Media Bias Wars

[DVaut1]

After reading the thread on Fox News (along with numerous others which have been in a similar vein), I have a hypothetical scenario to present, and then two questions:

Imagine that, tomorrow, the results of the most comprehensive study ever done concerning media bias was released. Imagine the study was done collaboratively among social scientists, media analysts, statisticians, etc. at the best universities and think tanks in the country. Before the results were released to the public, they were given to a bi-partisan panel of 50 party leaders (25 from each party), along with various other political activists and non-partisan media watchdog groups; everyone who read the results agreed they were extremely accurate. The study was done so accurately that there is absolutely NO criticism of the study. Everyone accepts these results as the best empirical evidence ever created concerning contemporary media culture and bias.

The study is iron clad and the results are akin to the word of God and cannot be disputed.

The results are then released to the public, and here they are:

- CNN is proved to be unquestionably liberal
- Fox News is proved to be unquestionably conservative
- The NYT is proved to be unquestionably liberal
- The WSJ is proved to be unquestionably conservative
etc., etc., etc.,...

My fictional results of the study aren't particularly important; but imagine the study contained results comparable to my imagined ones.

In other words, imagine that among the thousands (millions?) of media/information/news sources available in all mediums (television, internet, radio, daily newspapers, weekly/monthly magazines, etc.), each was placed on the political spectrum, and there was conclusive proof concerning whatever bias they may or may not have.

Keep this hypothetical study in mind, as here are my two questions:

1) In the hypothetical world where such a media study exists, what is our recourse? In other words, what is the solution to a media full of biases? Should we demand that the state censor media? Certainly, that would violate the 1st Amendment, along with our common conceptions of the role of the state in affairs among private entities and their audiences/markets. That’s not a viable option.

So, in our hypothetical world where media biases are proved conclusively, what should be done about it?

Next question...

2) Consider our current world. No such studies exist (at least, none that everyone agrees upon). But some of us are fairly certain media biases exist. Some of us are so convinced that we expend a lot of time and energy attempting to prove to our peers that our convictions are true. Why do we engage in such behavior? How do we recommend our peers should behave in regards to our current (non-hypothetical) media culture - one full of apparent biases - biases which we cannot satisfactorily prove to our ideological opponents.

Remember to keep in mind that the media market is self-selecting; that is, each consumer decides for themselves which media to consume. Also keep in mind that media biases are almost ubiquitously known; everyone watching Fox News realizes it has a reputation for having a conservative bent; conversely, everyone reading the New York Times knows that it has a reputation for having a liberal bent (also bear in mind those who are unaware of such reputations; their levels of political knowledge, the value in engaging such people in political discourse, and how these consumers might effect our recommendations).

I’m trying to flush something out here, so if you choose to answer, make sure you answer both questions.