Which Nationally-Known Reporter/Anchor/Newscaster Is The Most Balanced?

I'm not asking which reporter or news anchor is most friendly to liberal candidates and issues... but instead... which one is the most FAIR and even-keeled when it comes to reporting? Who's the straightest shooter? Whom do you trust?

I do enjoy watching Jim Lehrer on (my recent discovery) "The News Hour"... he seems to be pretty straight-forward and unbiased either way.

However, it is possible that my own perception of who's fair might be skewed after years of exposure to right-wing reporters. Since nearly ALL national news outlets are biased... it could be that when someone seems merely "less-biased" (yet is STILL biased) I'm pleased with them (when I ought not be.)

-- Allen


edit: clarity

I think I have to agree with your answer, too.

Lehrer seems to keep his opinions out of the story and provides full quotes more than soundbites, which DOES make a difference in the long run.

There's a documentary that runs fairly regularly on Free Speech TV that shreds the unbiased "mystique" of "The News Hour" pretty brutally. There is a lot of behind the scenes removal of story content that is too critical of any corporate entity.

I think you have to go outside the country to get decent TV reporting of what's going on here. BBC. CBC.

The difference in both STYLE and CONTENT of world news between the BBC and American news sources is quite striking. It makes one wonder if they are both reporting on the SAME event or not.

-- Allen

I saw Ted recently in an interview with swill o'lielly (hey, i couldn't find the remote and change the channel).
Actually, it was a good interview, because I think o'lielly was awed by Koppel's presence. Ted asked swill if he knew what his political leanings were after all the years he had been on TV. o'lielly admitted that he did not know, I have to admit that I did not either.

BTW: Ted would not say on TV, stating that if people knew that could affect his credibility as a broadcaster.

He should've stayed with sports though. :)

i try to watch him each night.

the silliness of some of the stories he does help stand in relief the more serious aspects of the hard news he reports.

he's pretty objective about it all

and clearly one at that.

It is a good question. Maybe Aaron Brown. I'll have to think about that.

Amy Goodman lost me when she used Karl Rove-written Fitzgerald race talking points to attack Carole Mosely Braun because Braun was on board with Clinton in trying to moderate a certain African dictator. Goodman evidentally had a friend that was killed by this dictator and wanted unconditional full economic sanctions. Braun would not go that way because Braun thought the people of the country would be the only ones suffering, not the dictator. Goodman lost all objectivity on the story and simply has it in for Braun now. Goodman used all the Rove-written Fitgerald race GOP talking points in a Braun interview this year during the primaries. It was really ugly because it was pretty obvious Goodman knew they were Rove written.

I haven't watched Democracy Now ever since that day.

Every fucking one of your posts is designed to further your martyrdom as the singularly sensible Democrat in a roiling sea of Maoist Pods, nevermind the topic at hand. You need a shrink. Bad.

n/t.

HAHAHAHAHA! I'm teasing you Allen, I know how you feel about astrology! :D

Hands down.

Depsite the demonization of Brokaw that goes on here, I think he's a damn good journalist and a better one than his competitors. I agreee with most people here who say that the NBC nightly news as a program is the most to the right of the 3 big shows but I'm not to sure that Brokaw is the reason. The producers and advertisors and corrispondents like right-leaning Lisa Myers and stupid media whore Campbell Brown have alot more to do with the programs tilt. The "fleecing of America" bit which I think is sort of a ratings gimic doesn't really set out to bash the democratic party in my eyes either.

If you learn about Brokaw objectively from certain things he's said on air and off to the people he associates with an honest person would have to conclude that there's more evidence than not Brokaws politics are left-leaning and more dem than republican.

That being said if I watch the nightly news it is most likely to be CBS but not because I like Rather best. I think VIacom is the company with the programming I like best because of comedy central, MTV, and Howard Stern among other things.

Kidding!!!---------Kidding! Had a Lounge flashback.

I do not watch Brokaw or Rather only because I am not comfortable watching them and it has nothing to do with their objectivity. To me they are not easy to listen to. I used to watch Rather until about 8 years ago. I enjoy watching Aron Brown most of the time.

-- Allen

He is going to become a US citizen. May have already happened.

I am totally addicted to Lou Dobbs ... he is staunchly (old school) conservative but every once in a while reads a e-mail accusing him of being a leftist/socialist/etc. Very funny!

and he doesn't cost 10 million/yr!
:)

Can't believe I get to be the first one to suggest him.