After Senator-elect Scott Brown’s resounding win in Massachusetts, it is clear that when Americans have the facts, they make informed decisions and let their voices be heard about the important issues facing our country. Our founders understood how important information is to our Republic. Thomas Jefferson once said:
It is to me a new and consolatory proof that wherever the people are well-informed they can be trusted with their own government; that whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights.
Last year, I started the Media Fairness Caucus (MFC) in Congress to help ensure that Americans stay well-informed and get the facts on important issues. The purpose of the MFC is not to censor or condemn, but to encourage the media to adhere to the highest standards of reporting and provide the American people with the facts, balanced stories and fair coverage of the news. The Caucus also points out examples of media bias and I present a “most biased media story of the week” award regularly on the House floor.
Recent surveys show that Americans have lost faith in the national media. Just one in ten Americans has a “great deal of confidence in the media to report the news fully, accurately, and fairly,” according to a Gallup poll. By a margin of three-to-one, Americans said the media are too liberal rather than too conservative.
Voters see the media as biased, liberal and too powerful, according to a Rasmussen poll. Just two in ten Americans say reporters try to offer unbiased coverage of political campaigns. A majority of voters believe, “The average reporter is more liberal than they are.” And two-thirds think the media have too much power and influence over government decisions.
Americans’ trust in the media has plummeted to an all-time low and only about a quarter of Americans say that news organizations are not politically biased, according to a Pew Research Center poll.
Independent research supports Americans lack of trust in the media. A UCLA study rated 18 of 20 major news outlets as more liberal than the average American voter.
According to Investor’s Business Daily, journalists contributed 15 times more money to Democrats than Republicans during the 2008 election cycle. And journalists who gave to President Obama outnumbered those who contributed to Sen. McCain by 20-to-1.
A study by the nonpartisan Center for Media and Public Affairs found that network news programs gave President Obama more than three times the coverage that they gave former President George W. Bush early in their presidencies.
Although Americans lack confidence in the media, our founders rightly recognized the importance of a free press and established this right through the First Amendment to the Constitution. Members of the MFC strongly support freedom of the press and do not support any efforts to undermine that right.
Through the Media Fairness Caucus, members of Congress utilize their own First Amendment rights to confront media bias and to encourage American citizens to do the same. Using speeches on the floor of the House of Representatives, op-eds and letters to the editor, social networking, and other channels, members of the MFC work to highlight media bias at the national level and promote an open dialogue between national media and elected officials.
All true reform starts with the voice of the people. The Media Fairness Caucus’ goal is to give a voice to millions of Americans who feel the media has let them down.
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51 Comments
"All true reform starts with the voice of the people. The Media Fairness Caucus’ goal is to give a voice to millions of Americans who feel the media has let them down."
Congressman Smith,
Being originally from Texas, I salute you and commend your efforts. It is a step, in the right direction.
It is not only the media who has let US down. Granted, the Fourth Estate has abdicated theri responsibilty, and defected en masse' to another realm; yet the Congress as a whole has let US down.
I trust you to play a starring role in rectifying that problem as well.
Jefferson also said:
""A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government."
~ Jefferson ~
"…but to encourage the media to adhere to the highest standards of reporting and provide the American people with the facts, balanced stories and fair coverage of the news."
This obvious tenent of responsible adult behavior is TOTALLY missing at MSNBC. I know that's stating the obvious, but these are the same media mafia goons that champion the "Fairness Doctrine" and other leftist serving garbage.
As a Texan and more importantly as an American, thank you Rep. Smith.
Free and open diolouge threatens NO ONE, but those spreading disinformation, or those PUSHING a candidate with serious flaws. (like Obama – not "vetted" by the media – however McCain has – what? 8 houses? thanks m.s.media!)
"..I present a “most biased media story of the week” award regularly on the House floor."
Love that!
Until the journalist mix is more balanced the media will always be biased towards the left.
The only problem is, one a week isn't going to get it. You have NPR, MSNBC, CNN, NBC, Politico, Huffington, Daily KOS, and other high dollar, Leftist-backed Liberal institutions pumping propaganda 24/7. Its hundreds per week, and taking out 50 a year, while directionally correct, is not going to make a dent. Sorry, we need more.
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Congressman Smith, Thank you for your efforts. Our only weapon, as a citizenry, to thwart oppression by our elected officials, is information. That is, short of violent civil disobedience or outright armed rebellion. Without it, we lay prostrate and undefended to the whims of the minority. A completely free internet is the embodiment of that weapon. It is the reason Senator Elect Brown was elected. Unless free and open dialog is protected on all sides, those who would see us slip into a third world status will do so.
.
No bail outs for corrupt media — ever!
The media created Obama and did not vet him to the public during the election. We are now stuck with him and
people are abandoning both Obama and the media for lying to us all.
Those of us who knew Obama was even farther left than Senator Bernie Sanders, avowed socialist from VT, could only look on horrified and appalled as the MSM turned over every rock in Wasilla, AK to avoid looking at Obama.
This is the media's president. We cannot photoshop Obama off our TV, but we can personally boycott channels and sponsors and support Congressman like Smith.
Liberals have to use deceit to get elected because their ideas are still the same recycled fraud.
.
Well done Mr. Smith! It sounds a bit like, Brent Bozell’s “Media Research Center,” exposing hypocrisy in the press. We all must rise against government tyranny, “all hands on deck.”
Sir :
I commend you fully. Keep up the great work!
That's just what I was thinking. Here's hoping AB can get into the TV News business. Maybe to replace the AlGore's and PMSLSD's failing slots. I think it would be great if the very young and elderly, who generally do not come to sites like this, could be exposed to the truth for once (I know, Fox covers SOME things). The only problem is weaning them from reliance on CNN, the old Big Three and their local papers.
I saw Senator Kusinich [sp?] threatening O Rielly with bringing back the Fairness Doctrine just last night. I think that some of these people just need a good ol ass wuppin now and again.
I think, and recent poll numbers bear this out, that Fox news has pretty much already done your job for you. The "Invisible Hand" of the marketplace has spoken, it would seem. Bring all the attention you want to the issue, but people will continue to seek out the programs that tell them what they want to hear. In many cases, that does not even remotely resemble the truth or hard facts.
In my humble opinion, you are merely attacking a symptom while the causal disease continues to rage out of control.
I was thinking the other day that we should have a nation wide mock funeral of the MSM. Just get a bunch of folks together in rented limos and drive around to your local TV stations/newspaper offices and have a moment of silence and leave some flowers on their doorsteps. Maybe black roses…
They certainly deserve some sort of spit in their collective faces.
Bravo for your fine work, Congressman Smith!
What has become most disturbing about the mainstream media is that there is no longer even a pretense – if there ever was in the first place – of keeping their Leftist views out of their news reports. It is advocacy journalism at its worst, with stories slanted, conveniently-left-out facts or quotes, questionably cropped photos or video, or arsenals of made-up statistics, that has completely obliterated the last shred of believability, such as it was. In some ways, I don't think it can be repaired; it's far too late for that, because for most Americans, the trust is long gone. It would take years upon years upon years of straight, no-frills, here-are-the-facts reporting, admissions of bias, and pledges never to repeat it to finally set it right. But I'm not optimistic at all, and frankly, I don't think the mainstream media is up to it.
Again, keep up your fine work, Congressman Smith! We need more like you in Congress.
Just the very fact that a Media Fairness Caucus (MFC) is needed in the very body that wrote the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, is telling of how far we have come from the Founding Father's intent.
Mr. Smith, I'm sure am glad you went to Washington. Thank you for your 1st amendment sensibilities.
Please kep those progressive 'free press' loving nitwits from the FCC away from our intrnet and our airwaves.
Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.
Thomas Jefferson
Is this Caucus going to increase the size or footprint of the government? Because if it is, I can not in good conscience endorse or support it. Period.
"Government is not the answer to the problem. Government IS the problem."
Ronald Wilson Reagan
I saw that too, he's a clown…he's a Congressman also. Thankfully he likes to run for president (hee hee) but not the Senate. Ohio isn't that crazy, and seems to be bending back middle of the road to conservative.
I'm proud to be represented by Lamar Smith. Thank you, Sir, from deep in the heart of Texas.
Folks, we do not have to worry too much. The poll proves that the Majority, the Vast Majority of Americans are not fooled. I think Lincoln said something about this like you can't fool all the people all the time. We now have MRC, Newsbusters, PJTV, BigJournalism etc. It is the Internet that has saved us from being spoonfed information. Back in the 70's I used to listen to Shortwave Radio whenever a big story broke. I would listen to the various stations from around the world. With very little practice you could filter out the nonsense and find the truth. When you have access to more information it is hard to be fooled, even by your own Government.
I'm not. I'm stuck next door in the 20th. We have that clown Gonzo. His father had the seat and now he has it. And unfortunately we'll have to pry it from his cold dead hands.
We do have a conservative (John Hall) running against him, but it will be a tough race. And you know San Antonio.
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Thanks to Breitbart, Beck; Krauthammer, et al, the People's media is quite well.
Thanks Congressman Smith, it is patriots like you and Breitbart, Beck, Fox news, and the internet that is saving America from becoming just another sluggish, no freedom,high-employment socialist distatorship. We thank you all from the bottom of our pea-pickin' hearts!
I'm not sure what to think about this. Start a website, produce a documentary, write a book, or anything else that you would like to get your message out to those who want to hear it, but stay far far away from news media. I get very nervous whenever someone in govt wants to tinker with the media under the guise of making it more honest and fair. Americans are smarter than govt gives us credit for. We can sort out fact from fiction for ourselves without any help from big govt ( no pun) thank you. We do not need the Media Fairness Caucus to hold our hands to make sure we get the story straight. If Congress wants us to be well informed then they should start by creating a bill that would end back room maneuvers and bring real transparency to govt.
Lesson for Obama:
If you keep your mouth shut, you'll never put your foot in it.
MSM joke of the week: After all that transpired this week, Diane Sawyer named ,Michelle Obama, the "Person of the Week".
Was it the new hair style? The 30 second commercial for Haiti relief?This optimizes how clueless the MSM truly is.
Good job Diane.
One lesson of history we should not forget. Even during the times of the revolutionary war people were inundated with propaganda and media bias. They did not have 250 cable channels or cell phones or the internet, and yet they managed to get the truth about what was really going on in the world. Look at China, Iran, Venezuela. Although their govts make great efforts to suppress information and replace it with propaganda, the people still manage to seek out the truth. People always will.
Getting the truth first requires that we can recognize the truth when we hear it. That talent is being sadly lost in today's world as is evidenced by the results of the last presidential election. I guess it's like any other skill, though. You must exercise it to keep it working properly. How? Turn down the noise, read a book, sit quietly for a time everyday, stop using drugs, show a little more respect for each other. That's what I do. And I can spot a liar from about a hundred yards away.
PLEASE NO MORE COMPLEX LAWS THAT NO ONE UNDERSTANDS INCLUDING THE WRITERS. FAIR/EQUAL/BALANCE BROADCASTING IS NOT POSSIBLE. HOW MANY GROUPS ALL CLAIMING A VOICE WOULD THEIR BE. TRY A SIMPLE TRUTH IN BROADCASTING AND ADVERTISING/POLITICAL SPEECH LAW AND THE LET THE PEOPLE MAKE UP THEIR MINDS ON ISSUES AND CANIDATES
Sorry for the error-thanks for the correction.
I can't believe that Billy O didn't respond to the threat. And if you want to answer that the guy is out to lunch, then why was he even on the show. He is either worthy of being on or not.
We need something like 'Face the Nation' for news anchors. They can try to explain Gibson's never having heard of the Acorn scandle or zero covdrage of Vann Jones and the rest of the plethora of communists in the White House, Mapes five year obsession with Bush's service record viv a vis zero interest iin any of Obama's records and associations. Church fire in Wasilla, not a story but lets get Todd's former partner's divorce records unsealed. I would love to see these clowns on the hot seat. It would be hilarious and expose them as the news reading frauds they are.
The 2008 election was when any pretense of an un-biased MSM was blatantly exposed
Their (The Progressives) premise of having “Rocked the children to sleep” mentality, backfired on them, the sound of truth and exposure of the bullies with dirty diapers in Washington along with its information outlets, have awakened the sleepy eyed to the cold hard reality, that mommy and daddy don’t reside in DC, neither does God!!!! The ones who were in the deepest sleep and were rudely awakened by the revelations of the hidden truth, are the most pissed, that they so blindly followed those they trusted!!! The Peoples belief in a “Higher power”, is the human instinct that is used against the unsuspecting, who are seeking governorship!!!! They believe in greater laws beyond mans making, when man makes laws, the greater law obligates them to follow all laws, thus empowering those with totalitarian ambitions!!!
I think he said if Congress wants to take him (O'Reilly), then bring it on, or something to that effec. These Democrats are evil, but not stupid (well not ALL of them) they'll lie in the tall weeds ans wait for their next opprotunity to steal our freedoms. Watch.
Hey, Brown won a "blue seat", there's some hope, maybe kinda? I lived in Austin in years – first old what's his name – LBJ's buddy – now Doggett, who got chased around a town hall by pissed off Austinites – so there's a little hope. Kinda.
I live in El Paso now – for school, and I hope to return to Austin to work for the GOP and bring some "regular guy – non-country clubber" attitude to the Texas GOP. We'll see.
He is indeed one of the better "apples."
Boy, are you ever onto something there! Good comment, John!
LIz, that was great! As a former editor of my school paper, one of the main tenets of journalism was to make sure your report covered Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Most of the stories today leave off a great many of those, and ooze over to "opinion." Unless you are writing an Editorial, opinion should not enter the report.
The MSM, which is flailing, needs to be allowed to drown in the sea of their own making.
Just this week I spoke with a senior lady whose name I don't even know. She told me that the whole "Healthcare Issue" had done nothing but confuse her. Here she was, on Medicare, using a walker, and she had absolutely no idea as to how any of Obamacare would affect her.
That is patently ridiculous. The facts should be laid out – clearly and CONCISELY – so that citizens – are privy to the truthful effects of the bills before D.C.
"When in the course of Human events"……this simple begining to the Declartion of Independence there exists the sum total of what is occuring today. The people of this Nation have awoke. They see the problem, and in the same spirit that launched this great and noble enterprise, they are once again stepping forward and affirmativley shouting…we have had enough! This is America, not Europe. We severed the bonds with that conitnent two-hundred plus years gone by. Democrats, Republicans and anyother proposed ideology take note, we the people have an inner sense as to what is the correct course for the Nation, and if any party drifts too far outside this course, we the people will right the ship of state. God Bless America!
Exactly. We are no longer a nation of people who think for themselves. We've become lazy and want someone else to do our thinking for us.
How can you even begin to think about scolding and regulating the media, when the President of the US (not just this one) goes on TV and makes promises he has no intentions of keeping, and in general bold face lies through his teeth with a big smile?
That's the point sensible!
It hasn't been pointed out for 2 years now by the LSM. It wasn't until this recent Obama mandate Mass-acre that the lame stream media acknowledged they were trying to figure out what was actually going on in the world they pretend to understand and keep us informed about.
I think you're a member of the Ellie Light astroturf column.
I always feel such satisfaction after I've voted for my representative, Lamar Smith.
Mr. Smith,
Thanks for your work on our behalf. The commenters on this site have been concerned for a while that one of the next big bailouts will be the Progressive/Liberal/Democrats' bailout of their PR firm – the MSM media. We The People have been "voting" with our wallets, and it would be a total travesty if our tax dollars are used to bailout those we have deemed unworthy of our money.
By the way, I have participated in your "Phone Town Halls," and I fully agree with your tireless fight against amnesty for people who broke the law to enter this country.
Thank you, Sir, for your work on our behalf.
Holy cow James! I haven't chatted with you since the whole Polanski thing. How ya doing? Still with the future ex?
As far as this a$$clown we call a congressman "representing" us here in the 20th, we can only pray that he get's dethroned. He is arrogant beyond belief. He actually told the people at our last town hall meeting that the Constitution was a guideline. I almost threw up.
I took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution when I joined the military along with a huge portion of this city's residents and this man had the audacity to call it a guideline. I walked out on the meeting. I couldn't stomach it.
I was wondering how may points the Boston Globe has Martha Coakley up by today?
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