Media Tuesday: Discerning Media Bias

This is bias 101. If you ever want to know a reporter's bias, read the last paragraph of his article.

How The Daily Beast covers Donald Trump:

By the time he started dredging up Obama's Chicago past and his ties to Bill Ayers and Tony Rezko, some in the crowd started to get up to leave.

"This part is exactly what he said on Hannity's program," one fellow said to another as he made his way out of the park.

"He needs some new material," his friend agreed.


First of all, I don't buy the silly idea that ANYONE got up to lead when Trump brought up Obama's past. And I believe the conversation recreatd above is pure fiction. People have taken a liking to Trump because he has made game of Obama's sordid past. That is why the came to see Trump.

But it serves The Daily Beast to editorialize against the examination of Obama's past.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/13559_donaldtrumpplaysthebirthercardteapartytriumphinflorida

Here's the AP spinning a tale of woe.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110419/ap_on_bi_ge/us_statehouses_gop_wave

It starts with a chicken vs. egg confused headline.

Republican legislative gains tug nation to right


Ummm, wasn't it the other way around? The article then lists all the foolishness the 2010 election has wrought on our country. Legislators and legislatures are passing and repealing laws! Silly laws. Stupid laws. Foolish laws. But all is not lost. It ends on an optimistic note.

In Montana, Republican leaders are struggling to keep their eye on the big picture — cutting spending, developing natural resources — while the swollen GOP freshman class peppers the debate with calls to nullify federal laws, create an armed citizen's militia, legalize spear hunting, force FBI agents to get a sheriff's OK before arresting anyone, and more.

"Stop scaring our constituents and stop letting us look like buffoons," veteran Republican lawmaker Walt McNutt told the aggressive newcomers.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer, not one of the Democrats to roll over, came up with a cattle brand that reads "VETO" and seems itching to use it. "Ain't nobody in the history of Montana has had so many danged ornery critters," he said.


Reporters cannot conceal bias for long. If you want to know what they really think (and what they want you to think) read the last few sentences of the article. They reveal themselves every time.