Recently in Media Category

I used to have a lot of respect for ABC's Charlie Gibson, believing him to be one of the more level headed and impartial newscasters out there. But after his heavily edited interview with Sarah Palin aired, and transcripts if the entire interview became public, it showed him (or his editors) worked very hard to paint a picture of Sarah Palin that fit the narrative of the Democratic Party. They did not create an impartial vehicle as they should have. It will be very difficult for ABC to claim they didn't change the meaning of any of her responses with their editing.

It is "gotcha" interviews like this one that made Glenn Reynolds suggest to anyone being interviewed by the media , and specifically politicians or wannabe politicians, to bring their own camera. If nothing else it will keep the media honest because it will be possible to refute any creative editing they may perform. Out of context quotes will be able to be put back into context with the release of the interviewees own video.

More on the bring-your-own-camera meme at Instapundit.

New Hampshire Republican activist Ray Chadwick offers us a guide to cut through the media bias he sees in regards to Democrats versus Republicans and the upcoming elections. A few examples:

Communicating one's beliefs: Republicans are "pandering to their base"; Democrats are "articulating their vision."

Sticking to one's beliefs: Republicans are "inflexible"; Democrats are "principled."

Changing one's mind: Republicans "flip-flop"; Democrats "evolve" and "adopt a more nuanced position."

Scandals: Republicans "must resign (for the good of their party)"; Democrats "engage in private behavior" that "doesn't affect job performance."

I have a small issue with the third one, though. To quote John Maynard Keynes, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" Though it seems to me that too many Democrats are the ones unwilling to change their minds when exposed to the facts of one situation or another. Is that really what it means to "adopt a more nuanced position"?

The double standard becomes quite apparent when looking at these few examples. There are plenty more to be seen in Chadwick's op-ed piece and well worth reading.