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One of the questions asked in the US Census concerns the highest level of education achieved. Look at how the states with the highest percentage of college graduates living in them voted in the last presidential election. Notice a trend?
The least educated vote for Dems at a rate of 2 to 1, the largest differential of any education-level group. And that 2 to 1 rate and largest differential has remained historically consistent.
It doesn't matter how liberal reporters are. Reporters don't make decisions about content. Owners and editors make those decisions.
The people who think US journalism has "liberal" bias are usually people who are pretty conservative. It is no wonder they see the press as too liberal.
The other thing I would ad is that liberalism is not leftism. Liberals are the center, not the left. The real left is completely excluded from mainstream US media. The US media basically runs from the center to the far right.
Maybe you should check out media search, Media Research Center once in a while and you will find ACTUAL examples.
Keep in mind it is a right leaning org but, they still reveal REAL stories.
My personal interpretation of it is that what Americans call "liberals" (as we certainly don't share the same definition ) are more often exposed to diversity - race, economic, gender, sexuality, etc - which is easier to find in larger numbers if you live in a big city (and you also find that you can very well live quite well and happily with it).
I also don't think that it's a question of IQ between liberals and conservatives, that'd be a bit stupid if one considers IQ as a pure measure of logical intelligence with tests applicable to every age, but as some other posters have said, yes, due to education. Because education is the key. The more you know, the more you can analyse and relate and compare and criticize. The more educated you are, the broader your mind gets actually, and the easier it is to accept and fight for all members of what makes us what we are : a society. (I don't necessarily mean academic education, although it, by organisation, represents a large part, I mean wanting to learn and read and question, and not only what defends what you already think spontaneously, broaden your mind if you want, a lot of intellectual curiosity and much less prejudice)
So if there are more liberals in big cities, I'd attribute it to :
- much more diversity and thus less fear of it, fear of the unknown is sterile and often destructive
- education
- anonymity
I'll build upon my last point (anonymity) and talk about smaller towns or country areas. People, as there are fewer of them, tend to know each other more and want to "conform" more. And that's a pretty good definition of conservatism : what is normal, conform, accepted and makes you accepted. One also generally, not always, has to move to a bigger city to get a job when they have a higher education. And in big cities, people don't generally care what you do or are, as long as you don't bother anyone
This is only my personal view on it and I know our societies are different (but not that much) but we find the same analysis in France. We do have a problem with right wing party here but strangely (except in some of the south's big cities), they do their biggest election scores not in big cities but in rural areas. In such areas, people tend to stick together as a group identification criteria and react to what they see on the news report and TV.
THAT's where (good thus investigative) journalism is important. To depict the truth. But I feel that contrary to your country (at least if one doesn't count fox news), our journalists are mostly, not all, depicting a France that doesn't really exist and "fear-monger". It makes for good audimat, I guess
What is your take on why there are more liberals in big cities, LauraC?
(to everyone : of course there are exceptions, both in rural areas and big cities, it's a general and personal analysis)
My personal interpretation of it is that what Americans call "liberals" (as we certainly don't share the same definition ) are more often exposed to diversity - race, economic, gender, sexuality, etc - which is easier to find in larger numbers if you live in a big city (and you also find that you can very well live quite well and happily with it).
I also don't think that it's a question of IQ between liberals and conservatives, that'd be a bit stupid if one considers IQ as a pure measure of logical intelligence with tests applicable to every age, but as some other posters have said, yes, due to education. Because education is the key. The more you know, the more you can analyse and relate and compare and criticize. The more educated you are, the broader your mind gets actually, and the easier it is to accept and fight for all members of what makes us what we are : a society. (I don't necessarily mean academic education, although it, by organisation, represents a large part, I mean wanting to learn and read and question, and not only what defends what you already think spontaneously, broaden your mind if you want, a lot of intellectual curiosity and much less prejudice)
So if there are more liberals in big cities, I'd attribute it to :
- much more diversity and thus less fear of it, fear of the unknown is sterile and often destructive
- education
- anonymity
Hard to make the education argument. The least-educated Americans are overwhelmingly left-wing. They're the group with the greatest divergence in favoring left-wing over right. I posted the stats earlier.
You're likely correct on the diversity point in big cities, though.
Hard to make the education argument. The least-educated Americans are overwhelmingly left-wing. They're the group with the greatest divergence in favoring left-wing over right. I posted the stats earlier.
You're likely correct on the diversity point in big cities, though.
I'm not sure about the stats you're mentionning but remember I was specifically answering about "big cities"
It's a never ending flow of sewer water, with study after study proving how much better group A is compared to group B.
It's stupid. Liberals want a huge, overbearing central government to take half of the money they earn, boss them around, and empower a handful of nameless, faceless bureaucrats to tell them how to live their lives, and this supposed to be a sign of people with a higher IQ? Ya, sure, ya bet'cha.
I've pointed out elsewhere that when liberals are pushing an agenda that most normal Americans don't want, the only way they have to get votes, is to lie and try to trick people into believing it's something other than what it is. The Obamacare saga is chock-full of examples.
And it's not too uncommon, for the liberals to start believing their own lies.
Looks like you found another one.
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) are more often exposed to diversity - race, economic, gender, sexuality, etc - which is easier to find in larger numbers if you live in a big city (and you also find that you can very well live quite well and happily with it).
