Letters. I get letters.
“Innovative scientific analysis,” eh? That makes PQ, what, UZR for conservative think-tankers?
»>Washington, DC – It’s no secret that the media tilts to the left, but a new book uses innovative scientific analysis to show that, not only do media outlets tend to have a liberal bias when reporting the news, their distorted coverage causes media consumers to have more liberal views as a result.
In Left Turn: How Liberal Media Bias Distorts the American Mind (St. Martin’s Press, July 19, 2011), UCLA political scientist Tim Groseclose builds on his 2005 groundbreaking study, “A Measure of Media Bias,” by showing that the liberal media bias has shifted what he terms the “Political Quotient” (PQ) of the average American to the left by about 20 points. His scientific formula, combined with similar studies by respected academics, reveals:
* Absent the media’s influence, the average American’s views would reflect those of conservative areas like Orange County, CA and the state of Kansas.
* All mainstream news outlets in the United States have a liberal bias. The Drudge Report, according to the book’s analysis, “is approximately the most fair, balanced, and centrist, outlet in the United States.”
* Some supposedly “conservative” outlets, like FOX News’ Special Report, are not biased as far right as typical mainstream outlets are biased to the left.
* The media uses distortion, not lies or incorrect facts, to report the news with a liberal slant. The “Media Mu”—the average slant of all news outlets—is about eight points more liberal than the PQ of the average American voter.
