Coloring the News: How Political Correctness Has Corrupted American Journalism

by William McGowan

Book Overview

William McGowan opens the door to the newsrooms at USA Today, the New York Times, the Washington Post and other pillars of the mainstream press in this carefully researched investigation of how the quest for diversity has affected American journalism. Focusing on coverage of the diversity issues of immigration, race, gay rights, feminism and affirmative action, McGowan gives a fascinating analysis of what stories get reported and how. Along the way,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1893554600
• ISBN13: 9781893554603
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Encounter Books
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The NY Times, Jayson Blair and "the Wichita Massacre".

Absolutely enlightening! McGowan's "Coloring the News" reconfirms that the mainstream national news media, certainly the New York Times, have a devious, "politically correct" agenda. The most recent debacle of the NY Times and their ex-reporter, liar and plagiarist Jayson Blair, is merely more fuel on the fire of "Big Brother" media manipulation of the public. As a retired Chicago Police Department sergeant and homicide detective, I know first hand that what is arguably the most egregious and sadistically degrading murders in America within fifty years, if not ever, culminated on December 15, 2001 in what has become known as "the Wichita Massacre". However, the New York Times and the mainstream media, with the possible exception of Fox and the Washington Times (NOT the Post)totally ignored coverage of this home-invasion, robbery, burglary, rape by the the two perpetrators (the hate-filled, bloodthirsty Carr brothers, Reginald and Jonathan) and the five victims. The three male and two female victims were even forced to have sex amongst themselves at gunpoint, using beating and torture. This all culminated in the five naked victims being taken to a desolate soccer field in the freezing pre-dawn hours, forced to kneel in the snow and being shot in the head, execution-style. The Carr brothers then returned to the initial scene where they burglarized "everything but the kitchen sink" and shot and killed a tiny, helpless pet dog.Despite all this and my letters to the New York Times and other major media, the heinous and hate-filled details of this case--indeed, the case, itself--was confined to local Kansas news coverage. After promising gavel-to-gavel trial coverage for its viewers, even Court TV reneged. Oh, one other thing! Unlike the tragic, cause celebre murders of James Byrd, Jr. and Matthew Shepard, all seven Wichita victims were white and the since convicted and condemned Carr brothers are black. (Sgt.) John Northen (Ret.)Chicago Police Dept.Area 6 Homicide-Sex

Even better than I anticipated it would be

Back in the days of the Soviet era, the West made snide remarks about news coverage in the Soviet Union, how only news that made Communism look good was printed, and anything that would make it look bad ignored; how facts were ingeniously twisted to make a sorry situation look like a Communist triumph, how only the bad things about capitalism were printed. The West patted itself on the back for its investigative journalism, its freedom to pursue and print the truth, unhindered by authoritarian forces.Yet today in the USA, we now have the same type of situation as the Communist regime. Here, there is no government doing such extreme filtering of the news, though; the news media are doing it themselves. These unelected bastions of power control the public agenda and use their unchallenged power to force their ideological crusades onto unsuspecting news consumers. Now they are the ones deserving of the snide remarks.I have long been agitated by the liberal bias of the mainstream news. I enjoy reading left-wing magazines like Mother Jones, In These Times, The Nation, etc., to get an understanding of the views of the left. These are not irritating because they wear their bias on their sleeve. What is irritating is how the mainstream media, who try to parade themselves as being neutral, are anything but. It's easy to pick up in things like little phrases they use. One example I'll never forget was a comment in passing by Dan Rather on CBS News, something about "a woman's constitutional right to an abortion." Whoa! And where in the constitution is that? And how about coverage on the evolution issue. Remember the Kansas debacle? All they did was to remove the required testing of macroevolution (one species turning into another), without removing the required teaching of microevolution (adaptational change within species). Yet to hear the media scream about it, you'd think they'd decided to teach the book of Genesis in schools and ditch evolutionary theory.Yes, I am familiar with plenty of bias in the news media, but this book gave me far more examples, most of which I had not read about, and dug at a deeper level. It was incredible to see how far journalists are going to preserve their cherished ideologies. It's every bit as dishonest as the Soviet propaganda machine was. If anything does not fit with the Politically Correct Script, it is either ignored or twisted so far as to give a picture opposite of the facts.Like other reviewers here stated, this book was quite upsetting to read. Yet that didn't make me not want to read it; it was too good. Most of the book is example after example of how prominent social issues have been reported in a fashion that originates from a narrow view of the way the world should be, as well as examples of the cruel treatment given to those journalists who dared to report something outside of the Script. Until I got to the last two chapters of this book, I would have rated it a 4 (see About Me for detail

Perverted Diversity

Both Bernard Goldberg and William McGowan have written books about the obvious bias in newsrooms today. Goldberg's book, Bias, was written with specific reference to his many years at CBS news. McGowan has written a more generalized and philosophical book about how publishers, managers and editors made conscious decisions to "diversify" their newsrooms in an effort to present a more complete and balanced view of the world in which we live.McGowan believes that effort became corrupted early on. Instead of presenting a useful, broadened view of our complex lives, the news today has become much more narrowed. Political correctness reigns, with journalists who are now advocates rather than reporters. Different points of view, once cherished, are now discouraged or attacked outright within the newsrooms themselves. Not that alternate views are never published or aired. But to do so requires the journalist to undergo heavy criticism, intimidation, and in some cases, complete ostracism. For journalists who might report different views, McGowan writes that many have found those stories not worth the effort. Something of that sort seems to have happened to Goldberg.In the end, today's news has nothing to do with intellectual curiosity tracking through a wide range of opinions; that is, real diversity. It is only about promoting preferred groups and skin color.

A Courageous Exposure

McGowan exposes in great detail about what many of know: the media, in its conscious decision to add minorities to its staff at any cost, has destroyed journalistic impartiality on many important issues. McGowan's major point is that as this country moves headlong into major demographic changes, without any input from its citizens, the media has been complicit or silent about this historical change. Most of this is due to the fear and intimidation of non-minority journalists coupled with the addition of minority journalists who are cheerleaders and advocates for these changes. McGowan is particularly strong on the subject of immigration, where he describes the nearly universal lack of discussion on this critical subject. In light of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, the failure of the media to discuss this subject has had tragic consequences. A must read for those concerned about the future of journalism and the future of the United States.