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Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News |
Author: Bernard Goldberg
Published: 2003-02-01 |
List price: $13.95
Our price: $3.45
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As of: November 20th, 2008 03:58:34 AM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Interesting Message Gets Lost In Details of Author's Personal Story
An interesting perspective on how the news gets "crafted" both knowingly and unknowingly. Unfortunately Goldberg's message was frequently undermined by the author himself. He wants it known that the book is not an attempt to get back at some of the media elites who vehemently disagreed with his viewpoint. However the fact that he repeatedly belittles and denigrates those same elites (with a pretty whiny tone) made me question Goldberg's own objectivity, judgment and ability to respect other opinions. The book does have some very good points, but unfortunately I fear many have gotten lost because of the messenger. My takeaways from the book include: 1) What is not said is frequently not said intentionally and is also more important than what is said, 2) The way in which you say something is at least as important as what you say, 3) Group think is a real challenge at many levels in many organizations and cultures.
Goldberg is a Whistleblower On the Left-Wing Media
Emmy Award winner Bernard Goldberg has thirty years of experience as an acclaimed reporter at CBS. But he turned that keen intellect and discerning investigative eye inward - seeing that the media avoided objective reporting on stories that didn't fit their left-wing agenda. Goldberg supplies numerous anecdotes about this left-wing tilt, fitting the news to PC agenda and viewpoint. And who suffers? The viewer and the reader who don't get real news but manufactured viewpoints. The corporate culture's closed mind about reexamining how their own agenda has damaged their profession is Goldberg's key point. Over and over again, he demonstrates how their agenda destroyed hard news reporting. This endemic attitude is demonstrated time and time again with the scandals at the New York Times over their racial preferences hiring which promoted an unqualified man to a position of power who created news stories. Dan Rather's rush to judgement - `Rathergate' - is another indication of left-wing bias. And, unbelievably, false reporting by Rather's producer Mary Mapes did not bring any shame or ridicule but I believe an award by her peers after the scandal. Goldberg is a whistleblower who deserves to be read, remembered and revered for his efforts.
Michael Mandaville, Author - "Citizen Soldier Handbook: 101 Ways For Every American To Fight Terrorism"
 The Other Side of the Story You're Not Getting
I just finished reading Bias and now see the "news" through a new perspective. This book is full of great examples of how the information we receive from the major news outlets, whether it be from TV, magazines or newspapers, is most always slanted from the side of those reporting it and by their own personally held beliefs and views. Surprisingly enough, the people reporting the news don't see it this way and are in fact very much in denial of it.
Goldberg was ostracized by his industry after telling the truth, even though many other insiders agreed with him, but were afraid to go "on the record". Some examples include how the following were totally misrepresented so as to convince the audience of the view held by the liberal media - the exploding AIDS epidemic that heterosexuals would be facing, partial birth abortion, the "sinking" economy, gun control, the Clinton years and others.
The story here is about THE STORY THAT DOES NOT GET TOLD. Simply put, because we develop our opinions on the information we have, having incomplete information most often leads to incorrect opinions.
Surprisingly, who is probably the WORST facilitator of misrepresenting a story ? None other than The New York Times. As Goldberg mentions, when everyone you associate with has the same worldview you think that particular view is the mainstream one. While this is obvious when stated, it becomes dangerously apparent to neutral reporting and cannot but help prejudice a reporter into interjecting their own prejudice when writing and/or reporting about an event.
After reading this book, I paid much closer to the mainstream news when reported and, low and behold, Goldberg is right on the mark with his book.
To sum up, get this book from the library or buy it here, but this is definitely a book I would judge as a "must read". I got it first at the library but after reading it
I bought a copy for my own personal library.
 Completely worthless
This book was required reading in one of my high school English classes. I was against the very idea of the book from the very beginning, and I admit that. However, I found this book not to be agitating or contrary to my political beliefs, but humorous and almost completely devoid of substance.
Let me first say that many of the examples that Goldberg uses to illustrate his points are vague and he fails at many points to give specific information or credentials about the people he's quoting. Even worse, many of his little stories seem thrown into the book haphazardly, not really supporting any point at all.
Goldberg is only "Blunt and to the point" if blunt means longwinded and the point is to blather incessantly.
Also, be prepared for endless attacks on Dan Rather. It often appears that Goldberg has a deep, endless hatred and/or unnatural level of affection for the man.
Bottom line- this book proves absolutely nothing. You will not be able to reference this book in any argument on any subject. The yarns that Goldberg unwinds in heaps upon the reader are actually worth less money than the paper and ink used to record them. This man is a fool.
Bias - a must read for politically engaged American citizens!
Only the very naive or out of touch really doubt anti-conservative bias within the major media but Bernard Goldberg in his book Bias offers credible evidence in this incisive and revealing report on his own industry. Should you remain skeptical in the light of the specific examples covered by this well-respected CBS insider, you should at least ask yourself why he would lie. Many Americans appear to be sleeping through some of the most dangerous times our beloved United States has ever faced, willing to take whatever the talking heads present in the evening news as truth without question, consideration of opposing opinions, or checking the facts and making a decision on their own. A very timely topic, and a book that brings to light the serious dangers in being naive about what we believe from the six o'clock news. If you're prone to casually absorb news and information blindly from the mainstream media and assume it must be true because "you heard it on the news", this book is a wake up call!
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