[Media-watch] moving on/ detecting bias

[david Miller]

Darren,

this sounds like a good suggestion.  I think tat both ideas are good.  It
seems to me that we should be trying to complain as much as possible about
the lack of representation of the anti war case on the media.  On special
investigations:  One thing which seems to me to be left out is an
acknowledgement that the US and UK governments are engaged in a propaganda
campaign.  This could be discussed openly with examples from the history of
propaganda.

Any other suggestions?

David

> From: Darren Smith {Psych} <d.j.smith at stir.ac.uk>
> Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 11:59:09 -0000
> To: David Miller <david.miller at stir.ac.uk>, "'media-watch at lists.stir.ac.uk '"
> <media-watch at lists.stir.ac.uk>
> Subject: RE: [Media-watch] moving on/ detecting bias
> 
> I was wondering whether we could have media campaign themes, or issues,
> that we could get others new to media activism to get involved with. I.e.,
> what simple changes to the media could we collectively campaign for, and
> make it easy for others new to this to get involved?
> 
> E.g., maybe we could start a campaign to get Newsnight or some other regular
> interview show to get prominent left wingers on TV. Maybe we could campaign
> for investigations on special issues etc. It would then be easy to write up
> a web page or pamphet about such a campaign, and then suggest example
> letters that could be written, and to whom they should be sent, etc.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> Darren
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: david Miller
> To: media-watch at lists.stir.ac.uk
> Sent: 21/02/2003 10:25
> Subject: [Media-watch] moving on/ detecting bias
> 
> Dear all,
> 
> we had a small meeting last night to discuss moving the media watch idea
> on.  We agreed to plan an extended meeting with a video showing on media
> and propaganda in war and possibly a couple of speakers (including one
> or two journalists), followed by a workshop on how to identify bias and
> how to complain. Anyone who can help with this, please get in touch.
> 
> Below is a list of (US) resources on detecting bias.  I will circulate
> more as I come across them.  In other emails I will circulate a list of
> contact details for the Scottish media.  We decided that an immediate
> priority was to produce a laminated media watch card with emails and
> phone numbers for the main Scottish and UK news outlets so that people
> can complain whenever they get annoyed by the latest piece of
> spin/distortion.
> 
> The media are in a quandary just now, because they can see that there is
> massive opposition to the war, but the political establishment is so out
> of kilter.  They are so used to speaking to 'experts' and political
> leaders that they haven't got much of an idea about how to cover mass
> dissent.  In this climate it is all the more important that as many
> people as possible complain about distortions and omissions.
> 
> Let's try and use this list as a means of encouraging people to complain
> for themselves....
> 
> I will be in touch again soon.
> 
> David
> 
> 
> Detecting bias in the news:
> 
> How to Detect Bias in the News
> http://www.media-awareness.ca/eng/med/class/teamedia/peace/bias7.htm
> 
> Detecting Bias in the News
> http://faculty.washington.edu/~jalbano/bias.html
> 
> Recognising bias and distortion in television news programs
> http://hsc.csu.edu.au/pta/scansw/bias.htm
> 
> The Media Bias Detector (adapted from the book Unreliable Sources: A
> Guide to Detecting Bias in the News)
> http://www.adamranson.freeserve.co.uk/fair%20media%20bias%20detector%20.
> PDF
> 
> FAIR¹s Media Activism Kit http://www.fair.org/activism/activismkit.html
> 
> Citizens and the Media: Fact, Opinion, Bias
> http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/education/teachers/strategies/19
> 98/Plan33e.htm
> 
> Topic: September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center
> and the Pentagon Deconstructing Images From the Media
> http://www.mit.edu/cms/reconstructions/education/audiofoot.html
> 
> Topic: The Gulf War A Lesson in Media Literacy
> http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/flashback/1991/gulfclass.html
> 
> 
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