Is the media really biased? You think it is, so that means it probably isn't.
The media is biased. It’s the one thing people on both sides of the aisle seem to believe. So, it’s probably safe to assume that belief is wrong. Poynter decided to ask a professor who’s been studying the issue by looking for examples of bias in presidential elections going back to 1948. What does he have to say? Basically, that we’re biased in favor of seeing bias: “There’s something called a hostile media effect. Basically whenever people are engaged in an issue — and there’s no one more engaged than a presidential candidate — they see coverage as biased against their position, no matter what is it.” And candidates complaining about media bias is almost as old as American media itself: “You can see complaints about the media in Jefferson’s writing … [he] wanted everyone to have a free press and then when he became president, he wanted to shut down the newspapers.”
+ As the Internet’s Managing Editor, I’ve posted a couple rip-roaringly compelling posts on this topic. I Think Therefore I am Biased: “Every story I pick is bias. Every word I write is bias. In case that’s not clear enough for people, I went so far as to make my head my logo.” And, yes The Media is Biased (in favor of stories that they can easily understand and that you’ll be likely to follow.)
Defiled Kingdom
According to a new study, the world is on track to lose two-thirds of wild animals by 2020. So this is the perfect time to join GQ’s Zach Baron as he heads a few miles north of San Diego, where “scientists are gathering up specimens of every living thing they can get their hands on in a last-ditch effort to save the planet from an unstoppable predator: us.”
+ The Guardian: SeaWorld penguin gets specially made wetsuit to counteract feather loss.
School Daze
“This is a tragedy. It is an outrage. And if deliberate, it is a war crime.” From NPR: Dozens Dead In What UNICEF Calls One Of The Worst School Bombings In Syria’s War. Meanwhile, Syria is running out of places to bury the dead.
+ In Mosul, hundreds of ISIS fighters have reportedly been killed. But civilians are getting caught in the crossfire, and ISIS is actively kidnapping people in nearby villages to use as human shields.
Feeling Good is Good Enough
“All the participants were told that the placebo was an inactive substance containing no medication. They were told that the body can automatically respond to placebos, that a positive attitude can help but isn’t necessary and that it was important to take the pills twice a day for the full three weeks.” Can a placebo work even if you know it’s a placebo?
+ And would you a push a button even though that button does nothing? From the NYT: Pushing that crosswalk button may make you feel better, but …
A Man Bites Downward Dog Story
“There is something deeply unnerving in hearing a fellow human, particularly one who claims to know something of the divine, expose himself this way. Like watching someone stab himself in the heart with a rusty nail, over and over again, and enjoy it.” It’s shocking that Bikram Choudhury is still in business (at least in India). It’s equally shocking that anyone bought his act in the first place. Kudos to the excellent team at Real Sports for getting this poser to show us all who he really is. Mark Morford shares the latest twist on Bikram’s downward dog downward spiral. Hopefully he ends up sweating it out in a jail cell.
What Do Football and Football Have in Common?
The Internet and on-demand streaming services have changed the TV landscape forever. Flipping channels and watching live-TV is a dying behavior with one exception: Live sports. But is that exception about to become part of the new rule? Executives at sporting leagues and TV networks are being confronted with two very troubling data points. From the NYT: “Viewership through the first seven weeks of the N.F.L. season is down by 12 percent in the United States while the audiences for Premier League soccer matches this season, which began in August, are down by nearly 20 percent in Britain.”
A Life Worth Reimbursing
When a court assesses the damages that must be paid when someone is wrongfully injured or killed, one of the key factors taken into account is the victim’s future earning potential. WaPo’s Kim Soffen takes you to a corner of the law where minorities and women are often valued less. (And it’s not the only corner…)
The Trump Show
“His ability to get the nomination clearly reflects the fact that voters are fed up with politicians. That does open the door for people like me who would like to run.” That’s Mark Cuban explaining what Donald Trump means for the future of politics. This theory totally underestimates what a uniquely talented media manipulator and attention-grabber Trump is. There won’t be another Trump campaign because there isn’t another Trump.
Vine is the New Vinyl
Twitter announced that they are closing down Vine. From Digg: Vine Is Dead, But Let Us Pray That These Great Vines Will Live On Forever. (An elegy in five parts.)
+ And here is one of my few Vines, and why I sort of blame myself.
Bottom of the News
New research suggests that Cannabis may enhance night vision. (Sorry, Stoners. You don’t have night vision. That’s just your fridge light.)
+ Meet the smartest dog in Hollywood.
