Is Your News Unbiased?

I work for a newspaper. I believe in freedom of the press. I believe in the individual's right to believe in any political philosophy, and support said philosophy with political donations to the party or candidate of their choice.

That being said it hardly seems likely that the political reporting you see on TV, the paper, the internet, or what you hear on the radio is unbiased when reporters and news commentators are 150% Democrat and 1% Republican. (Oh my, got my math all screwed up!)

Here's a report by MSNBC on political contributions made by 144 members of the main-sream-media (There are a few graphic artists on the list—so that qualifies me as a co-member of the MSM.)

I'm no conspiracy theorist. These stats show that Republican young people aren't choosing careers in journalism. However, those left to report the news are largely Democrat.

Kudos to MSNBC for publishing the list and striking a blow for truth in packaging.

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Donors to federal candidates, PACs and parties

MSNBC.com checked the Federal Election Commission records from January 2004 through the first quarter of 2007 and attempted to contact each journalist. If a person donated during that period, earlier donations are also listed here.

MSNBC.com limited its search to:

— Federal candidates, PACs and parties, not state or local campaigns.
— The period January 2004 through the first quarter of this year.
— Donors in news jobs, not corporate executives or publishers, who are allowed by nearly every news organization to donate.

Not on the list are more than 20 who bought tickets to the "Vote for Change" concerts put on by Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and others in 2004 to raise money to defeat President Bush. Unless those donors made other contributions, they get the benefit of the doubt that their intention was solely to hear the music. An MSNBC.com producer for TodayShow.com is in that group and in the interest of transparency is included on the list.

TELEVISION

(D) ABC News, Mary Fulginiti, "Primetime" correspondent.
(D) ABC affiliate in Boston, WCVB, Sangita Chandra, producer.
(D) ABC affiliate in Wichita, KAKE, Susan Peters, anchor.
(D) CBS News, Serena Altschul, correspondent for "CBS Sunday Morning."
(D) CBS News, Edward H. Forgotson Jr., producer, "CBS Sunday Morning."
(D) CBS affiliate in Boston, WBZ, Liz Walker, newsmagazine host.
(D) CBS affiliate in Los Angeles, KCBS, Claudia Bill, news writer.
(D) CBS affiliate in Memphis, WREG, Markova Reed, anchors the morning and noon news.
(D) CNN, Guy Raz, Jerusalem correspondent, now defense correspondent for National Public Radio.
(R) CW affiliate in Chicago, WGN, Jay Congdon, news producer.
(R) CW affiliate in Los Angeles, KTLA, Diana Chi, news writer.
(R) Fox News Channel, Ann Stewart Banker, producer for Bill O'Reilly's "The O'Reilly Factor."
(D) Fox News Channel, Codie Brooks, researcher for Brit Hume's "Special Report."
(D) Fox affiliate in Omaha, KPTM, Calvert Collins, reporter.
(D) Fox affiliate in Minneapolis, KMSP, Alix Kendall, morning anchor.
(D) Fox affiliate in Washington, D.C., WTTG, Laura Evans, anchor.
(R) MSNBC, Joe Scarborough, host of "Morning Joe" and "Scarborough Country."
(D) MTV News, Gideon Yago, "Choose or Lose" presidential correspondent.
(D) NBC News, Victoria Corderi, "Dateline" correspondent.
(R) PBS affiliate in New York, Thirteen/WNET, Rafael Roman, host, "New York Voices."
(D) Independent station KTVK, Phoenix, Steve Bodinet, reporter.

ONLINE

(D) MSNBC.com, Rachel Schwanewede, senior editor, TodayShow.com.
(D) MSNBC.com, Joel Widzer, travel columnist.
(D) Salon.com, Gary Kamiya, writer at large and former executive editor.
(D) Salon.com, Katharine Mieszkowski, reporter.

MAGAZINES

(D) The Atlantic Monthly, Martha Spaulding, assistant managing editor.
(D) Business Week, Prudence Crowther, chief copy editor.
(D) The Economist, Andreas Kluth, technology correspondent.
(D) The Economist, Joanne Ramos, financial writer.
(R) Forbes, Jean A. Briggs, assistant managing editor.
(R) Forbes, Robert Lenzner, national editor.
(D) Forbes, Tatiana Serafin, senior reporter.
(D) Inc., Jane Berentson, editor.
(D) The New Yorker, David Denby, film critic.
(D) The New Yorker, Henry Finder, editorial director and books editor.
(D) The New Yorker, Tad Friend, Hollywood reporter.
(D) The New Yorker, Ann Goldstein, head of copy department.
(D) The New Yorker, Hendrik Hertzberg, senior editor.
(D) The New Yorker, John Lahr, theater critic.
(D) The New Yorker, Janet Malcolm, writer.
(D) The New Yorker, George Packer, war correspondent.
(D) The New Yorker, Mark Singer, profile writer.
(D) The New Yorker, Judith Thurman, writer.
(D) Newsweek, Temma Ehrenfeld, associate editor.
(D & R) Newsweek, Jane Bryant Quinn, personal finance columnist.
(D) Newsweek, Anne Underwood, correspondent on health and medical stories.
(D) Rolling Stone, Jason Fine, deputy managing editor.
(D) Rolling Stone, David Swanson, assistant editor.
(D) Rolling Stone, Jann Wenner, editor and publisher.
(D) Time, Jim Frederick, senior editor.
(D) U.S. News & World Report, Michael Freeman, researcher.
(D) U.S. News & World Report, Amanda Spake, senior writer.
(D) Vanity Fair, Elise O'Shaughnessy, contributing editor.
(D) Vanity Fair, Michael Shnayerson, contributing editor.

NEWSPAPERS

(D) McClatchy Newspapers, Beryl Adcock, news desk chief, Washington bureau.
(D) The Wall Street Journal, Krishnan Amantharaman, managing editor of the classroom edition.
(D) The Wall Street Journal, Henny Sender, senior special writer.
(D) The Wall Street Journal, Eben Shapiro, editor of the Weekend Journal section.
(D) The New York Times, Randy Cohen, ethics columnist.
(D) The New York Times, Christine Muhlke, deputy editor, style magazine.
(D & R) The New York Times, Nancy Tilghman, freelance writer.
(D) Los Angeles Times, Nick Cuccia, design editor.
(D) Los Angeles Times, Manohla Dargis, film critic, now at The New York Times.
(D) Los Angeles Times, Dan Neil, automobile critic.
(R) Los Angeles Times, Charles Perry, food writer.
(D) New York Daily News, Celia McGee, reporter, and freelancer for The New York Times.
(D) New York Daily News, Matthew Roberts, photographer.
(R) The Washington Post, Stephen Hunter, film critic.
(D) The Chicago Tribune, Maureen Ryan, entertainment reporter.
(D) The Chicago Tribune, John von Rhein, classical music critic.
(D) San Francisco Chronicle, William Pates, letters editor for the editorial page.
(D) Newsday, Long Island, Rita Hall, section designer/artist/writer.
(D) The Boston Globe, Rebecca Ostriker, arts editor/writer.
(D) The Boston Globe, Henry Riemer, sports statistician.
(R) The Star-Ledger, Newark, Robin Gaby Fisher, feature writer.
(D) Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Barbara Haugen, copy editor.
(D) Detroit Free Press, Susan Hall-Balduf, copy editor.
(D) Detroit Free Press, Joel Thurtell, reporter.
(D) The Oregonian, Portland, Steve Amick, reporter.
(R) The Miami Herald, Harry Broertjes, copy editor/page designer.
(R) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Joe Cline, graphic artist.
(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Penni Crabtree, business reporter.
(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Bob Elledge, assistant news editor.
(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Shaffer Grubb, graphic artist.
(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Arline Smith, news production editor.
(D) The San Diego Union-Tribune, Charlie Smith, copy editor.
(D) The Sun, Baltimore, John Scholz, copy editor.
(D) San Jose Mercury News, Rachel Wilner, sports editor.
(D) Boston Herald, Chris Donnelly, news librarian.
(D) South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Ethan Skolnick, sports columnist.
(D) Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Randy Galloway, sports columnist.
(D) Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Vincent Langford, sports copy editor.
(D) The Hartford Courant, Nancy Gallinger, copy editor.
(D) The Hartford Courant, Bill Lewis, copy editor.
(D) Richmond Times-Dispatch, Michael Hardy, state political reporter.
(D) Richmond Times-Dispatch, Pam Mastropaolo, copy editor.
(D) Contra Costa Times, Calif., Robert Taylor, fine arts reporter.
(D) The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif., Mark Benoit, wire editor.
(D) The Palm Beach Post, Fla., George McEvoy, columnist.
(R) The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Barbara Bradley, fashion editor.
(D) The Des Moines Register, Stephen P. Dinnen, business reporter.
(D) The Honolulu Advertiser, Chris Neil, wire editor.
(D) The Blade, Toledo, James Bradley, copy editor.
(D) Lexington Herald-Leader, Brian Throckmorton, copy desk chief.
(R) The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa., Beth Hudson, sports reporter.
(D) The Daytona Beach, Fla., News-Journal, Marc Davidson, editor.
(D) Albany, N.Y., Times Union, Greg Montgomery, graphic design editor.
(R) The Washington Times, Gary Arnold, film critic.
(D) San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, Calif., Eric Terrazas, sports editor.
(R) The New York Sun, Liz Peek, financial columnist.
(D) The Lincoln, Neb., Journal Star, Paul Fell, editorial cartoonist.
(D) The Lincoln, Neb., Journal Star, Sylvia Hermanson, copy editor.
(R) The Macon, Ga., Telegraph, Stephen "Keich" Whicker, local government reporter.
(D) New Hampshire Union Leader, David Johnson, sports copy editor.
(D) Corpus Christi, Texas, Caller-Times, Elvia Aguilar, business writer.
(D) National Catholic Reporter, Margot Patterson, senior writer and arts/opinion editor.
(D) York, Pa., Daily Record, Teresa Cook, copy editor.
(D) Muskegon, Mich., Chronicle, Terry Judd, reporter and chief of the Grand Haven bureau.
(D) Fort Wayne, Ind., News-Sentinel, Fran Adler, copy editor.
(D) Fort Wayne, Ind., News-Sentinel, Faith Van Gilder, copy editor.
(D) Martha's Vineyard, Mass., Times, Whit Griswold, copy editor.

RADIO

(D) Air America and CBS Radio, Betsy Rosenberg-Zimmerman, environment talk show host and environment reporter.
(D) National Public Radio, Corey Flintoff, newscaster.
(D) National Public Radio, Michelle Trudeau, correspondent.
(D) NPR affiliate in Washington, WAMU, Susan Goodman, reporter.
(D) WWJ News Radio, Detroit, Vickie B. Thomas, reporter.

WIRE SERVICES

(D) Bloomberg News, Katherine Burton, reporter.
(D) Bloomberg News, Robert Dieterich, energy editor.
(D) Bloomberg News, Joshua Fellman, reporter in Asia.
(D) Bloomberg News, Robert Houck, multimedia news editor.
(D) Bloomberg News, Milanee Kapadia, reporter.
(D) Bloomberg News, James Polson, reporter on energy and utilities.
(D) Bloomberg News, Carlos Torres, reporter in Washington.
(D) Bloomberg News, Robert Urban, real estate reporter.
(D) Bloomberg News, John Wydra, radio newscaster.
(D) Dow Jones Newswires, Samuel J. Favate Jr., editor.
(D) Dow Jones Newswires, Billy Mallard, credit markets editor.
(D) Reuters, Lisa von Ahn, news desk editor.
(D) Reuters, Michael Erman, reporter.

NON-ENGLISH-LANGUAGE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS

(D) La Stampa, newspaper in Turin, Italy, Paolo Mastrolilli, New York correspondent.
(D) New Delhi Television, Stephen Marks, reporter.
(D) The Korea Daily News, Chang W. Kim, journalist.
(D) Pakistan TV, Jack Khangura, reporter.
(D) Oriental Daily, Chun Fai Cheng, reporter.