leejo

One of many such stories that the bloggers are bringing to the fore:

http://www.zombietime.com/sf_rally_s..._a_photograph/

Faultline

Nice find. Why can't journalists just cover the story, if there is one...?

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rs_al

He accuses the SFGate of not covering enough, yet he would generate an entire stupid conspiracy theory based on a t-shirt? (RED SHIRT = COMMUNIST!!!!!!!). Furthermore, a few protesters carrying a flag also implies the entire procession is based around palestine? He doesn't include any other photos of the protest on that page (although he has plenty), his photos concentrate on the flags and the woman in front. The blogger even has an extended photo gallery of the event- and you'll notice that indeed, he is focusing on a small portion of the event while the SFC story was actually covering the entire event. Because the SFC did not document that a 3 people at an event of thousands may have been fans of Palestine, they are not telling you the whole story?

Basically, he does the same thing he accuses SFGate of doing, only he piles on a bunch of conjecture all leading up to some kind of ridiculous accusation that the San fran chronicle has some secret communist agenda.

Why won't the media cover this? Because it's retarded! The SFC ran an article about a protest, and they chose one small photo of one person at the rally. He is bashing the SFC for not providing more information about the group around that one woman at the rally... but WHY!?

I could turn this right back against him. I could cite this blogger for not covering the secret tree-hugging hippy agenda! OBVIOUSLY, ZOMBIE IS IN LEAGUE WITH THE HIPPIES AND HE ISNT TELLING YOU THE WHOEL STORY!!!!@!oneone

Stop.
Think.
Read the real story (which the truth-telling blogger neglects to link to- must have slipped his mind).

leejo

That would be your opinion, of course. I've read the article (thanks for posting the link) and continue to believe this blogger has done us a service by showing how the image's context was cropped away to eliminate some facts that may have alientated (a few) SF Gate readers from the message at the heart of the image they chose to show.

More thoughts on media bias today: http://www.americanthinker.com/artic...rticle_id=5078

Addict

I'm not much moved or impressed by the zombietimes article.

He might as well have just said "Don't judge a book by its cover", or an article by one photo in it, or an event by one article by one paper. Gee thanks.... I'm... underwhelmed....

I don't know, just seems way overthought for a single picture, used for a few hours on their website, admittedly chosen on criteria that ranged beyond the pictures ability to convey the entire article in one shot(as if any picture COULD)... much ado about nothing?

leejo

Well, I think if it were an isolated incident, you'd be correct that it's much ado about nothing. What frustrates many people, including me, is the constant slant in reporting. Murtha's condemnation of the Iraq war gets front page coverage but Lieberman's assessment is buried? Bush's National Guard service is examined ad nauseum by the big press but the swift boat allegations are virtually ignored?

Etc. etc. etc. etc.

Last week I happened to catch a few seconds of MSNBC's coverage of the Tookie appeal to the Governator for clemency. The headline running across the bottom of the screen was "Governor Asked To Save Prisoner's Life" (I think - I didn't write it down and can't find confirmation). Not an unbiased "Governor Petitioned To Commute Sentence" or right-slanting "Convicted Murderer Tries To Avoid Death Penalty" but rather the story was cast as one in which the governor was deciding whether to save a life or order take-out for dinner.

Steeler

There is nothing factually or even rhetorically untrue about that statement. I'm tired of political zealots crying foul when someone reports something in a way that doesn't fit within their narrow political preference. I listen to CBS 8080 news every morning in the car, and they frequently characterize issues and persons in ways that I think are silly or one-sided. That doesn't mean that they are part of a conservative conspiracy or a communist conspiracy, or a Spanish conspiracy or a conspiracy of "Apprentice" fans.

Everybody has a bias. Good journalism is overcoming bias, like a Vulcan overcomes his emotions. (Star Trek reference!) Bad journalism is giving in to bias because you think you need to "even out the score."

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Faultline

I didn't fall in love with the blog either. In fact, I only read part of it. My conclusion is why is it necessary to crop and edit photos to take things out of context for your story. That's just silly.

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leejo

I didn't say that it was factually or rhetorically untrue, I'm saying that it's *spun* to the left. Just as nothing is factually or rhetorically untrue about cropping that photograph, or pasting John Murtha all over the front page as a celebrated war hero and elder statesman without mentioning his involvement in the ABSCAM affair in an effort to offer a "balanced" picture of his career.

I agree that good journalism overcomes bias. Problem is, there is precious little good journalism going on these days.

Addict

LOL.

But yeah, everyone has some bias, and that includes journalists. Still, I do like the abundant available sources online about any subject. Reading a few different takes on things helps balance out some of the bias.