When media is too liberal

WASHINGTON – The Media Research Center has released its list of “The Best Notable Quotables of 2005,” deemed “The Eighteenth Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting” by the group; and some of the winning entries are simply astounding.

For those unfamiliar with it, MRC sends out regular pamphlets of “Notable Quotables” to members of the media and various subscribers throughout the year. I often enjoy leafing through the mailings and nodding my head in disgust. But looking back, this year has been perhaps more depressing than I realized – MRC has found some major gaffs from media giants and seems to have taken another step closer to proving that the media does indeed border on being an extension of the Democratic National Committee far too often.

The 2005 “Quote of the Year” award goes to this ulcer-inducing exchange between longtime CBS producer Mary Mapes and ABC's Brian Ross:

Reporter Brian Ross: "Mary Mapes was the woman behind the scenes, the producer who researched, wrote and put together Dan Rather’s 60 Minutes report on President Bush’s National Guard service, a report which Rather and CBS would later apologize for airing...."
Ross to Mapes: "Do you still think that story was true?"
Ex-CBS producer Mary Mapes: "The story? Absolutely."
Ross: "This seems remarkable to me that you would sit here now and say you still find that story to be up to your standards."
Mapes: "I’m perfectly willing to believe those documents are forgeries if there’s proof that I haven’t seen."
Ross: "But isn’t it the other way around? Don’t you have to prove they’re authentic?"
Mapes: "Well, I think that’s what critics of the story would say. I know more now than I did then and I think, I think they have not been proved to be false, yet."
Ross: "Have they proved to be authentic though? Isn’t that really what journalists do?"
Mapes: "No, I don’t think that’s the standard."

Perhaps more disturbing, if only because it comes from a source deemed credible by so many (including myself) whereas Ms. Mapes has been thoroughly discredited, is the “...Save This Court from Extremists Award” winner:

"An Advocate for the Right."
— Headline over a New York Times "news analysis" of Judge John Roberts’ judicial philosophy, July 28.

vs.

"Balanced Jurist at Home in the Middle."
— Headline over a June 27, 1993 New York Times story on Supreme Court nominee Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Amusing as it may be to read these quotes, the reality they collectively unveil is extremely troubling. And while such excerpts may seem anecdotal – and the temptation may be to dismiss MRC – this is merely further proof of what a UCLA study recently confirmed: the media leans horrifically to the left. It isn't even necessarily intentional at this point in time – it is just the habitual culture of newsrooms.

There is an old anecdote about a New York Times writer who bemoaned the landslide election of Richard Nixon by commenting that such was impossible, as she didn't know a single person who had voted for him.

Maybe it's time for reporters to start meeting America's voters.