"The greatest problem with news is not that journalists are influenced by their perceptions," Haskell writes. "The greatest problem is that news audiences do not realize journalists are influenced by their perceptions."
Were the media to blame? Is our own bias responsible for how we feel about how the media is being blamed?
Most of the national television journalists who completed his questionnaire revealed that they have little personal interest in religion and that they view evangelicals with disdain.
..reviewer
John P. Ferré finds there is
not enough solid evidence to support the claims. The sample was too small. I recommend looking at his lists.
Resolution for the
CBC and other
Canadian media outlets that feel it might be necessary or important to update their journalistic Code of Ethics and provide viewers, critica an oppotunity to engage, restore credibility in their brand or product.
Do journalists report more favourably on people that they like than on those they don’t? Canada’s evangelicals think so. For years, they’ve accused the country’s news personnel of being prejudiced against them both personally and in their coverage. However, up to now, the evangelicals’ charge of media bias has never been empirically examined. This book puts that charge to the test. An in depth survey of national news personnel accompanied by an extensive, multi-year examination of news coverage reveals how Canada’s journalists feel about evangelicals, how they report on evangelicals, and how and when their feelings influence their reporting. In the end, this book concludes when the beliefs and actions of Canadian evangelicals directly clash with the heart-felt convictions of Canadian national journalists, the journalists are willing to abandon their professional objectivity and slant their stories against their ideological opponents.-
David M. Haskell
OR
They can delay and whitewash the entire controversy. Let it just blow over and in a few months it will be forgotten. If the Management is serious about the brand, they should use this as an opportunity to rebuild and reconnect.
Require a disclosure of Personal Opinions on Major Issues from the journalists so viewers can have that extra information. A series of 100+ questions.
- Education
- Role of Government
- Birth Control, Abortion, who should pay?
- Family, Marriage
- Equality what does it mean?
- Religion: Role Conspiracy Theory
- Pensions: Public, Private, Who is responsible to pay?
- Justice: Criminal Punishment, Rehabilitation, Capital Punishment etc.
- Taxation basic services or wealth redistribution etc.
- Division of Powers: Large Federal Government vs Provincial, Municipal Authority
- Individual Responsibility vs Collectivism
- Political Ideology: Socialism, Marxism, Oligarchy, Theocracy, Democracy etc.
- Economic Education Litmus Test: How things work.
- Global, Interprovincial, Free Markets vs Protectionism, Union Supply Side (Quebec Dairy)
Everyone has a bias or a lens in which they feel something is good or bad and it does affect how you react. I do like the recommendations in having journalists report their own biases including their preferences on a large number of topics as a side note on a blog as for more disclosure.
Inside the CBC
The Iceman has posted
Measuring CBC Bias and Alberta Ardvark has posted on the CBC
here. Chasing Apple Pie has a great piece on CBC
here showing the problem has existed before the Ekos Research President Frank Graves outing by
Kory Teneycke
here.
Persichilli is the recipient of the Canadian Ethnic Journalist's and Writer's Club award for excellence in journalism reflecting multicultural issues. He has also won several national awards for his contributions to broadcasting.
