US media

Contrary to what many may think I actually regard the NZ media as light-years ahead of much of the US media.

While journalists in NZ are certainly, on average, more left-wing than the average population (which gets reflected in subconscious bias rather than deliberate bias) we have a reasonably balanced press gallery. I get frustrated at the lack of serious research and content in some publications or broadcasters but that’s another issue. Yes Radio NZ seems to have a near total absence of conservative commentators but private radio is more diverse so overall not such a big issue.

However in the US (where around 90% of journalists are Democrats) the bias is incredible. Power Line gives a good example of an outrageous New York Times and ABC story on Justice Scalia suggesting he was on a junket instead of being at the swearing in on the Chief Justice.

Personally I don’t have an issue with partisan media, so long as they don’t pretend to be something else. In NZ for example everyone knows the NBR is right wing and hence its articles are read taking that into account. Likewise everyone knows the Listener is (or was!) left-wing. State owned media are a different matter as they *have* to be non-partisan. Of course in my ideal world we would have no state owned media!