Analysis: The Liberal Media

Recent studies last year revealed the major news networks, CBS, ABC, and MSNBC, all had decidedly pro-Obama biases, with only Fox News having a pro-McCain bias - and MSNBC was pro-Obama even when compared to its fellow liberally biased networks.

Thanks to OpenSecrets.org, a new way is available to check the status of the media - their campaign contributions to political parties. This is, I am persuaded, the reason the liberal media have become so prominent. The media giants have allowed to form veritable monopolies across the entire entertainment industry, and, unchecked, can easily force their very narrow viewpoints on the entire American populace at will.

The following is an examination of the media corporations who control the major news outlets, and where their campaign contributions go. The intent is not even to see which give the most, so much as to discern their political leanings and potential biases.

Disclaimer - I realize one can give primarily to Democrats and that does not mean they are 'liberal'. By 'liberal' or 'conservative' I am just referring to how the company and its news agency fund Democrats as opposed to Republicans. As a Conservative Democrat, I recognize Democrats are not necessarily liberal, but it is easier to simply show which party's members are being funded most than to break down which politicians are liberal as opposed to conservative.

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Time Warner (Owner of CNN News) - Liberal

Description: One of the largest media/entertainment conglomerations with a focus on TV Stations, Print Media, and the Internet.
Politics: 77% of campaign contributions have gone to Democrats for the 2010 cycle. 81% went to Democrats in the 2008 cycle. Historically 71% have gone to Democrats. Has donated a total of $19.7 million to campaigns.
When counting Time Warner affiliates, 77% has been given historically to Democrats (a total of $9.62 million). Those bearing the CNN name specifically gave 66% to Democrats (a total of just $22,460).
Major Organizations Owned:
TV Stations: CNN, TNT, The CW (50% ownership), HLN, HBO, TBS, TCM, Cinemax, Cartoon Network, Airport Network, Adult Swim, truTV, The Kids WB
Movies: Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Hanna Barbera, Looney Tunes
Print: Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, People Magazine, DC Comics, Entertainment Weekly, Fortune, Homes & Gardens, Life Magazine, In Style, Health Magazine, Golf Magazine, Money magazine
Internet: AOL, NetScape, MapQuest, ICQ, WinAmp, GameTap, Bebo, Advertising.com, Games.com, Compuserve, Truveo, Weblogs
Radio: AOL Radio, CNN Radio
Finances: AOL Investments

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The Walt Disney Company (Owner of ABC News) - Liberal

Description: One of the largest media/entertainment conglomerations with a focus on TV Stations, Movies, and resorts/cruise lines.
Politics: 71% of campaign contributions have gone to Democrats for the 2010 cycle. 75% went to Democrats in the 2008 cycle. Historically 68% have gone to Democrats.
When counting The Walt Disney Company affiliates, 81% has been given historically to Democrats (a total of $9.62 million). Those bearing the ABC name specifically gave 82% to Democrats (a total of just $408,399).
Major Organizations Owned:
TV Stations: ABC, ESPN (80% ownership), Disney Channel, ESPN2, Lifetime (50% ownership), A&E (37.5% ownership), The History Channel (37.5% ownership)
Movies: Walt Disney Pictures, Dreamworks, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax, Buena Vista, Miravista Films, Hollywood Pictures
Music: Hollywood Records, Mammoth Records, Walt Disney Records, Buena Vista Music Group, Lyric Street Records
Print: ESPN The Magazine, Disney Hyperion
Internet: ESPN.com, Go.com, Disney Online, Avalanche Software, Hulu (27%)
Radio: Radio Disney, ESPN Radio, ABC Radio Networks
Other: Walt Disney World theme parks, resorts, and cruise lines

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News Corporation (Owner of Fox News) - Conservative?

Description: One of the largest media/entertainment conglomerations with a focus on TV Stations, Print Media, and the Internet.
Politics: Unfortunately OpenSecrets.org has yet to make a main page for News Corporation. However, by doing a search for News Corp and looking at the contributions to members and candidates, I found News Corp itself to have definitively contributed $531,523 to Democrats but just $241,250 to Republicans. Those interested can read more about how this was collected at the bottom of the article.
When counting The Walt Disney Company affiliates, 81% has been given historically to Democrats (a total of $9.62 million). Those bearing the ABC name specifically gave 82% to Democrats (a total of just $408,399).
Major Organizations Owned:
TV Stations: Fox News, FX, National Geographic Channel (50% ownership), Speed Channel
Movies: Twentieth Century Fox
Music: InsideOut Music
Print: New York Post, Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Indexes, Zondervan Publishing, Marketwatch, Barrons, HarperCollins, The Sunday Times (UK), The Times (UK)
Internet: MySpace, PhotoBucket, BeliefNet, GameSpy, Hulu, IGN, AmericanIdol.com, AskMen.com, Scout.com, Rotten Tomatoes, WhatIfSports

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General Electric (Owner of NBC News) - Evenly Split, but NBC Liberal

Description: This diverse, multinational company with a focus on TV Stations, Movies, Finances, Transportation, and of course the energy industry. All NBC and NBC Affiliates are 80% owned by General Electric, and 20% owned by Viacom.
Politics: 69% of General Electric's campaign contributions have gone to Democrats for the 2010 cycle. 55% went to Democrats in the 2008 cycle. Historically 50% have gone to Democrats.
When counting General Electric affiliates, 61% has been given historically to Democrats (a total of $2.42 million). Those bearing the NBC name specifically gave 76% to Democrats (a total of $1.32 million).
Major Organizations Owned:
TV Stations: NBC, MSNBC, The Weather Channel, The Today Show, USA Network, Bravo, Oxygen, Sci Fi Channel, A&E (25% ownership), History Channel (25% ownership), Lifetime (25% ownership), Universal HD, qubo (?% ownership), The Sundance Channel, Sleuth, Chiller
Movies: Universal Studios, Focus Features , Working Title Films, United International Pictures (?% ownership)
Music:
Internet: ivillage.com, Hulu (27% ownership)
Finances: Genworth Financial, Heller Financial, Client Business Services Inc, GE Capital Card Services, GE Capital Investment Advisors, GE Commercial Finance, Ge Consumer Finance, GE Credit Corp, GE Equity Capital, GE Financial Assurance, GE Financial Services
Transportation: GE Aerospace, GE Aviation, Greenwich Air Services, GE Aircraft Engines, GE Capital Fleet Service
Other: General Electric, Tivo (?% ownership), Universal Interactive (gaming), First Colony Life Insurance

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Other:

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Viacom

Description: From 1999-2005, also included the below-mentioned CBS Corporation and a major news network. The media giant has now split with the holding however, forming different organizations.
Politics: % of campaign contributions have gone to Democrats for the 2010 cycle. % went to Democrats in the 2008 cycle. Historically % have gone to Democrats.

Major Organizations Owned:
TV Stations:
Movies:
Music:
Print:
Internet:
Radio:

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ADDITIONAL NOTES

-In trying to determine the amounts for News Corporation, I ran a search on News Corp at OpenCongress and then recorded all info as follows. Because each records only the top 20 donors, if a candidate was recorded as receiving a donation from News Corp but the donation wasn't listed, I wrote the maximum amount it could be, or 20th ranked amount. Furthermore, I tried running a search on Fox but got no definite results.

Republicans
Bill Jenkins $2,000
Don Nickles $13,250
John Sullivan $11,500
Chris Cannon Uncertain, below $8000
F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. $10,000
John E. Sununu $32,250
Vito Fossela $7,600
John E. Sununu $48,700
Barbara Cubin $1,000
Ted Stevens $39,850
Mel Martinez $10,500
Kevin Brady $1,000
Cliff Stearns $2,000
F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. $1,000
Mitch McConnell $38,100
Bill Jones $18,500
Paul Van Dam $2,000
Kevin Triplett Uncertain, below $5000
Jeff Beatty $1,000
William Russell $1,000

Certain Amounts: $241,250
Uncertain Amounts: Possibly as much as $13,000

Democrats
Fritz Hollings $28,224
Henry Waxman Uncertain, below $6000
Gregory Meeks $6,000
Fritz Hollings $9,000
Xavier Becerra $15,500
Hilda Solis Uncertain, below $8000
Howard Berman $15,000
Rick Boucher $10,000
Edward J. Markey $8,000
Anthony Weiner $12,500
Charles Schumer Uncertain, below $54,999
Charles Schumer $46,250
Hillary Clinton $265,125
Howard Berman $19,100
Jane Harman $9,600
Adam Schiff $2,500
Al Franken $22,612
Chris Murphy $4,800
Barbara Boxer $24,800
Edward J. Markey Uncertain, below $2500
Jim Simon $2,000
Steve Young $8,400
Mike Lumpkin Uncertain, below $2500
Al Franken $22,112

Certain Amounts: $531,523
Uncertain Amounts: Possibly as much as $73,999

In trying to verify whether News Corp, despite its ownership of the clearly conservative news station, Fox News, might have a liberal bias, I turned to other sources. CampaignMoney, another site, shows that News Corp is giving 42% to Democrats and 35% to Republicans since 1999. However, NewsMeat shows that Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp, is giving far more to Republicans than Democrats at a 61%-22% clip (though that data is tracked since 1987, which may explain the disparity; that or Murdoch may make more even contributions for News Corp than he does individually).