Media Bias: MSM Scrambles to Spin Ron Paul Win at CPAC
by nayjevin
Published on 02-12-2011 08:45 PM
Example formula from the ‘left’ media: ‘The GOP still has a small but loud contingent of hardcore conservatives.’
Spin analysis: (a) This statement aims to minimize the voice of the Ron Paul voters in question. The implication is that the ‘loudness’ is the strength — rather than the number of people — which is directly contrary to the very results being reported. Straw poll results of course are one-vote-per-person, so winners rely solely on strength in numbers, and none at all on loudness.
(b) Statement attempts to paint those voting for Ron Paul as members of that abstract group of ‘hardcore conservatives’ which leave a bad taste in the mouth of Average Joe of the Liberal Left. The statement, being devoid of true detail about the individual Ron Paul voters, aims to lull and confuse the reader into lazy abstract thinking. It hopes reader will think, ‘the conservatives which bother me most are the ones that are hardcore about X. These are the type of people being talked about here. Therefore the people who voted for Ron Paul are the hardcore, distasteful ones.’
We know better of course – that each person who voted for Ron Paul voted for his or her own reason. Further, each voter carries a unique set of beliefs which cannot be defined with a few broad brush statements.
Example formula from the ‘right’ media: ‘Disrespectful anti-patriot Ron Paul Supporters Heckle True Patriots and Spam Straw Poll. This did not prevent a strong showing from the front-runner.’
Spin Analysis: This example illustrates multiple tactics of bias. (a) The usage of ‘disrespectful’ and ‘anti-patriot’ aims to paint Ron Paul voters in a negative light from the outset. The hope is that the reader will again be lulled into unsafe thinking and loosely associate these supporters with distasteful abstractions such as burning flags.
(b) Part of it is laziness and lack of creativity, and part of it is an establishment mindset coupled with real political influence in media – but mainstream ‘right’ media has taken to acting as though frontrunners win even win they do not.
(c) When Ron Paul supporters can get the numbers of people together to achieve a straw poll victory, it is commonly portrayed by media as at best an anomoly, and at worst spamming or cheating. When another candidate of choice drums up support, it is more likely portrayed as a ‘strong showing’ which ‘cements his front-runner status.’
Conclusion:
Drawing rational and insightful conclusions from the voting data would require closer study than most journalists are willing to put forth. Even if they were – it is doubtful such study would be encouraged in the stagnant world of modern day mainstream news.
http://libertyclick.com/blog/in-the-...l-win-at-cpac/
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