Survey Reveals Left Slant in Media
by AFA Journal
July 23, 2004
(AgapePress) - A poll released in May showed that men and women who work as journalists in the mainstream media tend to be liberal, with moral and cultural views that are at odds with the general public.
Conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, the survey questioned journalists about their political and moral views. Participants in the poll were from well-known national media outlets, encompassing television (network and cable), radio, newspapers, magazines, and wire and news services.
When asked to identify their own personal political and cultural ideology, 20 percent of the general public said they were liberal, 41 percent moderate, and 33 percent conservative. However, the national media tilted dramatically away from the conservative label: only 7 percent said they held conservative views, while 34 percent self-identified as liberal and 54 percent moderate.
When it comes to the media, the "moderate" label makes conservatives suspicious. "I think some in the media think admitting to being liberal is politically incorrect, so the word 'moderate' becomes a substitute," said Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.
That suspicion was strengthened when members of the media were asked by Pew about their views on homosexuality. With 88 percent claiming to be either liberal or moderate, the full 88 percent said they believed homosexuality "should be accepted by society." Only 51 percent of the general public said they agreed with that statement, while 42 percent said homosexuality should be discouraged -- a statement with which only 5 percent of the national media agreed.
The issue of morality also demonstrated a wide gap between the media and the general public. When asked if belief in God is necessary to be moral, 58 percent of the public said they agree, and 40 percent said they disagree. However, those within the national media overwhelmingly disagree (91 percent), with only a fraction (6 percent) agreeing.
This article appeared in the July 2004 issue of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association.
