Comments on: Effects of Ideological Media Persuasion http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/01/effects_of_ideo.html Overcoming Bias is economist Robin Hanson’s blog, on honesty, signaling, disagreement, forecasting, and the far future. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:23:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Marc Resnick http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/01/effects_of_ideo.html#comment-422422 Marc Resnick Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:57:07 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/01/effects-of-ideological-media-persuasion.html#comment-422422 I recommend reading Sunstein's Infotopia if you haven't already. He cites several studies showing that the tendency of groups that start out agreeing on the ideology (i.e. Rush and his listeners) become more extreme in their views as a result of their discussion. If we are all able to access media that we agree with (which is what most of do when possible), it just creates more polarized groups, leading to a more polarized political environment. So the growth of ideological sources (TV, blogs, talk radio, etc.) can lead to some bad consequences, even if you like the ideologies of the groups themselves. For anyone who is also a history buff, this is the opposite of what Jefferson and Madison had in mind when they wrote the Constitution. I recommend reading Sunstein’s Infotopia if you haven’t already. He cites several studies showing that the tendency of groups that start out agreeing on the ideology (i.e. Rush and his listeners) become more extreme in their views as a result of their discussion. If we are all able to access media that we agree with (which is what most of do when possible), it just creates more polarized groups, leading to a more polarized political environment. So the growth of ideological sources (TV, blogs, talk radio, etc.) can lead to some bad consequences, even if you like the ideologies of the groups themselves.

For anyone who is also a history buff, this is the opposite of what Jefferson and Madison had in mind when they wrote the Constitution.

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/01/effects_of_ideo.html#comment-422421 Robin Hanson Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:42:47 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/01/effects-of-ideological-media-persuasion.html#comment-422421 David, I agree that it can be unbiased to approve of some kinds of persuasion and disapprove of others. David, I agree that it can be unbiased to approve of some kinds of persuasion and disapprove of others.

]]> By: David J. Balan http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/01/effects_of_ideo.html#comment-422420 David J. Balan Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:32:49 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/01/effects-of-ideological-media-persuasion.html#comment-422420 Robin and Doug S., The point of the post was only to show that ideological persuasion is both possible and not *necessarily* good. Whether it is in fact good or bad does depend on the character of the persuasion. It would be biased to pretend that persuasion is not persuasion just because you like it, and of course there is a real problem in getting people to agree what good persuasion is, but I don't see how discriminating between different kinds of persuasion automatically makes one guilty of bias. Robin and Doug S.,

The point of the post was only to show that ideological persuasion is both possible and not *necessarily* good. Whether it is in fact good or bad does depend on the character of the persuasion. It would be biased to pretend that persuasion is not persuasion just because you like it, and of course there is a real problem in getting people to agree what good persuasion is, but I don’t see how discriminating between different kinds of persuasion automatically makes one guilty of bias.

]]> By: Doug S. http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/01/effects_of_ideo.html#comment-422419 Doug S. Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:40:14 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/01/effects-of-ideological-media-persuasion.html#comment-422419 But my ideology is correct, and theirs is wrong! But my ideology is correct, and theirs is wrong!

]]> By: Robin Hanson http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/01/effects_of_ideo.html#comment-422418 Robin Hanson Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:25:14 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/01/effects-of-ideological-media-persuasion.html#comment-422418 A clear test of bias is whether you disapprove of media choices that reinforce the ideology of your opponents, while you approve of media choices that reinforce your own ideology. You shouldn't be able to have this both ways. A clear test of bias is whether you disapprove of media choices that reinforce the ideology of your opponents, while you approve of media choices that reinforce your own ideology. You shouldn’t be able to have this both ways.

]]> By: Ed Minchau http://www.overcomingbias.com/2007/01/effects_of_ideo.html#comment-422417 Ed Minchau Tue, 30 Jan 2007 05:23:31 +0000 http://prod.ob.trike.com.au/2007/01/effects-of-ideological-media-persuasion.html#comment-422417 "the ideology is effective but is subtle enough that the viewers don't know they're getting it." Such as when that ideological persuasion is passed off as being unbiased. For example, when it is presented as a news story in the New York Times, CBS News, or Fox News. “the ideology is effective but is subtle enough that the viewers don’t know they’re getting it.”

Such as when that ideological persuasion is passed off as being unbiased. For example, when it is presented as a news story in the New York Times, CBS News, or Fox News.

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