Bias? Prove it.
You want to claim the media’s biased? Incompetent? That there’s a conspiracy theory somewhere? Prove it.
There’s a claim in the Comments section, responding to a story about the CBC’s election coverage: “It was pretty plain that most media coverage of the recent election was totally in the tank for the Conservatives.”
Oh yeah?
Prove it.
Does
your conclusion result from evidence-based research? Where do you cite
independent analysis of media bias? Is your charge anywhere near the
standards required of an academic enterprise; does it even meet the
looser criteria required of an opinion piece in a quality newspaper?
Personally,
I’m sick to death of the scattergun salvos aimed at big bad mainstream
media presented without proof from both ends of the political spectrum.
Personally, I think North America’s cultural war on intelligence, clear
analysis and sober second thought is getting old.
You want to charge bias? Provide some sources. Back up your
allegation. It’s not hard. The article to which you responded details
some solid findings. General funding for media research in Canada might
be lacking but surely — especially since you have such a strong
opinion about media — you can extrapolate from the many U.S. studies,
such as here, or investigations by the likes of the New York Times public editor.
I’m
tired of watching blows against the mainstream media, a favourite
punching bag in the stupidsphere … er … blogosphere. But on
J-Source at least, a place run by journalism volunteers to provide
information and promote thoughtful debate about journalism, I think we
should raise our game. Brainless body blows are easy; constructive
criticism takes a little more thought.
