Politics and Media Bias: Fact or Opinion?

On 14 April, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot, and the New York Times published less than four columns containing strictly the known facts (link to article content http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0414.html)

Imagine!  Reporting just the facts, trusting the lively, intelligent American people to absorb and discuss those facts and to draw their own informed conclusions.  What would the article look like if that national tragedy occurred today?  

The summarized facts, statements and timeline about the 9/11 Al Qaeda attack on Benghazi, for example.  How strong has Al Qaeda grown since Bin Laden ran it, as another.  Why Romney currently pays only 14% tax (did he pay full income tax like the rest of us on his earnings back in the day and now pays a second time on interest from tax-free muni bonds subject to the AMT?)

Including the opinions of public "influencers" paid only to entertain us, such as Leno and Limbaugh, Letterman and Howard Stern, Saturday Night Live and Thirty Rock, etc - and also supposed sources of facts - how can we settle the question: Is the media actually biased in one direction or another? Which sources are the most egregious?

Independent media studies by The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University, a nonpartisan research and education organization which conducts scientific studies of both the news and entertainment media (http://www.cmpa.com/studies_political_obama.html) answers the question.

Yes.  The media is biased.  Scientific fact.

Does the progressive liberal media influence vulnerable minds?  Those who, unlike news readers on 14 April 1865 are unwilling to sift through the barrage of spin and follow only facts, instead trusting strangers to inform their decisions (but they live inside the talkbox and keep you company in your living room five days a week, you feel like you know them, right?). 

Yes.  The media influences vulnerable minds.

You can click the links if you want and do your own research, and I will end it here because any readers on the left will immediately tune out when they read the study acknowledges that Fox was the most balanced of the broadcast media from the numbers perspective.  

Disengaged independent voters decide the course of my country every four years.

Dear Santa, I ask only one thing this year in advance of your December visit: that all eligible voters awaken and look hard at both candidates' performance records and resumes, promises made versus actual results delivered, before they press the little yellow button.