John Winn Miller (who is, as far as I know, no relative of mine) says that this Cal Thomas column is unfair to journalists.
Cal Thomas, you've made me mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore.
I'm tired of hearing radical columnists like you besmirch the good men and women who struggle daily to put out the very best newspaper they can.
Calling a conservative columnist a "radical" may not be the best way to show that your paper is not biased. And Miller continues with this:
Of course, journalists are different from the general public. We’re not "conservative" like you. That's because we are skeptical of everyone and everything, particularly those in positions of power. That’s our job.
Actually, journalists tend to be hostile to Republicans and religious conservatives. Journalists are, at most, moderately skeptical of Democrats, and they are rarely skeptical of such leftwing groups as the Sierra Club or the NAACP. It would be great if journalists were "skeptical of everyone and everything", but no serious person can believe that they are.
Need an example? Compare how our local papers have treated Congressman McDermott and President Bush. The Seattle Congressman broke the law by passing on an illegal tape of a conversation between the Republican leaders in the House of Representatives. President Bush has, after consultation with legal experts, authorized the NSA to track the phone calls of Al Qaeda operatives to the United States. The first was certainly illegal "wiretapping", as it is usually described, though no wires were involved. The second was almost certainly legal. But you would have to look hard to find much criticism of McDermott for his actions (and those of his accomplice, a New York Times reporter).
Need another example? Go back and dig up the analysis that Media Research did of the change in economic stories after Bill Clinton took office. The economy was recovering slowly in both 1992 and 1993, but the mix of stories was far more positive in 1993 than in 1992.
Miller is sure that: "The public appreciates what we do." If they do, why is newspaper circulation falling, especially at our more liberal newspapers?
Finally, I must pass on a warning to publisher Miller. Although Republicans and conservatives are not protected by our federal civil rights laws, evangelicals are. And the nearly complete absence of evangelicals (and others with traditional religious beliefs) from newsrooms will result, I predict, in lawsuits against some of our major news organizations. Successful, expensive, embarrassing lawsuits.
By way of News Busters.)
Posted by Jim Miller at March 22, 2006 06:42 AM | Email ThisThe Stranger is up front about being a liberal fringe paper.
The Least Intelligence, Seattle Slimes and Daily Zero are all dishonest. They claim objectivity and neutrality on issues. A cursory examination of the headlines show incredible bias.
I really don't give a rats a** if a paper or outlet is biased. They just need to be up front about it. I have more respect for publication like The Nation and The Stranger who proclaim their positions.
The other thing is web based publication can link to sources. When the Least Intelligence makes a claim, I can't immediately check the veracity if I have a question. Web based can provide access to sources allowing source to be evaluated.
Posted by: JCM on March 22, 2006 07:22 AMMiller states that he is supposed to be skeptical of everyone. I would agree to a point, except that they never share any good news coming out of Iraq, unemployment down to 4.7% nationally, violent crime rates are dropping, Inflation is not out of control, Our economy added more jobs last year than all of Europe combined, etc.
If it bleeds it leads. Thankfully there are other sites, channels, etc that post some of the good stuff.
The local Snohomish County rag, the Herald, went to some council people in Everett and told them to either get along with their guy, a Democrat, or they would start printing nasties about them.
And, believe it or not, the rag won the staredown and now, all of a sudden, there is this unholy lovefest going on.
I haven't heard if any of the Seattle papers have that type of influence yet.
Posted by: tradersmith on March 22, 2006 09:08 AMWorld views are limited and local news is biased.
Olympia is a town that has live music of all types almost everynight of the week. Read the Daily O and you get the impression that you have to go to Seattle to have any fun.
Posted by: Jack Burton on March 22, 2006 10:01 AM"Be Accountable
Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.
Journalists should:
Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.
Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.
Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.
John LOSER Miller has it exactly backwards. He should be THANKING Cal Thomas and other for their criticism....not shaming them!!!
Ohhhhhh, I forgot.....the Code of Ethics EXCLUDES The Olympian and John "Loser" Miller!!!!
The Code of Ethics cannot possibly apply to Miller. Seems like Miller is a bit too thin-skinned to be a real Journalist. Probably just another unemployed trust-funder whose parents bought him a job (like Baby Blethens)!
What an arrogant PR*CK!!!
Posted by: dude on March 22, 2006 10:33 AMMost conservatives see conflicting positions on an issue as the result of subjective differences in individual perspectives, interests and values. Liberals are much more egocentric, and believe they are more enlightened and aware than others. They see their perspectives as the objective, absolute truth. They are personally offended by people who disagree with, or disapprove of them. They do not have a level of maturity that enables them to be aware that they too, are biased.
When conservatives disagree with John Winn Miller's newspaper they may cancel their subscriptions, take their business elsewhere, and let him alone to succeed or fail running his newspaper any way he pleases. Liberals are more likely to show up at his door, in some version of a temper tantrum, to intimidate, embarrass or otherwise pressure him into doing what they want.
Liberals like government because it enables them to use force against any who disagree with them.
Posted by: ken on March 22, 2006 12:05 PMJust this week the Kitsap Sun showed how far removed from that purported skepticism they are, when they chose to go along with their progressive friends at the regional library and endorse a tax increase proposal they haven't yet seen.
Maybe that's not a liberal bias, but it sure doesn't appear that they are doing their "job" as described by the editor of The Olympian.
Newspaper circulation is declining for the simple reason that their product is so often worthless to people who are inclined to spend the time reading the news to stay informed.