On bias in journalism

At GetReligion, Mollie Ziegler reflects on a recent column by the Washington Post ombudsman, Deborah Howell, which examines whether there is any truth to what many Americans believe – that most in the media lean left. Strangely, Ziegler (herself a confessed liberal) notes, Howell quite typically denies the reality of bias, admitting only that there is a perception of bias. Writes Ziegler:

“I love how stories dealing with media bias always paint journalists as the good guys. Imagine a story about some major problem at Enron or in the Bush Administration where it was just asserted that the hearts and motivations of the players were good . . . but some external factor was to blame for the malaise.”

McLaren: “Why I’m Voting for Obama” (update)

The fourth in a series of posts by emergent author Brian McLaren, dealing with environmental concerns.

See also parts 1-3:

1. On the “framing narrative” or mindset of each candidate
2. On the issue of personal integrity
3. On “the least of these” (foreign aid, trade, poverty-relief, etc.)

(Update 10/28) Part five is up, on “The Sacredness of Life“:

“Some of my friends and relatives have been reading my reasons for voting for Barack Obama, but the issue of abortion is a major roadblock for them. They believe that a vote for Obama is a vote for abortion, and a vote for McCain is a vote against abortion. They are surprised to learn that I believe an Obama presidency could actually take us farther in reducing abortion than a McCain presidency, and it could do so through a wiser, less-divisive, more effective strategy. Here’s why. …”

Left, right, and funny

Tony Jones demonstrates why the United States is not an empire.

Alan Jacobs offers encouragement to conservatives (and Christians, more broadly), who participate in what Tolkien called “the long defeat.” (HT: Matt Jensen at The Scriptorium)

And from Scott Ott at ScrappleFace, breaking news: “Obama Unveils Plan to Bail Out McCain Campaign“:

“2008-10-13) — Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama today unveiled his plan to rescue the “people of the world” from economic uncertainty — a comprehensive plan which includes a bailout of Republican rival John McCain’s own publicly-financed election bid …”

McCain and Obama: Different worldviews?

Collin Hansen alleges that McCain is (more) a modernist, Obama a postmodern, at Out of Ur:

The first debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama provided no such memorable moments. But it did highlight important distinctions between the Republican and Democratic candidates. Namely, McCain and Obama represent key differences between modern and postmodern cultures. Analyzing their debate through this lens reveals similarities to the church’s own debates about how to respond to shifting cultures. . . . Not everything in the debate can be framed as the difference between a modern and postmodern worldview. But like our church debates, a little awareness about perspective goes a long way toward understanding.

Read the whole thing.