Media Matters for America, a liberal media watch dog organization, has released an analysis of sourcing patterns of religious leaders in news coverage. From the intro to the report:
Religion is often depicted in the news media as a politically divisive force, with two sides roughly paralleling the broader political divide: On one side are cultural conservatives who ground their political values in religious beliefs; and on the other side are secular liberals, who have opted out of debates that center on religion-based values. The truth, however is far different: close to 90 percent of Americans today self-identify as religious, while only 22 percent belong to traditionalist sects. Yet in the cultural war depicted by news media as existing across religious lines, centrist and progressive voices are marginalized or absent altogether.
In order to begin to assess how the news media paint the picture of religion in America today, this study measured the extent to which religious leaders, both conservative and progressive, are quoted, mentioned, and interviewed in the news media.
Among the study's key findings:
* Combining newspapers and television, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed in news stories 2.8 times as often as were progressive religious leaders.
* On television news -- the three major television networks, the three major cable news channels, and PBS -- conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed almost 3.8 times as often as progressive leaders.
* In major newspapers, conservative religious leaders were quoted, mentioned, or interviewed 2.7 times as often as progressive leaders.
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I'm sure that the media are drawn to the provocative positions and statements of the conservative religionists. The media love a juicy quote and a we-they confrontation, but this is not simply a media bias story. The conservatives are savvy, sometimes, in being provocative in order to get their message out and stir up their base. However, the party who really needs to answer for this study, though, is the progressives. If they are offended by the messages and tactics of the conservatives, then they need to step up and be heard. I see the atheists, libertarians and social liberals confronting the fundamentalists/evangelicals in the media, but I rarely hear the mainstream christians complaining publicly that they are co-opting the Christian position.
but I rarely hear the mainstream christians complaining publicly that they are co-opting the Christian position.
Posted by: Ex-drone | January 17, 2008 7:30 AM
I really liked all of your comment Ex-drone. I am a Christian and have been for 30 years. I think I would call myself mainstream. The post was really good too! I think a lot of times you need to try to figure out what the motivation of the one talking is, as both of you guys did.
The media wants to sell commercials and raise ratings. If it causes strife but accomplishes those goals they may not care.
Being in the middle of the God and science debate what impresses me most is when someone can keep a cool head. When the dust settles that will be remembered and they retained the right to be heard again, and can be considered a "reasonable and fair" person that people on both sides are at least willing to give a chance to talk.
The Christians are supposed to love everybody and everyone seems to respond to being respected, regardless of what their position on a certain topic is. So, the formula is there for peaceful discussion. The problem seems to be in the fact that fallible human beings are the ones playing the game.
Dave Briggs :~)