On Press: The Liberal Values That Shaped the News

Abstract

The charge that major American newspapers are tainted by “liberal bias” has become one of the most durable misperceptions in our culture. Matthew Pressman's fascinating book is in some respects another effort to demolish it. But Pressman also demonstrates why it has persisted and become a central tenet of conservatism. As Pressman reveals, the values that shaped the news produced by elite newspapers changed significantly between the late 1950s and late 1970s, and these changes resulted in a journalism more acceptable to liberals than to conservatives. Focusing on the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, Pressman illuminates a major shift in the professional values of reporters, editors, and executives. By the late 1970s, both newspapers had come to embrace interpretive reporting and a broader understanding of “newsworthiness.” They published a wider range of stories, including “soft news” about entertainment, life-style, and consumer trends. They had begun to hire and promote minorities and women, and had improved coverage of issues related to these groups. More important, both newspapers had become more adversarial in their treatment of government, business, and many other institutions.