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Summary: The truth is not often exposed
Review: The truth is not often exposed in such a straightforward manner. Mr. Goldberg's book exposes the reality of left of center bias from inside the world of journalism. What is starkly evident from the unassailable factual analysis contained in Bias is that we seldom get the truth from either print or broadcast journalism. This is especially true when the "press" reports on itself. "Bias" will convince anyone who doubts that a left of center bias exists throughout the media. I ordered this book because I had read the original opinion piece Goldberg wrote for the Wall Street Journal criticizing a "news" story that had been done on CBS News. Mr. Goldberg is now considered by the left as a member of the vast right wing conspiracy. Tammy Bruce has something to say about that in her expose' "The New thought Police!"
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Summary: Even conservatives won't like this book
Review: I'm a conservative...yes, it's good to hear our point of view, but the author really sounded like he was complaining. The whole book was filled with "liberals hurt my feelings, so I'm going to prove them wrong. Take that!" It was a bit immature.
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Summary: Bias: A CBS Insider ...
Review: An eye-opener for people who are interested in facts and substance. A mandatory read for students of journalism!
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Summary: Read Bagdikian as well
Review: Anyone ordering this book should order Ben Bagdikian's _Media Monopoly_ at the same time for a comprehensive picture.
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Summary: Not what you think
Review: Before I get to the book's content, a few words about the author. What makes "Bias" unique is that Goldberg spent 25 years at CBS and worked alongside Dan Rather on the CBS Evening News program. If you've watched the Evening News over the years, you probably recognize Goldberg as a reporter on the program (ie: the "Bernard Goldberg's America" segment). Given the length of Goldberg's tenure and seniority, there are few people more qualified to speak about the inner machinations at CBS News. As opposed to a book put out by a political group hazarding guesses from the outside as to the media's motives, "Bias" is an insider's account (Put simply, Goldberg is to CBS what Erin Brockovich was to PG&E). As a result, the charges are less dramatic, more balanced, and tend to ring true. This is why "Bias" has received such significant attention and why its charges will continue to be debated long after its descent from the best-seller lists. It's also important to note that Goldberg himself is a liberal who never once voted for a Republican president. His criticism of newsmedia bias and recommendations for how media companies can improve their product should not be confused with a criticism of liberal ideology. Now onto the book itself. "Bias" is a whistleblower's account of how CBS slants the news. I bought this book assuming its charges would be similar to those made against the newsmedia by conservatives for years: that journalists conspire amongst themselves to color the news; depicting Democrats as high-minded saints while portraying Republicans in the worst possible light. Goldberg paints a different picture. Whereas the presence of liberal bias in network news is unmistakable, Goldberg argues it is less the consequence of malice and more the result of inadvertent editorializing. In other words, most liberal journalists could be hooked up to a lie detector, be asked "Do you feel the media is liberal?", answer "No", and pass the test. This is the heart of the problem according to Goldberg. Without divulging the content of the book, Goldberg's analysis as to what contributes to the liberal worldview held by most journalists and how this unwitting bias lends itself to slanted coverage on the major social issues from homelessness to affirmative action of our day is simply fascinating. "Bias" raises the level of discourse on the subject of media criticism. The debate has moved beyond whether or not the newsmedia is biased (although it appears the media companies themselves may be the last to realize it). Nor is the debate about DNC-related conspiracy theories. "Bias" offers a subtler and more credible explanation for the perceptible liberal slant in the news. In reaction to this book being published, the newsmedia will predictably employ the twin tactics of discrediting the witness and denial. And unfortunately, Goldberg will not be elevated to the status of an Erin Brockovich for the obvious reason that the newsmedia will not allow it. However, you get the sense that this charade can only last so long and ultimately bowing to the pressures of a critical viewership, network news will have no choice but to succumb to an honest self-assesment of their organizational culture and begin addressing the problems raised by Goldberg. Finally, the book is a an easy read...I found Goldberg's writing style to be concise, witty, evenhanded, and devoid of bitterness.
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Summary: Bias Exposed
Review: Very thought provoking book written about liberal tilt by a liberal. Very common sense, easy to understand examples and stories about how a reporter's personal bias taint their work. This book will obviously not please anyone with socialist leanings. Politics aside, this book it not written about political agendas, it only shows that the todays media no longer give fair and accurate reporting to every side of a particular issue.
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Summary: No kidding - the news is biased???
Review: The one star reviewers could not have read the same book that I read. I will agree that maybe it should be termed "a socialist bias" rather than liberal bias. The socialists have given the liberal a bad name. Goldberg makes very specific claims, names names and reveals his own predilections. He details how the homeless and AIDs stories were literally jacked up to push the unwashed masses toward a perceived reality that had no resebemlance to the truth. Reading these constant referals to Rush Limbaugh and the corporate owners of these news organizations gets tiring as well. Mr. Limbaugh does not and never has claimed to be neutral - he is a right winger. Fine. Dan Rather and Peter Jennings (whom I can't even watch due to their condescending smuggness) continue to claim objectivity. Bah. Fooey. Corporations buy into socialism all the time if it helps them make money. A mega corporation's only loyality is to profit. This surprizes you? I do believe the tide is turning, though. The new media - talk radio (reborn in the name of Rush), the Internet, FOX News and a few printed publications are seeing unbelievable success within the last few years. Most if not all of them claim right up front to be biased. But the NYTimes the Washington Post, CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, most urban newspapers slant so far to left that their claims of objectivity are laughable. Secondly, these jabs at ABC/Disney not doing negative stories about Disney etc,etc don't discuss the fact that there is nothing stopping Viacom from doing in Disney or AOL/TimeWarner from burning GE. They just don't do it. Nothing revealed in "Bias" surprised me except that it took this long for someone besides John Stossell to break ranks. Way to go Bernie.
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Summary: A hit, but not one that will sink the ship
Review: A liberal points out the liberal bias of the media.
I guess only Nixon can go to China.
Of course the media is liberal. But the question is, how do we correct it?
As a liberal, I am as equally concerned about an institutional bias in the press as any conservative might. Bernard Goldberg points out the faults that have plagued this industry -it is an industry- for years. We need more honest reporting and people willing to tell (or listen to) both sides, a Crusade that Bernard Goldberg fought for and lost at CBS. Mr. Goldberg is one of the most die-hard liberals out there, and even he points out that it is a "liberal" tenant of democracy that the press be unwaveringly unbiased and dispassionate about its reporting.
It's a great book. It is a great morality tale that show how when we, the "liberals", get our way and change something for the better, we have to make sure that it remains for the better--an idea we liberals have a hard time learning. The liberals made a great struggle to progress our society in the first half of the 20th Century, and it was at that time, when the press finally had dissolved their former alliegences and separated themselves from political machinery, that they betrayed themselves by clinging to the liberal agenda long after it became moot.
What is not in this book, however, is the fact that "alternative" (read "conservative") reporting exists. Unfortunately for Mr. Goldberg and the rest of America, the grand majority of mass media is liberal, and a conservative voice is hard to hear above the din--but it's there, and it must follow the same law of the markets as the liberal press, if conservatives won't read it, it won't sell.
In addition, Mr. Goldberg further fails to point out that, historically speaking, there has always been a bias in the American media, colonial America was abound with Federalist and Anti-Federalist reporting, and some editor/publicists were even charged with sedition for their "bias".
He also should stress the point that the "liberal" bias is self-imposed, not influenced upon the media by government decree or blatant political control. Our media is liberal because our society, when compared to other the rest of the world, is liberal.
That being said, the most important point of the book is always present here, the media IS TOO biased, and there is no dissenting voice, which we sorely need.
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Summary: talk about bias...
Review: As the title says, Goldberg makes assertions about liberalism in the media and his immense dislike of this bias. The problem is that he completely ignores the conservatism in the media. Most conservatives think the media is too liberal and most liberals think it is too conservative. The idea that liberalism has taken over the media is a myth. The fact is that the media tends to be more conservative because it panders to its sponsors, big businesses, which are almost always conservative. Yes, there is liberal bias, but the reason Goldberg sees this problem as completely one-sided is because he himself is very conservative. The book simply does not address the issue objectively.
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Summary: How to? Not really, but a very interesting read.
Review: "Bias" confirms what most heartland viewers have known for years--that the mainstream 'news' is heavily biased towards the liberal viewpoint. The book starts out with some interesting personal happenings, but then I expected it to go more deeply into (as the title says) How the Media Distort the News. It did not explain the "how they do it", but went further with the personal experiences of the author, which became a little tedious to me. I personally have been aware of this peculiar trait of our media since the time we invaded Granada, and the evening news reported it as "a moral defeat for the United States". To the credit of the author, it is a very good read, and a fascinating look into the dirty little secrets of the CBS news organization, AND a good look into the puzzling workings of the deeply-steeped-liberal minds involved. I can greatly appreciate how the author, who was a valued and respected member of this insiders elite, suddenly found himself a pariah to them all. To his utter shock, he found the supposedly 'compassionate' and 'open minded' world for which he had worked over many years, suddenly very hostile, closed-minded and hateful towards him. I can also appreciate that this man is baring his soul and his deepest hurts to the general public, something which is not easy for anyone to do. Thank you, Mr. Goldberg, for your honesty and openness. I am sorry that you had to go through these devastating experiences to discover what a very large number of thinking Americans have known for years. I suggest perhaps a sequel, requiring some digging into exactly how the media does their distorting. Tell us the techniques and the methods. You touched on it briefly when you stated how they ask people loaded questions, but now go into story selection, story 'kills', loaded wording, flattering or not so flattering pictures they use, etc. Most folks with an IQ of over 120 already are at least slightly aware of these devious methods which the media uses, but it is the larger majority of Americans who are not so blessed with such high IQ's who need to know, and have it confirmed to them by an 'insider'.
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