Michael Parenti's book Inventing Reality was a very interesting and enlightening read. It is also notable that it was written during Reagan's time and before the fall of the Soviet Union. The Soviet scare tactics used by the media was a large theme of the book, given the time. Overall, the book explained what it claimed on the cover "The Politics of the Mass Media". A lot of the book and the overall gist is already recognized by anyone who pays any attention; the media is very biased against the left. It's also amazing that the right says things like the "liberal media"! I am wanting to read a book by Anne Coulter, a popular right-winger, about things like this. I can't understand where they would get their arguement from other than, "The media sometimes lets some story slip by questioning a war's efficiency (not questioning the purpose of the war, remember), therfore the media is liberal. If it was fair and balanced, the left would never have a chance to spoil our fair and balanced media with their communist ideas." I made the following semi-chart to find out if the media would have a right-wing bias. Feel free to use it when trying to figure out if there is a bias of any media you are uncertain about:
Are right wingers usually the 1. corporate elite, or the 2. laboring people?
Is the media in question owned, operated, subsidized and funded by number 1. or number 2. ?
If the media is owned by number 1. , it should have the view of the corportate elite.
If the media is owned by number 2. , it should have the laboring people.
The chart might get a little confusing, but once you've used it a few times, you should get the hang of it!
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