Atlanta Paper Responds to Concerns About Bias, Becomes ‘Fairer’

Wednesday's Example of Media Bias - March 11, 2009

Questions

1. Are you surprised that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has acknowledged that there is liberal bias in its news reporting? Explain your answer.

2. Read the following responses to the Journal's attempts to address reader opposition to bias in news reports.
a) What is the main point of the three reader comments?
b) Do you agree with the comments? Explain your answer.
c) Show a parent the "Types of Media Bias" list. Ask him/her to identify any types of bias he/she has noticed in your local paper.

"I don't think it's about adding a 'conservative' or 'liberal' journalist per se, I just think it's about being objective and unbiased in the reporting. Report the story as it is, inform the public, don't inject opinion, and let the public decide."
"...saying that they think bringing one conservative to the EDITORIAL page shows how absolutely tone-deaf this paper is as to why nobody reads it anymore."
"That would be awesome, to return to a time when reporters and journalists actually just DID THEIR JOBS, and let us simple-minded folks come to our own conclusions."