PressEthic

In the eyes of Bernie Goldberg, the author of Bias, the social sympathies of the media are crystal clear. Just look towards the editorial pages, Bernie suggests, and you'll see that news outlets always side against conservatives and corporations. Maybe Bernie needs to read the Los Angeles Times more often.

The paper ran an editorial on October 19th that supported, of all things, Big Tobacco in a Supreme Court case. According to the editorial, the Supreme Court rejected hearing a recent case brought by the federal government against the tobacco industry under the dubious assertion of federal racketeering.

It's hard to write passionately about a branch of the government acting correctly, but the LA Times does a fine job. More important than the eloquence of its writing, though, is the content. The Times, a paper attacked recently for its supposed liberal slant, supported a much-reviled industry on the grounds of the law and not ideology. This runs counter to the central thesis of Bias, because the anti-smoking campaign is one of the more successful social issues of the last decade. If Bernie's theory held true, the paper would support chances to "get the bastards" whenever possible.

One can read whatever he wants into the news if he so desires. It's data that gives weight to an argument, and not lyrical chicanery. If Bernie spent more time on collecting data and less time on his "Dan Rather is the Godfather" motif, then perhaps he'd have written a more persuasive argument.