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From: hingston@bnrmtv.UUCP (Joe Hingston)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
Subject: Media Bias
Message-ID: <729@bnrmtv.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Sep-86 12:00:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: bnrmtv.729
Posted: Thu Sep 25 12:00:14 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Sep-86 18:55:47 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: Bell Northern Research, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 107

There has been a lot of discussion as to whether the Media
in the USA is biased toward the right or the left.  It is
my contention that there is a bias.  One form this bias takes
is emphasizing abuses of the left while ignoring abuses of the
right.  I know that it is bad form to use facts to back up a
contention (:-)) but ...


This information is from "The Real Terror Network" by Edward Herman.
Copyright 1982, South End Press.
It shows the tendency of the mass media, in this case the
New York Times to emphasize human rights abuses by the left
rather than the right.  The period covered in the study is from
1/1/76 to 6/30/81.  (so it is not up to date, the trend has most
likely not changed since then.)

Individual                      Frequency of            Frequency of
by name and                     mention                 intensive
occupation                                              coverage


Heri Akhmadi                    0                       0
student leader
Indonesia

Dom Helder Camara               4                       0
Archbishop
Brazil

Dom Pedro Casaldaliga           0                       0
Bishop
Brazil

Enrique Alvarez Cordova         2                       0
Political leader
El Salvador

Father Luis Espinel             0                       0
Bolivia

Father Carlos Galvez            1                       0
Guatemala

Alexander Ginzburg              68                      2
Writer
Soviet Union

Muhammed Heikal                 8                       0
Journalist
Egypt

Father Francesco Jentel         0                       0
Brazil

Jose Luis Massera               5                       0
Mathematician
Uruguay

Zelmar Michelini                5                       0
Politician
Uruguay

Yury Orlov                      70                      2
Scientist
Soviet Union

Ananta Toer Pramoedya           0                       0
Writer
Indonesia

Oscar Romero                    36                      1
Archbishop
El Salvador

Father Stanley Rother           0                       0
Guatemala

Andrei Sakharov                 223                     8
Scientist
Soviet Union

Anatoly Shcharansky             138                     5
Writer
Soviet Union

Luis Silva                      3                       0
Trade Union Leader
Brazil

Lech Walesa                     81                      4
Trade Union Leader
Poland


Frequency of mention is based on a count of number of times
mentioned in the NEW YORK TIMES INDEX.

Frequency of intensive coverage is defined as where the subject
is mentioned six or more times during any consecutive 30 day
period.


Joe Hingston
HASA - S Division

Q. How could these thoughts be anyone's but my own?
A. For a small licensing fee.