Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

washingtontimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

211–220 of 231 posts

Re: Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

#211

Post by pythia__ »

hackuser wrote: post #119
redthrowaway wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the big ones are conservative, because every other one is liberal. Conservatives flock to places like Fox and WSJ because they're a refuge from the liberal bias that pervades the rest of the media. If you're a liberal and you want to watch news that doesn't offend you, you can choose from any of the major networks save Fox. If you're a conservative and want the same, you're stuck with Fox.

> every other one is liberal I don't agree. First, there are plenty of smaller conservative ideological publications (two were listed in the original comment, plus endless more: RedState, Daily Caller, Breitbart, etc.). Almost all talk- radio, as I mentioned, is conservative. Also I said in another comment, there is plenty of apolitical journalism. (!conservative) != (liberal) The ideologues adopt a Manichean, binary…

>there is plenty of apolitical journalism

Could you name three major sources of it, preferably not personal blogs? I am asking out of curiosity and disbelief.

Re: Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

#213

Post by pythia__ »

howlingfantods wrote: post #104
redthrowaway wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My anecdata suggests conservative outlets tend to acknowledge their bias, as a counterweight to liberal bias in the "mainstream" media, whereas liberal outlets tend to believe themselves to be unbiased. Given how much liberal outlets scoff at the notion of there being a pervasive liberal bias in the MSM, I suspect they legitimately just don't see it as they're surrounded by people with the same political views and so…

Reality has a notorious liberal bias. Look at climate change, which went from scientific position to liberal position.

Look at both climate change and the genetics of intelligence to see how America's political groups deal with the scientific consensus.

Re: Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

#214

Post by brbsix »

horpulous wrote: post #14

I'm totally fine with this. If you want to advocate for a world in which all resources are privately-owned (leaving no commonly-owned space for discourse) and that a global, multi-billion-dollar social media service has the same free speech rights as a mom and pop grocery, then you deserve to reap the rewards of your own ideology.

As an advocate of free markets and private property, I don't have any issue with bias expressed by or within Facebook. That's their prerogative. However it's my prerogative, if I so choose, to publicize their bias and dissuade others from using their platform. Rather than appeal for state intervention in the matter, I sense that's what a great deal of others are attempting to do.

Re: Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

#215

Post by hnnicker »

randyrand wrote: post #137
nostromo wrote: post #15

It's interesting how media outlets are spinning this news. People that read conservative media are left thinking that Facebook has admitted bias. People that read liberal media are left thinking the opposite. Washington Times: "Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives" LA Times: "Facebook investigation reveals no evidence of bias against conservative topics, company says" NY Times: "F…

Slightly off topic - Why does it seem there are so many more liberal news outlets than conservative ones?

Evan Sayet has some thoughts on this (many videos on youtube). In a nutshell, Liberals like to talk about things, whereas Conservatives like to do things. So liberals go into fields like journalism, acting, teaching, etc.

Re: Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

#216

Post by gnaritas »

nametakenobv wrote: post #201
gnaritas wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anti-trust laws are about preventing monopolies, which Facebook is not, and have nothing to do with mandating any kind of fair service for non monopolies. No case can be successfully made calling Facebook a monopoly on social networks, you don't have to use them there are many other options.

Anti trust law does not deal only with monopolies. It is about companies with dominant positions. Is facebook a company with dominant position?

You're talking about things you don't understand, there is no case anyone can rationally make that Facebook is subject to anti-trust laws. You do not have to use Facebook, there are tons of other social networking sites, Facebook is not using anti-competitive practices to prevent competition.

Anti-trust laws require far more than just being popular to apply and there's nothing in them that applies to Facebook or any other website. Anti-trust laws in the U.S. have never successfully been used against a website because the very notion is absurd.

Re: Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

#218

Post by [deleted] »

talmand wrote: post #100
MisterBastahrd wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, that's why everyone who's ever been on trial for murder is a murderer. Wait, that isn't correct? Neither is the Washington Times headline... but then, the Times is about as mainstream as it gets for the right-wing fringe. The content of the article disagrees with their headline. Saying that there's a possibility is not the same as saying that there's a certainty. Except when it comes to political nonsense.

I honestly have no clue what you are going on about.

[deleted]

Re: Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

#219

Post by MisterBastahrd »

noobermin wrote: post #27
kailuowang wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am curious how many of these medias actually admit that they are biased themselves?

I think this election has demonstrated the media's bias fairly well.

The media's bias is towards sensationalism. Bernie has the personality of cold oatmeal.

Re: Facebook admits rogue employees may have shown bias against conservatives

#220

Post by hackuser »

pythia__ wrote: post #211
hackuser wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> every other one is liberal I don't agree. First, there are plenty of smaller conservative ideological publications (two were listed in the original comment, plus endless more: RedState, Daily Caller, Breitbart, etc.). Almost all talk- radio, as I mentioned, is conservative. Also I said in another comment, there is plenty of apolitical journalism. (!conservative) != (liberal) The ideologues adopt a Manichean, binary…

>there is plenty of apolitical journalism Could you name three major sources of it, preferably not personal blogs? I am asking out of curiosity and disbelief.

I think the real issue is to consider why many people have such a strong emotional reaction to the idea. I think it undermines their worldview that everyone is an angry ideologue, necessary to justify their own behavior.
Post reply on HN