We live in strange times. The term “Tabloid Media” used to mean publications like the National Enquirer and The Star. Now it means the New York Times and all the major news networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) as well as cable news stations MSNBC and CNN.
Just to be clear, I rarely read/watch any of these. And when I do, it is with a critical eye and ear. These newspapers and media channels have become positively smarmy in their coverage (eg what we’ve seen this week with coverage of the pregnancy of Palin’s teenage daughter). They are overtly biased and downright rabid in pursuit of the political agendas of their editorial staff and/or respective publishers.
In short, they are not to be trusted. Primarily because they claim to HAVE no bias, which is so laughable it ends the whole debate right there. I’d rather read/watch a biased account from a publication/station that makes no attempt to hide the political views of its editors/producers than read/watch a biased account from a publication that claims to be neutral.
In the first case, I know what I’m getting and can more easily separate the wheat from the chaff. In the second case, well… I can’t even take them seriously enough to read/listen to their sensational, fundamentally dishonest headlines and story lead-ins.
