EconTech

Bore-Gush, revisited
Recently I worried that the news media would do again what they did in 2000, and somehow latch on to the storyline that a very conservative Republican and a progressive Democrat were really practically the same on the issues. And lo and behold, it’s starting (via dday).
As a numbers guy, I’m particularly upset that [...]

Charm Beats Accuracy
Freakonomics:
A seven-month study of weather forecasting at Kansas City television stations was conducted over 220 days … One [station manager] said, “There’s not an evaluation of accuracy in hiring meteorologists. Presentation takes precedence over accuracy.” And when discussing accuracy (or the lack thereof) of a seven-day forecast, another station manager stated, “All viewers [...]

From the nerdy(-ier?) Freakonomicist (otherwise I probably would’ve never written about this, and sorry for the length):
Think Twice Before You Wear Your “Free Mumia” T-shirt

By Steven D. Levitt

I was sitting in the student union at the University of Chicago last week when a student came by putting “Free Mumia” leaflets on the tables.
I have never [...]

This looks much more interesting than the research being done by Shapiro et. al. on media bias.

The costs of media bias
A majority of Americans view news organizations as politically biased, creating a strong incentive for firms to try to present themselves as impartial. This paper argues that the desire to appear unbiased leads to information [...]

So, this whole thing started out when Sen. Clinton said that a pause on Doha may be needed to re-examine our political considerations given to trade. Despite the fact that the last few regional trade deals have been terribly constructed (can you say CAFTA?), my favorite paper jumped on the relevant part of the interview [...]

Well first was the below article from the Monkey Cage. But then I turned to cnn.com (why, oh why do I torture myself?). And saw this article on the front page. Sure, the C64 was a great computer. But you are telling me there is nothing more important to report on?

Are the Media Ideologically Biased?
Are [...]

All you really have to do is have a five minute conversation with most people to come up with some politician ‘they just don’t like.’ They have a bad ‘gut feeling,’ ‘instinct,’ or ‘just know’ that they are a rotten candidate with a money-grubbing, hateful, bitchy slut-of-a-wife (or husband) who will unduly influence an otherwise [...]

Comment:
follow the statistic link. it’s funny.
I once wrote a piece about George W. Bush’s claim that he goes to Crawford to be with “real Americans.” As I asked at the time, And what are those of us who live in New Jersey — chopped liver? But here’s a statistic, via Nicholas Beaudrot, that really puts [...]

For years, progressives have responded to news of GOP scandals unpunished, abuses of power unchecked, and outrageous remarks ignored by the media with the acronym IOKIYAR - It’s OK if you’re a Republican.
But I think we need a complementary acronym: IACIYAD - it’s a crime if you’re a Democrat.
Adam Cohen of the Times’s editorial page [...]