NewsHour Stands By Its Balance
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/4/2006 9:50:00 AM MT
PBS NewsHour stands by its political balance in the wake of a study by Fairness and Accuracy in Media (FAIR) that accused it of a lack of balance and diversity and with not providing "a true public-minded alternative to its corporate competition.
FAIR, which endeavors to track media bias, says it pored over the show's guest list from October 2005 to November 2006 and found that Republicans outnumbered Democrats two to one, people of color only represented 15% of "U.S. sources," male sources outnumbered women four to one, and "stay the course" war sources outnumbered pro-withdrawl from Iraq sources by more than five to one.
"The NewsHour has been known for balance, we strive to provide political balance with the people we choose to interview, and to provide diverse views and opinion," said the show's public relations manager, Anne Bell. "Everything we hear is that that is the impression our viewers have."
PBS seconded that in a statement. "NewsHour strives to provide a political balance and will continue to offer diverse views and opinions surrounding the top national news stories.Research has shown that viewers overwhelmingly agree that the NewsHour offers the most balanced news on television. PBS is proud to provide the American public this informative award-winning nightly news program.
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