Comments on: What liberal media bias? Part DCCXIV

By: Deoxy

Deoxy — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:55:43 +0000

Another agreement with Dave Lincoln on general press ignorance, stupidity, and errors.

That said, their errors do slant certain directions on certain topics, where simple mistakes ought to fall on either side.

By: Dr. T

Dr. T — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:43:15 +0000

I echo Dave Lincoln's comments. I've been a physician for 25 years, and not once have I seen a medical story in the lay press that was free of errors. The same is true for science stories. Perhaps we should lobby for consumer protection laws regarding wrong information. Amusingly, trial lawyers and the media would end up on opposite sides.

By: Dave Lincoln

Dave Lincoln — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:50:50 +0000

“Well, in all fairness, the media routinely screws up news stories with legal issues.”

Actually, in all fairness, the media routinely screws up news stories about all issues. The only reason you see the media’s stupidity regarding legal issues, is that, that is your field. In a couple of industries that I am very familiar with, the media screws up many facts, to where you wonder if they spent any time to ask someone in the know.

I really think you won’t see any better, until MSM companies hire people with other than journalism (too stupid to get into the “General Studies” department (for football players) ) degrees. They don’t take a lick of science and math, so they have no idea if someone from a scientific field or engineering is totally snowing them. How can you evaluate a paper on Warmal Globing, or whatever, if you can’t even read the paper’s summary, much less the meat of the paper?

Numbers scare the heck out of these people, so they don’t check them.

Well, enough of this rant – let’s hope bloggers like you Ted, can give the MSM idiots some competition.

By: Todd Rogers

Todd Rogers — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:47:42 +0000

Anonymous Attorney: Don’t think for a second that reporters don’t have a clue. While I was of course not privy to the editing or thinking of said journalist, if I were a gambler I would bet that the headline and spin used in this story were carefully selected to maximize its attraction. Lest we not forget, the media is not in the news business. They’re in the ad business. The so called “news” is merely the nectar which attracts the bees.

By: Anonymous Attorney

Anonymous Attorney — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:06:11 +0000

As a former journalist myself, I can only cringe at both the bias and misunderstanding (the former is probably worse than the latter) of the law perpetrated by the press. At least the NYT will say the Supreme Court “let stand” a decision they don’t review, as opposed to actively siding with one party or another — a frequent error made by much of the rest of the press. But this gem from the AP is incredible. Rossmiller’s comment is hilarious. The general pro-plaintiff bias of the press is something I think desperately needs to be addressed by civil defendants, but it would help if reporters had a clue. Or maybe took a year of law school.

By: Eric Turkewitz

Eric Turkewitz — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:48:37 +0000

Well, in all fairness, the media routinely screws up news stories with legal issues.

How many times have you seen a story where the journalist or headline writer claimed a jury found someone innocent?

Ignorance as to the subtleties of legal language is the most likely reason for any blown news story.

By: Jason Barney

Jason Barney — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:38:42 +0000

This MSNBC link reports on the identical story, but with the sub-headline, "Aid is refused for victims who want funds for businesses, homes" Aid is refused? As if the Supreme Court Justices can simply hand out money with no regard to the substance of the law. Geez Louise, let's get some objectivity into the reporting here, folks.