Often in today's conflict-oriented world of public opinion, we hear spokespersons from opposite points of view complaining about "media bias." Conservatives today often complain that the media, (newspapers, television networks, magazines, and so on), is biased in favor of liberal viewpoints. On the other hand, liberals, in similar fashion, often contend that their views are either suppressed or inaccurately represented by conservative publishers. Since I am often comparing what we see in today's world to what we saw in earlier times, I am moved to take on this difficult subject of journalism, news reporting and editorial opinion writing, in the times we live in now, as well as in earlier days of my lifetime.
Probably the issue of objective news reporting has always been out there as a concern. Some people advocate more of a "the facts and only the facts" approach to news reporting. This reminds me of the old Joe Friday crime-fighting radio show and its later TV counterpart. "Dragnet" portrayed crime-solving episodes from the Los Angeles Police Department during the 1940s and 1950s. I remember Detective Friday often telling people he was interviewing, "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts!"
With that kind of reporting, the emphasis is on what happened, who was involved, when and where did the incident take place, in what setting, what laws were broken, if any, and what charges would be leveled against those who broke the law. Objective reporting sought not to presume guilt (or innocence) on the part of a person accused of wrongdoing, but simply to report the charges along with a factual recounting of the incident which gave rise to the charges.
As I recall earlier times, liberal newspapers, like the old Arkansas Gazette, were as likely to emphasize objectivity in news reporting as were other publications, very possibly more so. Liberal thinking emphasized the intellectual pursuit of truth, in all areas and dimensions of life, with a commitment to avoid propaganda, prejudice or the force of common presumptions or opinions. This of course is quite different from today's common conservative portrayal of liberalism as mostly propaganda for a left-leaning ideology.
Another issue for media outlets is that of perceived leanings, whether left or right. Of course, newspapers, magazines and radio and television networks have always had their own priorities and editorial opinions. In fact, in newspapers, the idea of an editorial page is to provide the forum where the editor (and the publisher) can expound on the viewpoints they hold regarding issues of the day. Some readers value certain newspapers because they are representative voices for conservative views, or because they effectively represent liberal viewpoints. Some readers, (and I confess to liking this idea), enjoy reading several newspapers written from differing points of view, believing that this provides us with meaningful information for shaping our own thinking on issues. Other readers, once they have basically formed their outlook on issues of the day, tend to choose a newspaper or a TV outlet that will support and reinforce their views.
Some readers seem to be upset if they have to hear or read opinions they don't like. For example, if the newspaper publishes a letter to the editor in support of the policies and actions of our current national administration, they are likely to receive letters objecting to the publishing of those ideas they disagree with. This often includes accusations that the newspaper is biased in favor of those views. This becomes not so much a matter of balance, in which one might compare the number of published liberal contributors against the number of conservative writers, but a matter of whether or not the subscriber sees the newspaper as supporting his views. Sometimes it appears that the inclusion of even one columnist of an opposing viewpoint is interpreted by certain readers as prejudice and bias on the part of the newspaper.
I'm thinking about the major current newspaper in Arkansas, now known as the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Despite its name, derived from its predecessor newspapers, our Democrat-Gazette is a Republican-leaning newspaper. Even in earlier times, when the Arkansas Democrat and the Arkansas Gazette were big competitors for readers in Arkansas, the Democrat was basically identified as the conservative paper, and the Gazette was known as the state's leading liberal newspaper. So, it becomes astonishing today to see the occasional angry conservative letter to the editor, (reacting to publication of a column by Gene Lyons or John Brummett), which accuses the Democrat-Gazette of being a "liberal" newspaper. How shall we get a full understanding of issues if we are only willing to listen to one side? What a pity if our understanding of liberals comes only from their ardent opponents, or if our understanding of conservatives comes only from their critics!
•••
Editor's note: Jerry Nichols, a native of Pea Ridge, is an award-winning columnist, a retired Methodist minister with a passion for history. He is vice president of the Pea Ridge Historical Society. He can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected], or call 621-1621.
Editorial on 09/07/2016