Comments on: The state of the Fourth Estate http://davecole.org/blog/2007/05/18/the-state-of-the-fourth-estate/ Thoughts, notes and comments Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:01:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Vino S http://davecole.org/blog/2007/05/18/the-state-of-the-fourth-estate/#comment-237 Vino S Sun, 20 May 2007 16:27:00 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=264#comment-237 Matt, in your comment you are _assuming_ the bias you allege. I am trying to explaim (in the 1st comment) _why_ you might think its biased. But just because you think its biased doesn't mean that it is.<br/><br/>This idea that the newspapers are biased to the left is laughable. As you can read above, i gave the evidence that the papers are, in fact, biased to the right. In 1983, only one paper backed Labour. Even in 1992, only the Mirror, the Guardian and the FT (bizarrely!) did. Matt, in your comment you are _assuming_ the bias you allege. I am trying to explaim (in the 1st comment) _why_ you might think its biased. But just because you think its biased doesn’t mean that it is.

This idea that the newspapers are biased to the left is laughable. As you can read above, i gave the evidence that the papers are, in fact, biased to the right. In 1983, only one paper backed Labour. Even in 1992, only the Mirror, the Guardian and the FT (bizarrely!) did.

]]> By: Matthew Sinclair http://davecole.org/blog/2007/05/18/the-state-of-the-fourth-estate/#comment-236 Matthew Sinclair Sun, 20 May 2007 14:48:00 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=264#comment-236 The print media isn't subsidised like the BBC is. The right's protest isn't at bias in general, if you don't like it - don't read it, but at the idea we should be forced to pay for a left-biased service.<br/><br/>I actually think that the newspapers are biased left if anything. After all, the right-wing papers have higher circulation which suggests more papers per reader who buys a left-wing paper. The print media isn’t subsidised like the BBC is. The right’s protest isn’t at bias in general, if you don’t like it - don’t read it, but at the idea we should be forced to pay for a left-biased service.

I actually think that the newspapers are biased left if anything. After all, the right-wing papers have higher circulation which suggests more papers per reader who buys a left-wing paper.

]]> By: Vino S http://davecole.org/blog/2007/05/18/the-state-of-the-fourth-estate/#comment-235 Vino S Sat, 19 May 2007 15:04:00 +0000 http://davecole.org/blog/?p=264#comment-235 As I said in my email, the value of the study would depend on what day you did it on. You would have to find a day when there is some major partisan event going on on which opinion is polarised.<br/><br/>As I said, I do think that bias is often in the eye of the beholder. The Right might think the BBC is biased but that is (a) because they themselves have a bias against a state-owned broadcaster and (b) because it is not as right-wing as the print media. But then I would point out that the print media itself is markedly biased to the right.<br/><br/>In 1983, only 1 national paper out of the 10 or so there were endorsed Labour. As I said in my email, the value of the study would depend on what day you did it on. You would have to find a day when there is some major partisan event going on on which opinion is polarised.

As I said, I do think that bias is often in the eye of the beholder. The Right might think the BBC is biased but that is (a) because they themselves have a bias against a state-owned broadcaster and (b) because it is not as right-wing as the print media. But then I would point out that the print media itself is markedly biased to the right.

In 1983, only 1 national paper out of the 10 or so there were endorsed Labour.

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