Syndicated Journalist a Poster Child for Media Bias or Simply Mediocre?

by Mikael Rudolph ImpeachforPeace.org



Much of the American media has apparently grown so accustomed to regurgitating ‘creative’ White House press releases that when handed a fact, they seem incapable of recognizing it for what it is. ‘War is peace? Love is hate? Sure, we’ll buy it and make a buck on the resale!’

A most recent example is how so many mainstream, corporate news hounds have yet to come to understand that the majority of American citizens want impeachment according to the last week’s American Research Group Poll. This national poll is the first done on the issue of impeachment since one done by CNN in August/September of 2006 (Scroll down or search ‘impeach’ to find these poll results).

An essay by syndicated columnist Steve Chapman published today, entitled: ‘Bogus Claims of Bigotry’, tosses out the grossly inaccurate statement “Conyers has, after all, endorsed the impeachment of President Bush, which even most liberals reject”.

Mr. Chapman wrote these words despite the fact that the American Research Group poll referenced above revealed that 76% of Democrats support the impeachment of Cheney and 69% favor Bush’s impeachment. Independents also are shown to favor Cheney’s impeachment 51%-29% and support Bush’s impeachment 50%-30%. Overall, Cheney’s impeachment is strongly desired by a 54%-40% ratio among all adults polled and Bush’s impeachment is favored by a more narrow 46%-44% of all voters polled.

Assuming Mr. Chapman actually is an unencumbered journalist, writing from his own understanding rather than being surreptitiously on the ‘Armstrong Williams payroll’ from the Bush Administration, then perhaps his readers should inform him that 76% and 69% do represent a majority and whether he is just bad at math or adroit at Orwellian doublespeak, the effect is the same.

He and far too many of his cohorts in the media are failing their audiences miserably in their responsibilities as members of the ‘Fourth Estate’.

Mr. Chapman, the stakes are far too high. We need you. Please pay stricter attention to the facts and disconnect yourself from simply mainlining and passing on the ‘company line’. We would like to assume you are committed to and capable of rising above it.