If you ever wonder where and how Fox got its first breathing space, here's an example of press bias--all quotes are paraphrases, as my TiVo is on strike. At about 11:50 am this morning, CNN's Daryn Kagan said, "Next, after the break, we will hear about the stem cell controversy." And then, as an afterthought, as if she thought someone was watching, Kagan added, "And we'll hear from the other side."
After the commercial, Kagan said that the anticipated next guest Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), perhaps the leading proponent of stem cell in the Senate, was suddenly unavailable--Congressional scheduling conflicts. Kagan vamped around for awhile, and then, after another commercial, she announced that they had Harkin on the remote, finally. Kagan asked the usual pro-forma questions, which Harkin answered. Kagan offered no serious pushback, content to let Harkin say his piece. Nothing wrong with that. But then, she said, "That's it for me, now to CNN World Report." In other words, there was no other side aired on CNN--only the pro-stem cell side.
So CNN was "fair"--to one side of a profound argument--but not "balanced." The point here is not only the merits or demerits of the stem cell issue, liberal v. conservative, science vs. faith. The point isn't even fairness on the issue--every news outlet has a First Amendment right to program whatever it wants. The real point is that argument, discussion, debate--that's much of what makes the news interesting and compelling to viewers, day in, day out.
And CNN wonders where its audience went.
(But, on a personal note, a congrats is in order--according to Wikipedia, she and Rush Limbaugh are expecting their first child in November '05.)
http://www.answers.com/topic/daryn-kagan
