Real MSM biased reporting: sans Conspiracy Theories

I generally have a knee-jerk reaction against anyone who suggests that bias in MSM or Hollywood is depriving people, with a different political viewpoint or worldview, of news and entertainment they want to see. It smacks of paranoia over fascism and secret state police conspiracies.

That smear and taint affects any rational criticism of blatant bias, bias I was taught, as a fledging reporter, to avoid.

So, at the risk of being labeled a right-wing conspiracy nut case, let me highlight articles from three different national newspapers and let you decide. In the long run, the only defense from misrepresentation is to read the same story from several sources.

The articles are all about John Bolton’s first effort as UN Ambassador and amendments to a draft of UN reforms.

NYT paints the US (read, Bush) as a hypocrite (my word),

the United States ... sabotaging the effort to meet demands - many of them originating from Washington - that the institution reform itself to adjust to modern times and make its operations transparent and accountable.

WaPost has articles from two different reports, very different in tenor, proof that it isn’t just the editors. Two by Edith Lederer (here and here) are more or less neutral, the third by Colum Lynch is more like the NYT piece,

Less than a month before world leaders arrive in New York for a world summit on poverty and U.N. reform, the Bush Administration has thrown the proceedings in turmoil with a call for drastic renegotiation of a draft agreement

Finally, a commentary in the WaTimes casts a very different light on the issue and throws some of the innuendos of the NYT and WaPost into a tail spin,

It turns out that, during the months Mr. Bolton was being denied a Senate confirmation vote as the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, Kofi Annan's folks and those from other countries who tend to dominate U.N. deliberations (generally, undemocratic and unfriendly sorts) were organizing what might be described as a surprise party for President Bush. The idea was, when he turned up for a special summit meeting from September 14-16, to oblige him to sign on to the most far-reaching -- and outrageous -- U.N. agenda in years. He wouldn't be able to refuse at the last minute, lest he reinforce the rap that he is a "unilateralist cowboy."

I’ve always felt, and practiced, that the best tactic is the one that no one believes you would dare take.

Never let your opponent define the argument.