The Media's Bias

[CutlerB]

This is probably a topic that comes up all the time, but I would like to share some of my thoughts and experiences on this topic, relating to Germany in particular.

This thread was prompted by an article on the German website “SPIEGEL ONLINE” (the online news arm of the magazine Der SPIEGEL). “Catholic Hospitals in Cologne: Rape Victim Reportedly Refused”. They have a history of trying to discredit religion, especially Christianity, and Catholicism in particular. I’d say the greater part of their readership espouses the same attitude. The article I am referring to was published only today, and is therefore not entirely investigated (if it is at all, since what they write so many things of which they have no clue).

The article says two Catholic hospitals in the Archdiocese of Cologne are said to have refused helping a probably raped young woman. The reason given is that this would entail counselling on Abortion and the Pill. The Archdiocese denies that there is any such rule for its hospitals and apologises sincerely, should this be true.

Of course, the article features the word “Catholic” in the title, right at the top of the page. I have never seen the word “Catholic” used in relation to ANYTHING good in the SPIEGEL. Never. Ever. They leave details out, if they make the Church look good, and feature prominently, what can be used to discredit her.

Not only are they hostile to the Church, but they don’t even know what they are talking about. One example is calling a cross (without a Corpus) a Crucifix repeatedly. Other things include addressing Bishops in interviews disrespectfully, not calling them by their rightful titles. One last classic is the total misrepresentation of Papal Infallibilty. They used that in relation to the handling of anise cases, in huge letters on the cover of the magazine.

Another media outlet I would like to briefly mention is the TV station ZDF. It is funded by taxpayer’s money, and obliged to stick to certain rules and guidelines. Next to their general bias against the Catholic Church, though not as extreme as the previous source, they love to throw polemics around in such a subtle way in the “heute journal”, a late news programme, that treats the big topics of the day more in-depth, often featuring live interviews. Although it is up to the host of the show, the two most frequent ones by far do this all the time, when some thing related to Christianity, and especially the Catholic Church, is on. Misrepresentations and distortion, deceptive and inadequate quoting and even outright lies can be found in almost every show related to the mentioned topics. Of course, the image of a sinister, old-fashioned and obsolete Church is never missing. Popular misconceptions often feature as arguments, such as the Inquisition or Galileo.

I’d be interested to hear what you have experienced in the media, what has upset you most about their reporting (if they do) on the Church or Christianity in general. For my part, I am infuriated. I am so angry at them that if I were granted a wish, God knows what would happen.

If you have read everything up to here, please do share some of your thoughts.

 

[Dale_M]

I can’t read German, which makes investigating this news story somewhat difficult for me.

I couldn’t find the news article at Spiegel Online. However, here is the news story at Die Zeit.
zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2013-01/katholische-kliniken-koeln-vergewaltigungsopfer

(NB: article written in German)

That news story seems to be based on reporting by the *Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger *
ksta.de/politik/erzbistum-koeln-katholische-klinik-weist-vergewaltigte-ab,15187246,21481786.html

(NB: also in German)

Any help from our learned members in assessing possible media bias would be appreciated!

 

[CutlerB]

I can’t read German, which makes investigating this news story somewhat difficult for me.

I couldn’t find the news article at Spiegel Online. However, here is the news story at Die Zeit.
zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2013-01/katholische-kliniken-koeln-vergewaltigungsopfer

(NB: article written in German)

That news story seems to be based on reporting by the *Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger *
ksta.de/politik/erzbistum-koeln-katholische-klinik-weist-vergewaltigte-ab,15187246,21481786.html

(NB: also in German)

Any help from our learned members in assessing possible media bias would be appreciated!

Here is the story at Spiegel Online:

spiegel.de/panorama/koeln-vergewaltigungsopfer-von-katholischen-kliniken-abgewiesen-a-878210.html

The title has changed, into something even worse, in my opinion. It is “Rejection in The Name of God”. They love that kind of language. A lot of their articles feature “XX im Namen des Herrn” — “XX in the Name of the Lord”. It subtly attacks all of Christianity and religion.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

I am so angry at them that if I were granted a wish, God knows what would happen.)

You’re right, he does, which is why, based in intonation of your post, you’ve probably jsut engaged in the sin of wrath.

Not hat I have any room to talk, it’s probably my second most-prevalent sin…

As to what your post it about, I don’t have any explicit examples, but I have noticed the severe media bias against religion for quite a while now. It is disgusting, and an indication that the other side is wrong, because they cannot discredit us by reporting the truth.

I take it as affirmation of the Truth of Catholicism, and do my best to ignore it beyond that.

 

[CutlerB]

You’re right, he does, which is why, based in intonation of your post, you’ve probably jsut engaged in the sin of wrath.

Not hat I have any room to talk, it’s probably my second most-prevalent sin…

As to what your post it about, I don’t have any explicit examples, but I have noticed the severe media bias against religion for quite a while now. It is disgusting, and an indication that the other side is wrong, because they cannot discredit us by reporting the truth.

I take it as affirmation of the Truth of Catholicism, and do my best to ignore it beyond that.

I probably have. It’s not often that I feel that way, but this is the one case that prompts the feeling.

To me it’s an affirmation as well, which is at least some good from evil. But I’d rather have honest reporting and more souls brought to know the Truth.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

To me it’s an affirmation as well, which is at least some good from evil. But I’d rather have honest reporting and more souls brought to know the Truth.

I agree with you 100%.

 

[The_Reginator]

I can’t read German, which makes investigating this news story somewhat difficult for me.

I couldn’t find the news article at Spiegel Online. However, here is the news story at Die Zeit.
zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2013-01/katholische-kliniken-koeln-vergewaltigungsopfer

(NB: article written in German)

That news story seems to be based on reporting by the *Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger *
ksta.de/politik/erzbistum-koeln-katholische-klinik-weist-vergewaltigte-ab,15187246,21481786.html

(NB: also in German)

Any help from our learned members in assessing possible media bias would be appreciated!

Dale,
I had problems with Firefox a while back so I downloaded Google Chrome. As soon as I go to any page that is not in English Chrome asks me if I’d like to translate it.
I tried that with one of the articles and even the comments were translated. Infuriating, but translated.

 

[edwest2]

This is probably a topic that comes up all the time, but I would like to share some of my thoughts and experiences on this topic, relating to Germany in particular.

This thread was prompted by an article on the German website “SPIEGEL ONLINE” (the online news arm of the magazine Der SPIEGEL. They have a history of trying to discredit religion, especially Christianity, and Catholicism in particular. I’d say the greater part of their readership espouses the same attitude. The article I am referring to was published only today, and is therefore not entirely investigated (if it is at all, since what they write so many things of which they have no clue).

The article says two Catholic hospitals in the Archdiocese of Cologne are said to have refused helping a probably raped young woman. The reason given is that this would entail counselling on Abortion and the Pill. The Archdiocese denies that there is any such rule for its hospitals and apologises sincerely, should this be true.

Of course, the article features the word “Catholic” in the title, right at the top of the page. I have never seen the word “Catholic” used in relation to ANYTHING good in the SPIEGEL. Never. Ever. They leave details out, if they make the Church look good, and feature prominently, what can be used to discredit her.

Not only are they hostile to the Church, but they don’t even know what they are talking about. One example is calling a cross (without a Corpus) a Crucifix repeatedly. Other things include addressing Bishops in interviews disrespectfully, not calling them by their rightful titles. One last classic is the total misrepresentation of Papal Infallibilty. They used that in relation to the handling of anise cases, in huge letters on the cover of the magazine.

Another media outlet I would like to briefly mention is the TV station ZDF. It is funded by taxpayer’s money, and obliged to stick to certain rules and guidelines. Next to their general bias against the Catholic Church, though not as extreme as the previous source, they love to throw polemics around in such a subtle way in the “heute journal”, a late news programme, that treats the big topics of the day more in-depth, often featuring live interviews. Although it is up to the host of the show, the two most frequent ones by far do this all the time, when some thing related to Christianity, and especially the Catholic Church, is on. Misrepresentations and distortion, deceptive and inadequate quoting and even outright lies can be found in almost every show related to the mentioned topics. Of course, the image of a sinister, old-fashioned and obsolete Church is never missing. Popular misconceptions often feature as arguments, such as the Inquisition or Galileo.

I’d be interested to hear what you have experienced in the media, what has upset you most about their reporting (if they do) on the Church or Christianity in general. For my part, I am infuriated. I am so angry at them that if I were granted a wish, God knows what would happen.

If you have read everything up to here, please do share some of your thoughts.

I have a German acquaintance and was raised as a European Catholic and not as an average American.

The media here has become pagan, for the most part. By media, in the United States, it is called the “mainstream” or most common media. I have read a few articles in the English version of Der Spiegel but they were not about religious subjects. Religion is ridiculed constantly here or ignored. In my local newspaper some years ago, I read an article claiming there were no absolutes in life. That we were free to do as we choose. This, of course, shocked me.

Right now, the biggest wrongs the media promotes are mostly about the wrong use of human sexuality. They use the word controversy instead of the plain words, right and wrong, because, for them, these words are wrong.

Homosexual behavior is good.

Same-sex marriage is good, along with “civil unions” and “domestic partnerships,” because the last two help promote gay marriage.

The Church is 100% wrong. No matter what the Church tells us, it’s wrong.

The Church is wrong about artificial contraception, and abortion.

Abortion is interesting because it began as pro-abortion, then supporters changed that to pro-choice, and then again to “reproductive rights.” And the man is not responsible for anything. If she consented, then the baby growing inside is her’s alone. The man has no say. It’s a “woman’s right to choose.”

So a culture of death has been created. There is a show on TV called The Walking Dead that shows gruesome dead people, sometimes falling apart in front of your eyes. Darkness has infiltrated many genres of fiction.

I can’t watch most movies because they include nudity and fornication or adultery. And profanity. There is no comedy anymore, just profanity and “comedians” promoting profanity like this: “There is no such thing as bad language.” Louis Black. Chris Rock is nothing but graphic sex talk. And even Whoopi Goldberg decided to educate her audience about the book of Leviticus in the Bible. Of course, Christians don’t understand it correctly.

And there is pornography everywhere and abnormal families on TV, including cartoons. Gay characters who get married are even appearing in comic books.

At one time, the United States, including the government, respected Christian values and principles. Then, for various reasons, began to abandon these values. The same for the media.

Here is a new book by a Catholic author regarding Europe that may interest you and especially, Americans.

amazon.com/Becoming-Europe-Economic-Decline-European/dp/1594036373

There is no respect for Christianity in general, and the Catholic Church in particular. Hans Küng has said that Pope Benedict wants to return the Church to the Middle Ages. This is a good sign.

Peace,
Ed

 

[Dale_M]

The title has changed, into something even worse, in my opinion. It is “Rejection in The Name of God”. They love that kind of language. A lot of their articles feature “XX im Namen des Herrn” — “XX in the Name of the Lord”. It subtly attacks all of Christianity and religion.

Subtly??

My gosh, the snarkiness of the opening paragraph is astonishing. And if I read the computer translation correctly, the sarcastic tone is unjustified by the rest of the article. Not only are the facts of what happened in dispute, but the policy of the hospitals is to treat rape victims but not provide abortive drugs. The victim is informed of this upfront and she decides whether to remain or go elsewhere.

However, I am relying on a computer translation of the article, which is very rough and I may have misunderstood some of it.

 

[CutlerB]

Subtly??

My gosh, the snarkiness of the opening paragraph is astonishing. And if I read the computer translation correctly, the sarcastic tone is unjustified by the rest of the article. Not only are the facts of what happened in dispute, but the policy of the hospitals is to treat rape victims but not provide abortive drugs. The victim is informed of this upfront and she decides whether to remain or go elsewhere.

However, I am relying on a computer translation of the article, which is very rough and I may have misunderstood some of it.

You’re totally correct. About the subtlety, I don’t quite know why I said it was subtle. It’s a blatant lie, but not subtle.

 

[CutlerB]

I have a German acquaintance and was raised as a European Catholic and not as an average American.

The media here has become pagan, for the most part. By media, in the United States, it is called the “mainstream” or most common media. I have read a few articles in the English version of Der Spiegel but they were not about religious subjects. Religion is ridiculed constantly here or ignored. In my local newspaper some years ago, I read an article claiming there were no absolutes in life. That we were free to do as we choose. This, of course, shocked me.

Right now, the biggest wrongs the media promotes are mostly about the wrong use of human sexuality. They use the word controversy instead of the plain words, right and wrong, because, for them, these words are wrong.

Homosexual behavior is good.

Same-sex marriage is good, along with “civil unions” and “domestic partnerships,” because the last two help promote gay marriage.

The Church is 100% wrong. No matter what the Church tells us, it’s wrong.

The Church is wrong about artificial contraception, and abortion.

Abortion is interesting because it began as pro-abortion, then supporters changed that to pro-choice, and then again to “reproductive rights.” And the man is not responsible for anything. If she consented, then the baby growing inside is her’s alone. The man has no say. It’s a “woman’s right to choose.”

So a culture of death has been created. There is a show on TV called The Walking Dead that shows gruesome dead people, sometimes falling apart in front of your eyes. Darkness has infiltrated many genres of fiction.

I can’t watch most movies because they include nudity and fornication or adultery. And profanity. There is no comedy anymore, just profanity and “comedians” promoting profanity like this: “There is no such thing as bad language.” Louis Black. Chris Rock is nothing but graphic sex talk. And even Whoopi Goldberg decided to educate her audience about the book of Leviticus in the Bible. Of course, Christians don’t understand it correctly.

And there is pornography everywhere and abnormal families on TV, including cartoons. Gay characters who get married are even appearing in comic books.

At one time, the United States, including the government, respected Christian values and principles. Then, for various reasons, began to abandon these values. The same for the media.

Here is a new book by a Catholic author regarding Europe that may interest you and especially, Americans.

amazon.com/Becoming-Europe-Economic-Decline-European/dp/1594036373

There is no respect for Christianity in general, and the Catholic Church in particular. Hans Küng has said that Pope Benedict wants to return the Church to the Middle Ages. This is a good sign.

Peace,
Ed

Wow, that’s a lot! Thanks for taking the time

I can confirm some of that for Europe as well, although I am unsure about what you mean with the media being pagan in the States.

The Church is always wrong here, too. Everything she says is opposed immediately, or not covered. And if there is a little positive article, they never fail to mention some big negative issue to “put it in perspective”. There was a TV show on a few weeks ago, called “Hart aber Fair”, which is a group of people of different opinions debating a topic. The one I am referring to had Euthanasia as it’s theme. There were about 5 guests, all of them basically pro-Euthanasia in some way. The only one opposing that view was one Catholic monk, who was neither a skilled debater, not do I think did he quite accurately represent Church teaching. I have the feeling they deliberately chose him, to make the perceived Catholic position look unrealistic and not up to the “good arguments” of the pro-Euthanasia faction.

That’s just another example.

As for the Middle Ages: Honestly, I’d be happy if the Church had a little more say in matters, if that is what he means. I’m always rather sceptical of Hans Küng.

 

[CaptFun]

I have a German acquaintance and was raised as a European Catholic and not as an average American.

The media here has become pagan, for the most part. By media, in the United States, it is called the “mainstream” or most common media. I have read a few articles in the English version of Der Spiegel but they were not about religious subjects. Religion is ridiculed constantly here or ignored. In my local newspaper some years ago, I read an article claiming there were no absolutes in life. That we were free to do as we choose. This, of course, shocked me.

Right now, the biggest wrongs the media promotes are mostly about the wrong use of human sexuality. They use the word controversy instead of the plain words, right and wrong, because, for them, these words are wrong.

Homosexual behavior is good.

Same-sex marriage is good, along with “civil unions” and “domestic partnerships,” because the last two help promote gay marriage.

The Church is 100% wrong. No matter what the Church tells us, it’s wrong.

The Church is wrong about artificial contraception, and abortion.

Abortion is interesting because it began as pro-abortion, then supporters changed that to pro-choice, and then again to “reproductive rights.” And the man is not responsible for anything. If she consented, then the baby growing inside is her’s alone. The man has no say. It’s a “woman’s right to choose.”

So a culture of death has been created. There is a show on TV called The Walking Dead that shows gruesome dead people, sometimes falling apart in front of your eyes. Darkness has infiltrated many genres of fiction.

I can’t watch most movies because they include nudity and fornication or adultery. And profanity. There is no comedy anymore, just profanity and “comedians” promoting profanity like this: “There is no such thing as bad language.” Louis Black. Chris Rock is nothing but graphic sex talk. And even Whoopi Goldberg decided to educate her audience about the book of Leviticus in the Bible. Of course, Christians don’t understand it correctly.

And there is pornography everywhere and abnormal families on TV, including cartoons. Gay characters who get married are even appearing in comic books.

At one time, the United States, including the government, respected Christian values and principles. Then, for various reasons, began to abandon these values. The same for the media.

Here is a new book by a Catholic author regarding Europe that may interest you and especially, Americans.

amazon.com/Becoming-Europe-Economic-Decline-European/dp/1594036373

There is no respect for Christianity in general, and the Catholic Church in particular. Hans Küng has said that Pope Benedict wants to return the Church to the Middle Ages. This is a good sign.

Peace,
Ed

Thanks for the “Peace” at the end Ed. I needed it. Excellent post on your part … though
I feel like we just walked through a sewer together. Somehow knowing someone (perceptive) sees what I see helps. I will sleep better tonight. :knight2::knight1: Carry on!

 

[edwest2]

You’re welcome, CaptFun.

When I say the media is pagan, I mean they worship things and the world as it is. Godly things have passed away or are an annoyance. We, meaning Christians in general, are viewed as primitives, stuck in the past, while they live a “modern” life - from the dictionary definition of pagan: “one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures…”

Yes, it feels like we’re walking through a sewer, but here’s a line from a movie from a character who is playing the role of God: “No matter how dirty something gets, you can always clean it back up again.”

There are those in the Church who think that She needs to change even more, but Pope John Paul II and now, Pope Benedict, are righting the ship, and stopping the bleeding and confusion. The Church is not looking for quantity, like filling seats at a baseball stadium, but quality. The Pope has called Catholics to “radical obedience.” Those who want “change at all costs” feel annoyed because how will they “advance” their cause/change now that the Pope is putting the brakes on?

Peace,
Ed

 

[CaptFun]

You’re welcome, CaptFun.

When I say the media is pagan, I mean they worship things and the world as it is. Godly things have passed away or are an annoyance. We, meaning Christians in general, are viewed as primitives, stuck in the past, while they live a “modern” life - from the dictionary definition of pagan: “one who has little or no religion and who delights in sensual pleasures…”

Yes, it feels like we’re walking through a sewer, but here’s a line from a movie from a character who is playing the role of God: “No matter how dirty something gets, you can always clean it back up again.”

There are those in the Church who think that She needs to change even more, but Pope John Paul II and now, Pope Benedict, are righting the ship, and stopping the bleeding and confusion. The Church is not looking for quantity, like filling seats at a baseball stadium, but quality. The Pope has called Catholics to “radical obedience.” Those who want “change at all costs” feel annoyed because how will they “advance” their cause/change now that the Pope is putting the brakes on?

Peace,
Ed

In a way I see some who want to “change the Church” as being sincere people who want to make things better. To BETTER help the Church “Change the World” into being the kind of place idealized in the words " … on Earth as it is in Heaven."

Then there are those who seem to come from the direction of wanting to “change the Church” to better make it like the rest of the world. That is …*** instead of *** being
Catholics who are salt and light, evangelizing the world with the good news of Christ. They’ve prioritized it’s best to FIRST evangelize the Church to be more in line with the secular world (which is morally getting more and more permissive of sin - and intolerant of what it likes to call “organized religion”).

A pagan “anything goes” society lets everyone enjoy their own personal sin as being
“your own business” except for a few things that remain illicit … but less so all the time.

The media has a value of “neutrality” regarding religion … that has graduated to a sort of
“adversary relationship” with religion similar to what it sees its role is versus government.
The media poses as “defending ‘us’ from religion … and its judgements, intrusions, teaching that make some people feel bad”. Whereas “paganism” is NOT a religion and so
can even be promoted neutrally as an “event” or series of “events”.

In my opinion “gatekeepers” will try to keep reverent Catholics who live their faith from getting certain kinds of jobs. The media? Got to make sure the religious guy doesn’t subtly “push his agenda” on our audience. Teacher? Can’t have a person with a captive audience like our kids would be “being exposed to …” this guy’s strange ideas about their being a God. Or questioning the sections of Darwinian ***theory *** included in our science books. etc.

Meanwhile, if you are Catholic and are applying for a job, how much of our faith is it necessary to disavow to get or keep a job? More all the time.

Here in the US there are streams of media (like this!) that do provide broader
points of view. Internet. Talk Radio. Specialty newspapers and sites. So it’s not ALL the media. But if one were to watch CBS, NBC and ABC TV news on the same day (taping two watching one live) … its amazing how they all pick the same stories (from a MIGHTY big pile) to report upon each day. What are the odds? Or that what they report upon matches almost perfectly the priorities of the New York Times’ issue of the day.

Those three networks are all HQ’d in New York just a few blocks apart. Collusion would be too strong a word for how homogenized (and I might add PC) the TV news is - but it comes closer to committee like cooperation than competition for sure.

The Fox News Network plays things differently … although many of the stories already
on the Nation’s radar get played. CNN used to be different. MSNBC is NBC light (or heavy as the case may be).

Where I have my armor on a bit is … prolonged exposure to the same messages and subtexts crafted by “the media” can affect the way we think. Suddenly everyone must have a take on (say) “gay marriage” … because the media talks about it every day. And shows how a person ought to view it and act. And what would “be bad” too.

 

[Lucky7]

I’m more interested in finding out for sure whether this report is true. Unfortunately, there are no other reports on this situation. All reports are basically the same.

I would like to belive that it is false, but I’m willing to wait it out to see what comes of it.

 

[CutlerB]

I’m more interested in finding out for sure whether this report is true. Unfortunately, there are no other reports on this situation. All reports are basically the same.

I would like to belive that it is false, but I’m willing to wait it out to see what comes of it.

By now, it seems there has been misinformation and misunderstanding in the hospitals. They have confirmed the case, but say it was a misunderstanding of regulations, and they would never not try to help rape victims. They just wouldn’t prescribe the pill.