It’s fun how the Internet now makes it possible to see how liberal media bias works. Today’s case in point is a Reuters wire service dispatch about a survey of church-going Americans. The original article starts with this lede:
Church-going Americans have grown increasingly intolerant in the past four years of politicians making compromises on such hot issues as abortion and gay rights, according to a survey released on Saturday. At the same time, those polled said they were growing bolder about pushing their beliefs on others—even at the risk of offending someone.
Notice the keyword in there? “Intolerant.” Something tells me that most people would hesitate to call themselves “intolerant” (except for curmudgeons like me who hold it as a badge of honor.)
Wire service stories aren’t just published on their own web sites. They’re supposed to be picked up by subscribing media organizations an published by them. Those media organs are allowed to edit for style and correct errors. So what did, say, the Boston Globe do with this obviously slanted story? They essentially ran it unchanged from its original bias and slap on the headline: “Poll: Churchgoers more rigid.” It’s subhead was “Seen less willing to compromise on abortion, gays.” Less willing than what? Before? I don’t know about anyone else, but I was never willing to compromise. And notice that other slur on the politically incorrect: “rigid”. (I wear that word with pride, too.)
