Jan 06 2009
Walking Uphill Both Ways
My Third Rule of Media Relations is No matter who you are, the media is biased against you.
Watch the letters segment of news shows. A note praising Bill O’Reilly’s no-nonsense interviewing style is followed by a missive chiding O’Reilly for being mean to his guest. You’d think the two letter writers were watching different shows to draw polar-opposite conclusions.
Obviously, the people in this case were moved by some emotion. Most of us watch a program, then click to the next one without giving much thought to what we just saw.
Perception clouded their judgment. Of course, the same interview was broadcast to each person. However, the belief that the “liberal media” is biased for Barack Obama is a tenet within the modern conservative movement.
Rush Limbaugh went on the radio because it was the only place for him. Television and newspapers weren’t open to his brand of show. Once Limbaugh became successful, programmers throughout the country looked for imitations.
Radio stations dropped their music formats and became talk-oriented stations. They needed to fill 24 hours a day, seven days a week with hosts. Michael Reagan, Sean Hannity, Dr. Laura, John and Ken, Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage and G. Gordon Liddy come to mind immediately as people who fit the bill on dozens of stations.
Meanwhile, liberals deride the “corporate media.” Every major media outlet–TV, newspapers, publishing, movies, books, music–is owned by one of five companies.
So the argument goes, the companies don’t subscribe to a political agenda, liberal or otherwise. They simply want to maximize profits. While journalists self-report to be generally left of center in survey after survey, their boardroom bosses and important shareholders don’t usually hold those social views.
Speaking of surveys, for every one that says the media is biased one way, there’s another study that says the media is biased another way.
The best manner for politicians to handle the media well is diversification. Appear on a variety of formats. For example, Larry King Live, The View, Fox News Sunday and Charlie Rose appeal to different audiences and will allow a message to reach as many people as possible.
When it’s necessary to preach to the proverbial choir, hit similar shows. Know that, for instance, Dr. Phil and Rachael Ray are part of Harpo Productions, Oprah Winfrey’s company. Do well on one of them and you stand a better chance of appearing on Oprah.
When you need to reach across demographics, be prepared for colder responses. Be on guard for “gotcha” questions. Don’t elaborate too much. The interviewer will be looking for ways to trip you.
If you are part of a multi-guest segment, don’t fight too hard on the air but be firm and state your views clearly and succinctly. It’ll be time for a commercial break before you know it and you’ll be thinking to yourself that the media is biased against you.
