Rating: 
Summary: Potentially good, if it wasn't so biased.
Review: Bernard Goldberg had a great opportunity to write an objective book about media bias toward the left. Instead he chose to use this book as a platform for his personal attacks against Dan Rather and other media elites. In the begining of his book, he compares the media to the mafia and complains that he "got whacked." It was difficult to continue the book, but as I plodded through his whine fest, I found that Mr. Goldberg brings up many valid points. Too bad he used a right-wing slant to do so. I for one, like so many people, do not belong to either side of the politics, but prefer information to persuasion.
Rating: 
Summary: Thank God for this book!
Review: This book is amazing. So well written and incredibly gutsy, Goldberg tells the world exactly what should be known. I am a journalist for my high school paper and even within the small classroom, there is a certain Liberal bias. Several of my stories have not been printed because they take a Conservative angle, and for that, they are deemed too controversial and not appropriate for school. Liberal bias is evident in all forms of the American media, and this book graciously exposes the truth. Goldberg exemplifies all the qualities that a strong, objective, truthful, and unbiased journalist should take into the work room and it is a travesty that he was fired from CBS. Bernard Goldberg, I salute you!
Rating:
Summary: Slanted Journalism----The Battle for your Mind & Pocketbook
Review: Over 30 years ago, an uncle of mine told me of the inherent bias in network news. But I never knew what to look for until I read Bernard Goldberg's BIAS. At great personal sacrifice to his family and his career, he courageously explains why he went public, starting with a Feb. 13, 1996 editorial in the Wall Street Journal, about the inherent liberal bias in network news shows. He cites detailed examples; he names names; and he gives reasons why it is being done. More importantly, he will put into your hands and your mindset the tools with which you can analyze the news and the news media so that you can arrive at some semblance of undistorted news. He will also reveal why you see certain types of television shows but not others.
Rating:
Summary: This book changed my life.
Review: I'm a technician, a geek. I don't read history or follow politics. After reading this book I have been brushing up on my history, listening to talk radio, and have a collection of books from Regnery Publishing. I even have an opinion. This book was the first of a series of eye-openers. I won't be cleaning my guns in the compound out west, heating my home with waste products and purifying water from the well, but I'm now aware of those who have been prevented from exercising their god given rights for no good reason.... Yeah, I used to think Noam Chomsky was right on top of things.
Rating: 
Summary: Must be Taken at Face Value
Review: Bernard Goldberg does a thorough job examining the liberal bias in mainstream media. However "folksy" and anectdote-riddled his writing may be, the point of this text comes across very well. He is adept at spotting subtle "bias" in news (and entertainment, though to a lesser extent) and manages to introduce the reader to what, exactly, makes a news report biased.Unfortunately, my biggest problem with this book was also one of its strongest points. As it is written from Goldberg's own experience in the media (28 years at CBS), this book also becomes a forum for Goldberg to speak personally about those who has encountered in the news media. While this serves to essentially present the reader with a first-hand account of the perceived bias, it also tends to bias this text itself, as well. Another drawback to this book was the manner in which it is written. Rather than citing (perhaps in a more dry, scholarly manner) instances of evident "bias" in the media (though you don't have to look much further than your own local television station), Goldberg writes the same as he would hold a conversation. It makes for light reading. The lack of intellectual stimuli from this book, however, can be overcome: This book is meant to fuel contemplation, not to think *for* you. In this arena, it accomplishes its task quite well. However rudimentary this introduction is, it still does make some very strong points. Goldberg is able to articulate many different points about bias in the news - ie, there obviously shouldn't be a left-leaning bias, but, of course, there also shouldn't be a right-leaning bias evident in the news, either. He speaks without any clear alliance to the "right" or "left," however "right" he may be.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing
Review: The great shame of this book is how little real reform within the media has occured as a result of this book.
Rating: 
Summary: a review from a non-partisan reader
Review: I had to read this and Al Franken's Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them for a class. As far as using anecdotes to get his message across, Goldberg does a good job. The problem that I had with this book is that in his attempt to be critical of the "liberal bias" that he claims exists in the media, Goldberg comes across as self-righteous, and just as arrogant as the journalists he is criticizing. I had a difficult time reading this because I 1) do not identify as either liberal or conservative, and 2) read Franken's book first (in which Goldberg's information-gathering process is ripped nearly to shreds). My very Republican friend read through Bias in a day. I urge everyone to read this book for themselves, watch and read the news on their own, and come to their own conclusions.
Rating:
Summary: How do you do ruin your life in three pages?
Review: It's funny how life works- someone decides to go pick up some groceries, their tire blows out, an attractive stranger helps them out, and they get married. A similar thing happened to Bernard Goldberg; a hurricane hits his house, a contractor helps him rebuild it, the contractor complians about a news segment, Bernard writes a news article about the liberial bias of TV, and then, he dies.
Not physically, of course, (How could the deseased write a book?) but professanly.
As soon as it hits- CBS Anchor Dan Rather makes Goldberg #1 on his infamous "Enemies List". (Inspired by his late nemisis, Richard Nixon) Mr. Goldburg then finds himself in the same situation as Jim Garrison of JFK (The Movie), our countries's most powerful elite is after him, and he still vailently tries to complete his public investigation. (about bias in the media)
The genisis of this book is that struggle, which would have made it a nice FICTION novel. However, 'Bias' is non-fiction, and Mr. Goldburg mixes genuine revelations, (Why is so hard for CBS to call the Brookings Institution as a 'liberal' organization, when they have no qualms with naming the Heritage Foundation a 'conservative think tank'?) with pointless referances. (..The Dan [Dan Rather] didn't tolearte dissent.)
Reading the book, I could almost feel his pain as he tried to make amends, apologise, and keep his job, but I didn't want to read emotion and opinion- I wanted FACTS. The pace of 'Bias' is extremly slow and tiring, and some arguments seem ludicrous, yet the book is inspiring at times, and I would ultimitally reccomend it to anyone. It is the only book I know of, that showed the true source of media bias- ABC's and CBS's news personalities are ALL LIBERALS. They can not be objective because there is NO ONE around the studio to voice a second opinion, thusly, when covering an issue, say, abortion- the only political position reported is the one they know personally, and have a hard time seeing as 'wrong' or 'extreme'.
There's no coinspiricy.
There's no vendetta.
And if you dislike bias , remember:
You can vote with your remote.
Rating:
Summary: Follow this up with Real Meat
Review: Goldberg's Bias presents a fine insider's look at how liberal bias infects our news outlets. You might want to consider following this book up with Press Bias and Politics, by Jim Kuypers. Whereas Goldberg presents much personal and anecdotal evidence, Kuypers looked at 116 different mainstream papers and over 700 articles dealing hot political topics. His conclusion? the mainsteam media in American is an anti-Democratic institution.
Rating:
Summary: A slap in the face, from one liberal to another
Review: There is one fact about this book that has liberals and those who whine that there is no liberal bias in the newsmedia steaming mad: that this book was written by a card-carrying liberal, and not by a member of the "vast, right-wing conspiracy." It trumps their biggest defense. And to those who say his arguments aren't backed up, he provides dated word-for-word transcripts and newspaper titles. If that isn't info backup, I don't know what is. And finally, what makes this book eerily unsettling in its truth, is that liberals don't set out to politicize and slant the news, they do it unintentionally out of subconcious ideals, which makes them poor journalists. And the fact that they don't see it yet are being accused (by one of their own liberal ex-buddies, no less) has them steaming mad! This book is outstanding, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is actually interested in the truth, facts, and real news; not political sleight-of-hand presented as factual information.
|
