The Myth of Neutral Press

Mandeville, LA – Exclusive Transcript – What I find amusing is that people seem to think that once upon a time in these United States, that there was a fair, judicious and neutral media.  That is not the case.  I cannot locate this in any of my studies of history.  As a matter of fact, as I’m doing my prep to write the script and screenplay for What Lincoln Killed: Episode Two, I find that people were whining, carping and bitching in the 1830’s and 1840’s about the lack of a neutral press.  Check out today’s transcript for more…

Begin Mike Church Show Transcript

Mike:  One of the things that I also find amusing about our current malaise, and this happened last week — AG, was it last week when the news was purportedly broken that John Roberts was influenced by the liberal media in his decision?  That was last Monday or Tuesday, right?

AG:  Yeah, it would have been that CBS News report over the weekend that got released, so Monday or Tuesday.

Mike:  What I find amusing is that people seem to think that once upon a time in these United States, that there was a fair, judicious and neutral media.  That is not the case.  I cannot locate this in any of my studies of history, Alvin.  As a matter of fact, as I’m doing my prep to write the script and screenplay for What Lincoln Killed: Episode Two, I find that people were whining, carping and bitching in the 1830’s and 1840’s about the lack of a neutral press.

I read this and I go, hmm, I ought to forward this to Bernie Goldberg and Bill O’Reilly so they can see and maybe share with their audience that there has never been this hegemonic, neutral press that was honored and admired and exalted and looked up to.  I don’t know what epic in American history these guys are talking about.  There’s always been a partisan slant to the American press.  You know what?  If you’re going to have a free press, that’s probably what you’re going to get.  At least MSNBC presents consistent leftist and token rightest.  At least Fox News purports to be fair and balanced, but at the same time has shows that are hosted by people that are obviously partisan.

To me, Alvin, that’s not a problem.  I actually like that.  I’d rather have it that way.  I’d rather have a partisan press.  Then if you have partisan presses, there could be market uses for a neutral press.  This fantasy that once upon a time, [mocking] “During the days of Murrow, we had a press that was unbiased.”  Where?  Locate it for me.  Show it to me.  The press has always been activist.  There’s always been media bias.  Why?  Because people in the media are human.  Until you can train a robot to write op-eds, you’re going to have a partisan press.  Get over it.  Get over yourself that you’re some kind of crusader that throws the blanket of anonymity and the cloak of secrecy and sinister intentions off of it.  Maybe they’re not sinister intentions at all.  Maybe the people working inside the liberal media are just doing what comes natural to them.

End Mike Church Show Transcript