Phil: However, I would like to return to my earlier point which was that it is impossible to articulate how media outlets should be balanced except with reference to examples of being unbalanced.
True, but so what? The article I referenced describes a growing area of media studies which will eventually be able to provide a solid empirical foundation for claims of media bias. The issue of Scientific American is on newsstands now. It also contains (page 63) an intriguing article on nonequilibrium systems thermodynamics and the spontaneous generation of order and complexity.
Forget about "my" standards for balanced reporting. That's a diversion. The point is that scholars and researchers are developing standards for showing the extent by which public opinion is manipulated by media election coverage.
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