No Bull Mom

Behind the Scenes of Media Bias

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how media bias works:

Immediately before the release of my book back in 2004, my publisher gets a phone call from Glamour magazine. Apparently they wanted a pic of the book jacket sent to them, indicating they were going to feature it in their magazine. Of course they didn't say in what way they were going to feature it, but my publishers had been around the block and warned me it probably wouldn't be good -- which was fine with us, since bad publicity is still publicity.

My publishers were correct. In the April 2004 edition of Glamour, 7 Myths was listed as a "Don't" -- as in "Don't read." Apparently there's a section in Glamour called "Do's and Don'ts," where the editors tell readers what they should and shouldn't wear, read, do, etc. Right above the picture of my book was a book called "The War Against Choice" -- about abortion rights. This book was listed as a "Do."

Not only is this blatant bias, but of course the editors hadn't actually read my book -- which goes back to my earlier post titled "Conservatives Read, Liberals Watch TV." The subtitle of my book is "Why Children and (Most) Careers Just Don't Mix." This subtitle angered the women at Glamour so much that, rather than read the material to see what I said, they simply banned the book. How, may I ask, is this any different from fascism?

Not long afterward, CNN Sunday Night News called my publicist to request what was supposed to be a straight interview about me and my book. They called the night before I was scheduled to go on the air to do what's called a "pre-telephone interview" -- which is standard procedure. I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with a producer who asked a series of questions about me and the book's premise. I then asked if these were basically the same questions I would be asked the next night on television. She said yes.

Imagine my surprise the next evening when I was at a local affiliate here in St. Louis, getting hooked up to all the requisite machinery and just before I went on the air Carol Lin, the anchor of that evening's newscast, introduces herself in my earpiece and tells me my book "stirred up all the women here at CNN." Next thing I know I'm on the air opposite Carol Evans, CEO of Working Mother magazine, for a surprise debate. There was no interview whatsoever -- just an attempt to discredit me.

If all this isn't enough to change your perspective on mainstream media, what else can I say. Ultimately you have to make up your own mind. Unlike the mainstream media, I have no desire to make up your mind for you.