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Weapons of Mass Distortion: The Coming Meltdown of the Liberal Media | 
 enlarge | Author: L. Brent Bozell
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 973640
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 1400054117
Dewey Decimal Number: 302.230973
EAN: 9781400054114
ASIN: 1400054117
Publication Date: July 26, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: in excellent condition, price sticker, remainder mark
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Product Description
The meltdown of the liberal media has finally begun. Find out where we’re headed, and what it all means, from leading media watchdog L. Brent Bozell III.
In the explosive book Weapons of Mass Distortion, Bozell presents the definitive account of how the liberal media are finally losing their stranglehold on the news industry because of their stubborn refusal to abandon—or even acknowledge—their bias. And in a brand-new chapter for the paperback, he reveals how we’re now in the midst of a revolutionary transformation: the liberal media meltdown—the very meltdown that Bozell describes in this book.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
 beliefs influenced by wishes April 20, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is useful for empirically documenting the relentless campaign of TV, newspapers and magazines in promoting the New Ideology and its pundits, but . . .
The idea that the "liberal" (i.e. New Ideology) media is declining is not supported. Bozell points to the decline in viewership of TV news but then notes the increase in people getting their news from the Internet. First, he claims this as a victory for conservatives, then he admits that the usual media have set up their own websites and that their sites have by far the most viewers. Point: How does this add up to a decline? He does not give the relative numbers. Nor does he note that many other general-purpose sites (such as ISPs) have news on their sites and it is rigorously New-Ideological.
Yes, there have been gains by Fox TV and talk radio, and people who want to have access to more than one point of view should be thankful for them. But to think that the news establishment is on its last legs is wishful thinking.
Note: the point about using commentators and stars as examples. Bozell's mistake was to say that he wasn't going to use them. They probably have more effect that normal news, and should have been given more prominence.
Note 2: The word "liberal". When are conservatives going to open their old textbooks and find out what that word means?! These people are anything but liberal! As has been documented many times, they are anti-liberal. The New Ideology developed out of liberalism thirty years ago, and the people still call themselves "liberals." Hiding behind that label does not make them liberals. It is both an intellectual and a tactical mistake to call them "liberal."
 Infuriating book February 8, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have found this book to be infuriating at nearly every turn. Bozell is well researched but makes fundamental errors that make this book a difficult read. Bozell states, early on, that he does not consider pundits and commentators as constituting the liberal media, noting that when he speaks of the media he is referring solely to journalists. However, throughout the book he continually cites pundits and celebrities to fuel his claims about the liberal media. Bozell even goes so far to include a quote from film star and occasional political commentator Jeneane Garafalo as further proof that the media is biased. Such inclusions beg the question of why Bozell would take the time to define the media only to circumvent this definition time and time again throughout the book.
Secondly, Bozell lambastes liberal radicalism throughout the book but shows no restraint in feeding into conservative radicalism. This book would be far more readable if Bozell had the sense to withhold words such as "wacko" or "nutjob" when refering to liberals. Furthermore, Bozell frequently makes bombastic, provocative statements without writing so much as an additional sentence to back up his claims. These sentiments seem like non-sequitors in a sea of otherwise decently researched material making Bozell's writing childish and undisciplined.
I have greatly disliked books that promote liberal radicalism just as I dislike this book that promotes conservative radicalism. Bozell's book would be far more sophisticated and readable had he disciplined himself to write about the subject of the liberal media rather than push an entire agenda of feverish, simplistic radicalism.
 The media of moral relativism? August 25, 2006
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The media of moral relativism?
Bozell reports how the media (NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, PBS, NY Times....) has developed an elitist and bias attitude. They of course are the enlightened ones (though I will admit, at times, this does occur on the right also, but usually from commentators not reporters.) They distort the news with minimal backlash. He gives many examples of the media's double standards. This is an endemic problem. He demolishes the myth of a right-wing conspiracy. Who are the real purveyors of hate?
Brent brings forth a knowledgeable and entertaining read, but he tends to overuse "big words". I think his secondary agenda is to encourage us to extend our vocabulary.
Brent is the founder and president of the Media Research Center and a syndicated writer. MRC is a Media Watch Dog Organization. Much of this book comes from the information collected from here.
"The Democrats do not need to fear their actions because they know they have the support of the media." To many times truth is ignored because the facts get in the way of their agenda. With one exposed only to this biased reporting, we won't know if we are actually being fed opinions instead of being reported the news. Will we then not be reluctant to believe there is a bias? Brent does applaud the media for it's coverage of 9/11, although it was short lived. He also commends the hard reporting done by certain individuals.
This of course is another book that will be loved by conservatives and hated by liberals. The book will no doubt enforce the conservative mind, and provide confidence when giving answers if confronted. I commend the "liberal minded" individual who decides to actually read it.
The media admires Mrs. Clinton so much they are willing to look the other way. This is going to become more important as she starts her campaign for president. Of course has she not started many years ago?
Brent finishes with the coming meltdown of the media elite. The need to emulate Conservative shows such as Rush and Fox may be a sign. Why would they want to after their attacks against them? Only because they work.
A good accompaniment to this book: "Arrogance" by Bernard Goldberg
A useful overview April 10, 2006
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book may actually deserve four stars. But I spent many years in journalism myself, so to me most of Bozell's revelations are old news.
Among general readers his insights may prompt an epiphany. Even conservatives will be surprised, not at his examples of slanted coverage (they deal with that every day), but at his exposure of the roots of bias: the sanctimony and visceral anger that animate many individual 'mainstream' journalists. Bozell documents credibly that if there's a stronghold of white male rage in America, it's our newsrooms - not our trailer parks or gun clubs.
He fails, however, to explore the single most important strategem by which reporters and editors distort the news: the selective omission of key background information. Hence, articles on gun control regularly allude to the wholesale British gun ban. But most carefully avoid mention of the explosion of violent crime in the UK that followed the ban, much of it still committed with - you guessed it - guns.
Another example: Reporting on the federal budget regularly highlights Democrat complaints that 'tax cuts caused the deficit.' But 'mainstream' reporters rarely mention that such complaints are utterly baseless; that sweeping tax cuts have, on the contrary, caused sharp revenue growth every time they've been implemented - under Kennedy, Reagan and now Bush II. Nor do they explore the competing theories among serious economists over why (NOT whether) this happens.
Despite my grumbling, buy this book! Unless you're some kind of bleeding-heart PC girly-man lightweight, you would spend more at happy hour ... or on a carton of smokes ... or a morning at the range (depending, of course, on what caliber ammo you shoot).
National Hypnosis March 27, 2006
3 out of 21 found this review helpful
Oh please, would you Neoconservatives stop the lies that you and the liberals are political enemies. There will no meltdown of the liberal media because the conservatives DESPARATELY NEED the liberal media to survive to keep third party candidates off the ballot, and dupe the masses into believing that modern Liberalism and Conservatism are different political ideologies (they both came from the same philosophers, Hegel and Machiavelli). Writers such as Bozell, Liberal or Conservative are merely pawns of the Demopublican/Republicrat elitists. My suggestion is to read both Liberal and Conservative books and sort out the lies for yourself, don't just read one side.
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