Check the “bias patrol” for bias, too

Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, is taking heat from Democratic lawmakers — 16 of whom called on President Bush to fire him Tuesday.
The corporation’s inspector general is investigating Tomlinson regarding several issues, one of which involves Fred Mann, whom Tomlinson hired (without the board knowing) to monitor the PBS program “Now” for political bias. It turns out that Mann had worked for 20 years at a journalism center founded by conservatives, as reported in this New York Times article.
Mann’s reports on the show appear to reflect a bias of his own, calling Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., a “liberal” because he challenged Bush policy in Iraq. Hagel is known for questioning Bush, but he is far from “liberal.”
Eliminating bias is always a good goal, but it goes both ways.
Posted by Melissa Cooley