Teaching Comparative

Media Bias

I noticed this bit of self-promotion this morning, and it led to something more substantial.

Guardian targets American audience

"The Guardian plans to expand its print and online presence in America as part of its ambition to become the biggest liberal voice in world media...

"News of the Guardian's plans came after the Times said it will start printing an American newsprint edition in New York on presses used by parent company News Corporation to print the New York Post."

The Times is online at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/global/

And today it offered this article:

"China's secret row bursts into the open"

"A FIERCE internal debate in China between economic reformers and new leftists opposed to the rush to embrace capitalism finally burst into the public eye yesterday.

"The People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party that has ruled China since 1949, ran a commentary that left no room for questions over the direction of 28-year-old market reforms. 'Unwaveringly keep to the path of reform,' read the headline...

"Tens of millions of Chinese, including farmers in rural areas, blue-collar workers in cities and the jobless, have become disaffected with reforms that have made millions rich. Nostalgia is widespread for the days of Chairman Mao Zedong when everyone was equally poor...

"The commentary may not, however, completely silence leftist dissenters, who range from those who feel that the party’s grip may be weakening to moderates concerned at corruption and the inequities created by a free-market economy...

"But the People’s Daily message was unambivalent. 'The urgency and complexity of reform calls for absolute determination to advance the reform. A balance should be realised between reform, development and social stability. Reform should be the driving force, development the goal, and stability the prerequisite.'”

This offers a fine opportunity to ask students to explore differences in reporting. At the Teaching Comparative Government and Politics Web site, there are several articles about this topic in the China forum: Look in the "Political context of reform" (March '06) and the "Continuing debate about the future" (November '05) topics.

Does The Times reporting appear conservative compared to the New York Times, Asia Times, and International Herald Tribune reporting in the other other articles? If so, how is it more conservative? Do the articles from the other publications appear more liberal? What's the evidence?

Of course considering a single topic is not sufficient to attach labels, but this is an exercise to be repeated several times. Articles about China and Russia are probably easier to do use because old Cold War divisions are deep and persistent. However, you might find examples in reporting on Mexico's presidential race or Iranian economic policies.

posted by Ken Wedding @ 9:04 AM