Ich Muss Razzen

[stoutfellow]

Rasmussen Reports fairly consistently produces results more favorable to the Bush administration and to Republicans generally than most other reputable pollsters. It is precisely for that reason that I read their website - they place a bound on the plausible.

A few days ago, I noted a rather misleading headline on their site. Briefly, having conducted a poll on popular perception of media bias, they found that 39% of respondents felt that the major TV networks showed a liberal bias in their news shows; 25% saw no bias, 20% saw a conservative bias, and 16% were not sure. The headline read, "Americans See Liberal Media Bias on TV News".

Today, in another article, Rasmussen Reports asserted that, and I quote, "Earlier releases showed that most Americans believe the major broadcast networks, CNN, and NPR have a liberal bias". This is flatly false. According to their own reported data, a majority of respondents do not believe there is such a bias.

Let me be precise. By "X does not believe Y", I mean "It is not the case that X believes that Y is true". By this definition, 61% (25%+20%+16%) do not believe the major networks have a liberal bias. Even by the more stringent interpretation, "X believes that Y is false", a plurality - 45% to 39% - hold that position.

Rasmussen has moved from being misleading in its headlines to presenting falsehoods in the body of its reports. I am deeply disappointed in them.

Comments

raz

[(Anonymous)]

OK Jim By your definition why can't you add the 25% no bias to the liberal bias instead of adding it to the conservative bias coming up with 80% (39% +25% +16%)
OH another liberal slant!!! Do you have a side job with NBC or NPR? Luv ya C

Re: raz

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

Because the 25% "no bias" do not believe there is a liberal bias. Your figures do, indeed, show that a majority also do not believe there is a conservative bias; but that's a different question.

Look, if Rasmussen (or, more likely, some other pollster) had put up such numbers and claimed that most Americans believe there is a conservative bias, and if I saw such a claim, I would object to that as well. But that's not what they said, and not what I objected to.

Re: raz

[(Anonymous)]

I see your point but....I think the headline was written wrong and isn't it sad so few watch the news/have an opinion C

Re: raz

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

It wasn't the headline - this was in the body of the article!