Some better experiments to
divine the true bias in the US media would be:
Experiment One: Discover Your Corporate Masters!
- Cut out all of the advertisements. Put these in Pile One.
- Cut out anything that looks like an unedited press release from a corporation, and the entire Business Section. Place these in Pile One.
- Cut out anything that you think is "unbiased reporting" like the Weather. Place these aside for Experiment Two. If these are actually unbiased, they will have no effect on you.
- Try to find anything liberal in the remaining shreds of paper. Place these in Pile Two.
- Gaze awestruck at Pile One and wonder quietly what happened to the free market of ideas that capitalism provides. Contemplate whether liberal bias is the real issue.
Experiment Two: Episodic or Thematic?
- Now that the paper is cut into tasty bite-size pieces, divide news into that which is episode oriented - that which focuses on concrete issues such as an individual welfare mother, a crime spree, or a terrorist bombing. Label this Pile One.
- Next find the news that provides information that contextualizes an issue or problem, and focuses on general developments, trends, or preconditions that contribute to problems such as surges in welfare dependence, crime or increased terrorist attacks. Label this Pile Two.
- Gaze awestruck at Pile One and wonder quietly why Americans can't see the ongoing, systemic problems in society. Contemplate whether liberal bias is the real issue.