polecat news and views: MSNBC’s Chris Hayes Denies Existence of Liberal Media Bias

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes Denies Existence of Liberal Media Bias

Appearing on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Wednesday night, MSNBC host Chris Hayes rejected the idea that the “mainstream media” is biased against conservatives.

While Hayes acknowledged he was part of the “mainstream media” he argued that “what people don't like is when they feel that there are biases at work that are unannounced. And I think the mainstream media is biased but not in any partisan way. I think there are certain biases we have. We have bias towards spectacle.”

The MSNBC host began his comments by trashing the GOP presidential debates as being void of substance compared to the Democratic Party debate where “there is a little bit more desire for policy substance amongst the people paying attention at this point in the primary in the Democratic field, if I can say that.”

Trevor Noah then teed up Hayes on the subject of media bias and used scare quotes around “mainstream media” to show his dismissal of any political bias within the press:

The accusations that the mainstream media is pro-Democrat, anti-Republican is one that is being, you know, I guess thrown out by the GOP right now. You are part of that machine. You are the mainstream media. Is that how it works? Is the mainstream media Democrat all the time and are they anti-Republican?

Hayes denied any existence of a partisan bias within the media and instead argued that the only biases that exist are towards “spectacle” and ratings:

We have bias towards spectacle. We have bias towards someone just blew something up. Let's go cover that. 100,000 people marched for something somewhere else. I don't know if that’s good television, right? So there is all kind of biases that end up having different expressions along the political spectrum but mostly they're biases of the form of television. See relevant transcript below.

MSNBC’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

November 11, 2015

TREVOR NOAH: I think part of the problem right now, it looks like to me is the fact that they have so many candidates that it's just noise now. There is nobody talking whereas on the Democrat side, it seems like it is pretty smooth sailing there.

CHRIS HAYES: Well, because there is more time I really do think that is a big part of it. I also think there is, at the risk of bias, I think there is a little more-- .

NOAH: Which are you are by the way as liberal media.

HAYES: I am,. I am, I wear it proudly.

NOAH: I just thought I should call you out on that.

HAYES: I wear it proudly. I do think there is a little bit more desire for policy substance amongst the people paying attention at this point in the primary in the Democratic field, if I can say that.

NOAH:: You can. You have said it, you said it. You have said it. The accusations that the mainstream media is pro-Democrat, anti-Republican is one that is being, you know, I guess thrown out by the GOP right now. You are part of that machine. You are the mainstream media. Is that how it works? Is the mainstream media Democrat all the time and are they anti-Republican? How does that--

HAYES: I would say, I'm sort of out-- I'm part of the mainstream media, but my viewpoint is pretty clear. I think what people don't like is when they feel that there are biases at work that are unannounced. And I think the mainstream media is biased but not in any partisan way.

I think there are certain biases we have. We have bias towards spectacle. We have bias towards someone just blew something up. Let's go cover that. 100,000 people marched for something somewhere else. I don't know if that’s good television, right? So there is all kind of biases that end up having different expressions along the political spectrum but mostly they're biases of the form of television.

NOAH: So if you were to say the next debate is coming up. Without bias in your hearts, who do think is going to be knocked out next? Who do you think should be knocked out next?

HAYES: Who do I think should be knocked out? Look-

NOAH: Just to stream line everything.

HAYES: Should?

NOAH: Yes.

HAYES: I mean look.

NOAH: Kick them off the back of the bus. Just kick them off. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

HAYES: Here is what I would say. The United States has never, with the exception of two generals, has never, Grant and Eisenhower, as far as I can tell, I think, has never elected anyone with as little political experience as Donald Trump and Ben Carson currently have and I think there is a reason for that. I mean--You know, look, Ben Carson is a manifestly accomplished, smart guy, right?

NOAH: Yes.

HAYES: But in the same way I think Bernie Sanders is a smart guy. I don't want him to operate on my brain tomorrow.

NOAH: That didn't sound biased at all.