MRC: Disagreeing with Bush = "Left"
Topic: Media Research Center
A Nov. 22 MRC CyberAlert item cites a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press to claim that "[t]he news media elite are to the left of the public in several policy areas related to the war on terrorism." But that claim plays on conservative stereotypes of liberals and never states how disagreeing with the Bush administration on Iraq on "several policy areas related to the war on terrorism" -- which is what this is about -- equals being "left."

Some statistics as cited by the MRC:

-- "Efforts to establish a stable democracy:" Will succeed: Public 56% Media: 33%; Will fail: Public: 37% News media: 63%

-- "Decision to take military action" Public: "right decision" 48%, "wrong decision" 45% News media: "right decision" 28%, "wrong decision" 71%

-- "Iraq's impact on war on terrorism" Public: "helped" 44%, "hurt" 44% News media: "helped" 22%, "hurt" 68%

-- "Is torture of terrorist suspects justified?" Combining "often" and "sometimes," vs. "rarely" and "never"

Public: 46% yes, 49% no News media: 21% yes, 78% no

MRC offers no explanation of why disagreeing with these statements is a "left" position. After all, for example, there are thousands of years of history backing up the difficulty of establishing a stable democracy in the Middle East. But does the MRC really want people to think that torturing suspects with impunity is a "right" position?