Tilt? The Search for Media Bias

Nine in ten Americans believe the media are biased. Trust in journalists ranks beneath that in lawyers, and even the media themselves regularly portray their own industry as slanted toward Democrats and liberals. These perceptions, however, do not coincide with reality, as David Niven reveals in his bold new take on an often-debated subject. Tilt? The Search for Media Bias presents the first comprehensive review of the charges, the evidence, and the effects, beginning with a simple but altogether overlooked premise: to measure media bias or fairness, one has to have a fair baseline with which to compare coverage. Using situations in which presidents, governors, mayors, and members of Congress from different political parties have produced the same results in office, Tilt? compares media coverage of Democrats and Republicans in situations in which they clearly deserved equal treatment.

The lack of evidence for partisan media bias is only part of the story. The media cover allegations of bias as if their industry has already been tried and convicted, while the American people readily accepted the premise that their main sources of information are selfishly slanted toward reporters' personal political agendas. Niven's findings, unmistakable and consistent, reveal that when the output of politicians is the same, media coverage follows-a conclusion that is as provocative as it is timely and necessary.

Preface: The "Communist, Pinko" Meida
Slanted Headlines: How the Media Cover Media Bias
Reporters and Car Salesmen: Public Opinion on the Media
The Jury Is Still Out: Academic Evidence on Media Bias
An Objective Test of Partisan Media Bias
Biases without Publicists: Negativity, Race, and Gender Bias in the News
The Partisans Who Cried Wolf: Implications of the Media Bias Claims, Coverage, and Reality
Postscript: Bias and Terror
Appendix
Bibliography
Index