by Pete Langenfeld

Created on: September 05, 2009   Last Updated: September 06, 2009

Is there bias in the media today? It would be hard to conclude otherwise. But who does it favor? The honest answer is some media favor conservatives and some favor liberals.

I have tried for years to find the right analogy to describe the media of the recent past. It goes like this. Around the time President Nixon was trying to extricate himself from Watergate, a term originating in the White house, popped up in the media. The term was "liberal media." It's never gone away.

Nixon used it because he couldn't fight what was falling down around him and he had to find a way to make it look like he'd done nothing wrong. The media was just out to get him.

The term has just about as much meaning today as it did back then. Which is almost none. But it did provide Republicans with a convenient cover when they needed one. They have copmplained for years about a "liberal bias," and will continue to complain for one reason. It works for them. Think of the media as a great big pie.

Republicans have complained that they didn't have enough of the pie. Then they went out and created their own pie (think Fox and talk radio). But they still want more of the first pie, saying that there needs to be more of a conservative voice on cable/network news. And they've been given that. More and more all the time.

So now Republicans are getting a bigger share of the first pie and they have their own pie all to themselves. And they won't give that up without a fight (think Fairness Act). You won't see a credible liberal voice anywhere on Fox.

Why do they continue to complain about a "liberal bias?" Because at this point it is not about making sure that their views are heard, there are plenty of places for that, it is about making sure that liberal viewpoints are discounted from the outset. You know how it goes, what you heard can't possibly be true because the media "lies" for liberals. Truth is often lost in the shuffle.

Are there people in the media who go easier on liberals and tougher on conservatives? Yes. Are there some in the media who are just the opposite? Absolutely. I could rattle off a list of names for both. The question often comes down to whether you believe that the person you trust (and listen to) would make up whole lies and mis-truths. Does Keith Olbermann favor one side? Probably. Do I think that he'd make up things up? No.

Does Rush Limbaugh favor one side? Yes. Would he make things up? I'll be generous and say no. But he gets a lot wrong. Not that he'll ever admit that.

For every instance where someone can show a "liberal bias" I can name one that shows a"conservative bias." The only difference is that no one will acknowledge the "conservative bias."

We have reached the day when we all want a media tailored to what we want to hear. We don't care to hear a point of view that crosses with what we already believe. So we seek out the media that thinks like we do. And we often get the media that we deserve.

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