common response to the question "Why do you want to be a journalist?" was "To change the world". This is a long way from an unbiased reporting of the facts. Some would say that an unbiased reporting of the facts, as differentiated from a government or NGO propaganda campaign, does change opinion, but not through bias, and that the informed opinion does change the world.
How do Kossacks view reportage? Is the popular media biased? If biased, is the bias due to coersion, or to accomodate business results? Other than C-SPAN and public broadcasting, virtually all media is business. Even public broadcasting relies on a kind of business, depending on successfully gathering donations from foundations, business and individuals. The effort to encourage donation is much the same as advertising to attract customers. Does Public Broadcasting bias its coverage to attract donations?
Do you frequest media outlets that support your positions? Do you deride folks that tune into FOX news or read the Wash Times? Or those that tune their car radios to conservative talk radio? Are you tuning to NPR? Why, because it coddles your preconceptions (or whatever you claim the Limbaugh listeners tune in for)?
Do you expect your news reporter to try to change your opinion? Would you listen if you thought she did? What about the editor or producer that chooses the stories to promote to publication? Or the executive that chooses where to send the star or anchor for lead coverage?
I'm not sure I want my news organs to try to change my opinion. Inform me, sure. Sway me to effect my vote, not so much.
How does credibility play into the equation? How often do you expect your chosen source of news to get it right? At what point do you abandon the source for errors? What if those errors were intentional? Or if the news was slanted on purpose, as CNN chose to do to maintain its presence in Iraq? Who do you trust today?
I have gotten to the point where I trust no news organ. I want undigested fact. I don't like the distruct I feel, I want to be able to trust, but everybody seems to be trying to change my world, and I can't tell the news from the spin.
Even polls are suspect. They seem intended to generate opinion, rather than determine it.
Then, too, there seems to be collusion between the politicians and the news. In the old days, the media wouldn't go certain places, into Kennedy's private life. But we could expect (I think) consistent and unbiased coverage of real news. Maybe I'm naive, and we never should've trusted the media.
Today I read as much as I can, and trim away the chaff with Occam's razor. I try to get original information, text of speeches, actual historical data, and competing opinions. When a politician speaks, I try to find past positions and pronouncements to compare and contrast. The political contribution information is illuminating too.
What do you do?