{"id":478,"date":"2006-01-30T23:13:06","date_gmt":"2006-01-30T23:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicityhound.com\/blog\/?p=478"},"modified":"2025-06-12T18:01:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T18:01:10","slug":"what-you-can-do-to-fight-bias-in-the-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/marketing\/what-you-can-do-to-fight-bias-in-the-media\/","title":{"rendered":"What you can do to fight bias in the media"},"content":{"rendered":"

I just finished\u00a0reading the book “Bias—A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News<\/a>,”\u00a0written by former CBS correspondent\u00a0Bernard Goldberg and published about five years ago. It hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So do I think the media slant the news? I thought they did long before\u00a0Goldberg’s book. I’m a conservative who\u00a0has\u00a0worked in\u00a0newspaper newsrooms\u00a0for 22 years and much of what I saw and heard\u00a0about media bias falls in line with what Goldberg has written—only it wasn’t as blatant.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

People who refuse to recognize media bias\u00a0probably won’t\u00a0bother reading this book. As for the rest of you,\u00a0here are eight ways to fight back.\u00a0This list, by the way, is as effective for Democrats, liberals\u00a0and others who\u00a0think the media slant the news to the right.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Complain to the media brass at offending TV stations, magazines and newspapers and go as high up the ladder as you can.\u00a0Sinking ratings for programs like the evening news shows petrify the networks.\u00a0And newspaper publishers are watching their circulation and paid advertising plummet so low that many of the big papers are laying off newsroom employees—again. I blogged about how to complain here<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  2. If you’re tuning out, let them know.\u00a0If you’re canceling your subscription or pulling your advertising from places like your daily newspaper, say so. Media success is all about\u00a0ratings, circulation and advertising. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  3. If you want a newspaper to continue covering you and you’re upset with the way you’ve been treated, you can write a letter to the editor or an op-ed column. But even better, you can ask for a meeting with the newspaper’s editorial board.\u00a0(See “How to Use Newspaper & Magazine Editorial Pages<\/a>“.) \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  4. Complain to the companies that advertise with the offending media outlet(s). This is even more effective than complaining to the media brass. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  5. \u00a0Don’t forget to pitch the bloggers.\u00a0Religion stories, for example,\u00a0are particularly difficult to pitch to any section of a newspaper\u00a0other than the\u00a0religion page. One reason is because many journalists who work for mainstream media say in newswroom surveys that they don’t attend church services, so they often don’t see religious issues as very important.\u00a0But many bloggers\u00a0welcome religious topics. Bloggers also like linking to each other’s blogs, unlike traditional media which\u00a0quote each other only when they have to.\u00a0\u00a0Don’t forget about the Religion News Service<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  6. If the media have treated you unfairly, let the bloggers know. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  7. If you’re lucky enough to have a tape-recording or a written transcript of an interview you did with the media, you can fight back by posting it on your website, like\u00a0Overstock.com<\/a> President Patrick Byrne did following an interview with\u00a0BusinessWeek<\/a> e-commerce editor Timothy Mullaney—before the story was published on BusinessWeek’s magazine or on its website. You can read more about it here.<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n
  8. If you’re a conservative who can’t get your story into the mainstream media, you’ll find dozens of conservative talk radio shows and TV shows. If you’re a liberal who wants to complain about right-leaning media, you’ll find only a handful of\u00a0liberal talk radio shows.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0If you have other ways to fight back, let’s hear ’em.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I just finished\u00a0reading the book “Bias—A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News,”\u00a0written by former CBS correspondent\u00a0Bernard Goldberg and published about five years ago. It hit No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list.\u00a0 So do I think the media slant the news? I thought they did long before\u00a0Goldberg’s book. I’m a\u2026 Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","iawp_total_views":6,"wds_primary_category":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[630,29],"class_list":{"0":"post-478","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-marketing","7":"tag-media-bias","8":"tag-media-relations","9":"entry"},"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Joan Stewart","author_link":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/author\/jstewart\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41730,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478\/revisions\/41730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}