SEIU's newest hire, Teddy Davis, with impeached ex-President

In light of this story today, what are we to make of this story by Ken Paulson, the president of the Newseum?

At a time when America seems polarized over virtually every major issue, there’s one thing that politicians of all persuasions can agree on: The media are biased.

One side argues that the media have gone soft on the Obama administration; the other side maintains that the coverage has been unfairly negative and destructive.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that 60% of Americans believe that news organizations are politically biased. Only 29% said the news media generally get the facts right.

Has there ever been a time in American history when the news media were held in such low regard?

Sure. Pretty much since the birth of this nation.

Wait! Here comes the good part: (more…)

Would you pay to read the MSM?  Not if you’re like most people, according to this AP report of a Pew Research study:

Getting people to pay for news online at this point would be “like trying to force butterflies back into their cocoons,” a new consumer survey suggests.

That was one of several bleak headlines in the Project for Excellence in Journalism’s annual assessment of the state of the news industry, released Sunday.

There’s more: (more…)

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. (more…)

The media have an inadequate understanding of religion. This simple fact is corroborated frequently, as mainstream outlets attempt to illustrate stories, explain religious themes and delve deep into faith-based systems.  Unfortunately, most outlets miss the mark entirely, as journalists do not have proper understanding of the constructs through which they are attempting to report.  As a result, the American public suffers a lack of pointed and well-presented information on a subject that stands at the forefront of important global and domestic issues.

Case in point, Christiane Amanpour’s 2007 CNN mini-series entitled, “God’s Warriors.”  The three-part series delved into the world’s three largest religions – Christianity, Judaism and Islam.  As is typical of the secular media, an enhanced level of relativism led the Iranian-bred Amanpour (born in London to a Persian family) to equate “extremism” within and among adherents to the three religions.  While each belief system has had moral failures, equating the deaths as a result of radical Islamic fascism to those of contemporary Christianity and Judaism is absurd.  Furthermore, as is the case when journalists attempt to cover religion, Amanpour left out essential details that would have provided a more fair-minded picture. (more…)