New York Times media columnist David Carr takes on the claims of the “liberal media conspiracy” in his column today. Carr notes that for decades, the “liberal media” has been blamed for political losses on the right. This is despite the fact that over that same period, the media itself has changed dramatically.
Let’s be fair. It’s not as if everyone who believes there is a liberal bias needs to be fitted for a tinfoil helmet. But the trope is losing traction, partly because there are many robust champions of the right, which gives conservatives the means to project their message far beyond the choir.
And of course, many of the news and information leaders are not particularly liberal t all:
Think about it. What is the No. 1 newspaper in America by circulation? Why, that would be The Wall Street Journal, a bastion of conservative values on its editorial pages and hardly a suspect when it comes to lefty news coverage. (Though it’s worth pointing out that the paper has published some very tough coverage of Mr. Romney.)
What about radio? Three of the top five radio broadcasters — Mr. Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and the recently departed Michael Savage — have outdrawn NPR’s morning and evening programs by a wide margin. In cable television, Fox News continues to pummel the competition.
It is an old trope, but one that doesn’t seem to hold up as it once did, when a small handful of news outlets controlled just about all the ens that everyone would see. Thanks to the internet, and stiff competition on traditional mediums, there are plenty of voices for every political persuasion.
Below, Carr tells us about his first big break in the journalism business.