Ventura County - Media panel talks about bias in news

Ventura County (Red) Star

[Rabid Dog]

Media panel talks about bias in news Audience airs views on war reporting

By Molly Freedenberg, mfreedenberg@insidevc.com April 7, 2003

Media bias was the primary focus of a sometimes-spirited panel discussion Sunday afternoon at a meeting of Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions.

The discussion, "U.S. Media and Coverage of the War," was organized to facilitate a debate about difficult issues the media face, said CPR co-founder Bob Dodge.

The panel members at E.P. Foster Library in Ventura were Tim Gallagher, editor and president of The Ventura County Star; Bob Wisehart, writer for the VCReporter; Armando Gudino, a producer for KPFK radio; and Richard Weinstock, a CPR member and amateur Internet expert.

Though the meeting was intended to provide a venue for the audience to "pick the brains" of panelists, many chose to use it as a forum to air their beliefs, rather than to ask questions.

Audience commentary focused on the peace movement in local media, what stories are covered and how to get issues -- such as depleted uranium, Iraqi casualties and more graphic war reports -- in the news. The undercurrent of each was a question of spin. Are media outlets biased? Should they be?

The goal of a journalist is to be objective, or "disinterested," Gallagher said.

"As a journalist, you're not supposed to care."

A common complaint Sunday and one Star personnel hear often, is that photographs of anti-war protests rarely show the size of the crowd. Gallagher said it's a phenomenon of the art of photojournalism, not political editing.

Photographers, he said "tend to focus on faces."

Wisehart, on the other hand, said, like it or not, journalism seems to be moving toward bias -- especially on television -- where reporters often also are commentators.

But, he said, the reason many venues don't cover certain stories is an issue of resources, not slant. It's expensive to get a good reporter to do an investigative story, he said.

"Not many newspapers anymore are doing it the way they should," he said.

While objectivity is the goal to strive for, Gudino said he has no problem with the lack of neutrality in the media. The whole point of his left-leaning station is to advocate for a cause, not to be disinterested.

If you want balance, he said, "turn on Fox (television news) and KPFK at the same time."

Weinstock said there simply is no such thing as disinterested journalism. For that reason, he said, it's important to use the Internet.

"Mainstream media makes you a spectator," he said, while choosing stories from the Web makes you your own editor.

"Empower yourself, damn it."

While some wished the panel had included a representative from television and others said they wished additional topics could have been discussed more in depth, overall, Dodge said the talk went well -- even when things got heated.

[Rabid Dog]

This is a classic! A conference is held called "U.S. Media and Coverage of the War", only leftest publications or radio stations are invited and then our local paper tries to present it as a newsworthy event. Talk about 1/2 of the equation!

[Rabid Dog]

Ping!! Your daily dose of craziness in Ventura County. Tim Gallagher can be reach at gallagher@insidevc.com

[Rabid Dog]

And my what is becoming daily letter to the Ventura County Star.

"Wasn’t the Media Bias In Reporting conference missing half of the equation? How can a discussion even begin to take place when it is all from the perspective of the anti-war people and the panel consists of liberal print publications and radio. What about from the side that supports our troops and supports their mission? We definitely feel that there is some media bias going on. It was a fallacious “discussion” and certainly not newsworthy."

[pointsal]

I didn't realize that Ventura had that many loonie tunes. They must have gotten their training in Isla Vista.

[Rabid Dog]

I'm getting ready to head up to Liberal Land right now - I have one last class before I am done with my B.S. This time I'm going with a flag stuck in my backpack. Haven't seen one flag displayed anywhere on the UCSB campus (other than by the main building).

[Bob J]

Where was the Mad Hatter?

[RobRoy]

>>"Mainstream media makes you a spectator," he said, while choosing stories from the Web makes you your own editor. <<

The web has been my prime source of news since early 1997. I do get some info from the radio and I enjoy the conservative talk shows and some of the Liberals. Funny thing is that most of my "liberal" radio personalities have either gone off the air or become conservative. The first to make this switch was Mike Segal (sp?).

I've been exposed to some TV since the war started and the closest analogy I can give to describe it is that it reminds me of the "weekly reader" I got in kindergarden in 1959 - news for kids.

[Bernard Marx]

Thanks, RR. This is sooooo typical of the Red Star and Tim "Smug" Gallegher. If writing to him did any good (I started about a month after he took over) the paper would have changed by now. It hasn't.

I used to think economic losses would force papers to pay attention to editorial balance, but we have the horrible example of the L.A. Times. When faced with losses it was simply sold to a deep-pockets outfit that's further to the Left than the previous one. If enough people refused to buy them, the papers will go out of business. But they count on the fact that, ideology aside, people need to buy and sell things, learn about local issues, check the weather forecast, read the sports scores, etc., and that enables them to sell papers despite the fact their "news" content is skewed to the Left.

I'll write Gallegher and the reporter but doubt it will do much good. Editors pay attention only when large numbers of readers and advertisers raise hell. We must engage is some major "consciousness-raising" activities.

[Rabid Dog]

Hey there! You know what I was thinking of doing in my spare time - start keeping a list of regular "advertisers" in the Red Star - and start dinging them. Seems to work for TV.

By the way, we are going to have a Camarillo mini-rally this Sunday at 2:00 at Constitution Park. Turns out there are a number of freepers her in Camarillo.

[Rabid Dog]

I think the freerepublic.com has been my primary source for news the last few years. We don't even have a T.V. in the house anymore.

[RobRoy]

Dumped ours six years ago. The longer it's away, the stupider it looks when we are exposed to it.

Once this frog jumped out of the heating water, it is amazing how hot it feels when I stick my toe back in.

This frog will not be boiled alive.

[Rabid Dog]

Well, we are in the microscropic minority - but the funny thing is I can't even imaging having one and my two kids (12 & 14) don't even think about it. Of course, we have four computers, four people in the household and three of us have major freerepbulic.com habits and we do spend quite a bit time drooling in front of monitor but I guess its better than watching T.V.

[RobRoy]

>>...but I guess its better than watching T.V. <<

One word: Interactive.

[CarmelValleyite]

Many of Ventura County's lefties are fairly recent arrivals from Los Angeles County. Also, Santa Barbara, just north of Ventura, is VERY leftist, especially the university and celebrity crowds so conservatism in Ventura County is being squeezed out.

[MayflowerMadam]

Where is Constitution Park located in Camarillo? I'd be coming from Moorpark in T.O. and over the back way (Pleasant Valley, I think).

[merry10]

take carment exit and go up 1/4 of a mile, if that. THe park is right there in front of City Hall.