ABSTRACT
Many people are so mad at journalists these days that they don't notice how many journalists share their opinions. The self-flagellating panel discussion is almost a must at media conventions. Much of the public is concerned about left-wing bias in the press. It's there all right, mostly in the treatment of social issues. On the day of the three panels, for instance, the New York Times ran a front-page article on New Jersey's new welfare cap—no extra funds for women on welfare who bear a second child. Right near the top the writer let us know that a few researchers "raised questions about whether the state can—or indeed should—regulate complicated sexual and reproductive decisions." This is why media discussions of media sins tend to swing away from the bias issue and focus instead on aggression, cynicism, and pack journalism. It was everything most people hate about "edge" journalism—aggressive, insulting, humorless, pointless, over the top, and therefore bound to be discussed.
