"Random Sampling" MSM style
I just saw the Today Show's response to the 3 year anniversary of the Iraq war and I have to say, they weren't doing a very good job of covering up their bias. First, almost every question was the "What went wrong?" type, although I will admit they did have a good mix of guests to answer them.
Second, as is the usual MSM MO, their reporter from Baghdad talks about people he's met and their overall negative outlook (do they even know about the other 21,000,000 people in Iraq? You'd never know it from all the reporters based in the Baghdad hotel.) not bothering to mention the millions of other Iraqis who for the first time in 12+ years have been able to get access to clean water and electricity that had previously been the restricted to the few cities Saddam chose.
Then the stats they showed were once again, all negative (number of deaths and wounded type thing) with few positive stats which took far less physical forms like "held 3 elections". Somehow the number of schools built, power generation, oil production, etc.. were all missed. Once again, standard MSM fair.
But the last, and most blatant show of bias was their "random sampling" of New Yorkers about their opinions, so random that Katie stressed it was random both before and after showing the respondents. The first was a man who supported the war, but the second was an ANTI-WAR PROTESTOR actually at a demonstration and even HOLDING A PROTEST SIGN! The third was a man who was opposed to the war. Then for some reason they just kept showing those same three respondents, although on repeated showing of the protestor, they kept closing in to finally make it impossible to tell she was holding a sign.
So according to the Today's Show "random sampling" you could only assume that on any given day at least 2,666,667 New Yorkers are in the streets protesting the war.
I know it was only a small informal survey, but with distortions like this I think the Today Show has managed to take away the crown from the CBS survey group as most overtly biased polling; up until know, an accomplishment most people thoght impossible. Congrats Today!
Second, as is the usual MSM MO, their reporter from Baghdad talks about people he's met and their overall negative outlook (do they even know about the other 21,000,000 people in Iraq? You'd never know it from all the reporters based in the Baghdad hotel.) not bothering to mention the millions of other Iraqis who for the first time in 12+ years have been able to get access to clean water and electricity that had previously been the restricted to the few cities Saddam chose.
Then the stats they showed were once again, all negative (number of deaths and wounded type thing) with few positive stats which took far less physical forms like "held 3 elections". Somehow the number of schools built, power generation, oil production, etc.. were all missed. Once again, standard MSM fair.
But the last, and most blatant show of bias was their "random sampling" of New Yorkers about their opinions, so random that Katie stressed it was random both before and after showing the respondents. The first was a man who supported the war, but the second was an ANTI-WAR PROTESTOR actually at a demonstration and even HOLDING A PROTEST SIGN! The third was a man who was opposed to the war. Then for some reason they just kept showing those same three respondents, although on repeated showing of the protestor, they kept closing in to finally make it impossible to tell she was holding a sign.
So according to the Today's Show "random sampling" you could only assume that on any given day at least 2,666,667 New Yorkers are in the streets protesting the war.
I know it was only a small informal survey, but with distortions like this I think the Today Show has managed to take away the crown from the CBS survey group as most overtly biased polling; up until know, an accomplishment most people thoght impossible. Congrats Today!
posted by Bic at 7:25 a.m.
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