Bozell, L. Brent, III 1925–

views updated

BOZELL, L. Brent, III 1925–

PERSONAL: Born 1925; married; children: five. Education: University of Dallas, B.A.

ADDRESSES: Office—Media Research Center, 325 South Patrick St., Alexandria, VA 22314; Parents Television Council, 707 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2075, Los Angeles, CA 90017.

CAREER: Buchanan for President campaign, financial director, 1992; Conservative Victory Committee, executive director; National Conservative Political Action Committee, president; Parents Televison Council, Los Angeles, CA, founder and chairman; Media Research Center, Alexandria, VA, founder and president; Cybercast News Service (CNS.com), founder.

MEMBER: Council for National Policy.

AWARDS, HONORS: Named Pew Memorial Lecturer, Grove City College, 1998.

WRITINGS:

(Editor, with Brent H. Baker) And That's the Way It Isn't: A Reference Guide to Media Bias, Media Research Center (Alexandria, VA), 1990.

Weapons of Mass Distortion: The Coming Meltdown of the Liberal Media, Crown Forum (New York, NY), 2004.

Author of foreword, Pattern of Deception: The Media's Role in the Clinton Presidency, by Tim Graham, Media Research Center (Alexandria, VA), 1996. Contributor to periodicals, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, New York Post, Los Angeles Times, Investors Business Daily, and National Review.

SIDELIGHTS: L. Brent Bozell, III is the founder of a number of conservative and watchdog groups as well as serving as a frequent media guest and contributor to mainstream and financial newspapers. He is the son of L. Brent Bozell, Jr. and the nephew of well-known conservative writer William F. Buckley. One of Bozell's groups is the Parents Television Council (PTC), which offers guidelines for parents who want to monitor the content of children's television. Bozell's Media Research Center targets the liberal bias of the nation's media, while his Cybercast News Service is an online alternative to the established media outlets. According to Robert Kirkelbach of Town Hall.com, Bozell is "one of the lone purveyors of information regarding liberal media bias, compiling data and facts from news organizations nationwide."

In Weapons of Mass Distortion: The Coming Meltdown of the Liberal Media Bozell writes that it is apparent from the way the media covers such issues as abortion, gay rights, the environment, and gun control, that it has a liberal agenda. He comments on pundits, both left and right, and documents examples of liberal bias. A Kirkus Reviews critic noted that Bozell "maintains that he is talking about liberal bias in hard reporting, not commentary, yet time and again he draws on liberal commentators as exemplars of bias." These include filmmaker Michael Moore, actress Janeane Garofalo, Boston Globe columnist James Carroll, Jonathan Chait of the New Republic, and Jonathan Alter of Newsweek. The critic wrote that Bozell's asides, such as his reference to "the aged hippies at NPR," "tend to undercut any authorial aspirations to seriousness." A Publishers Weekly contributor called the volume "music to conservative ears and may even open some liberals's eyes—assuming they'll deign to read it," while Booklist reviewer Vanessa Bush felt that "whether readers agree with his perspective or not, those interested in the media will find this an interesting read."

Speaking to Lee Webb in an interview for the Christian Broadcasting Network Web site, Bozell explained why he believes that the major media are in trouble and likely to go through the "meltdown" he predicts in his book. "Since 1994, the big three broadcast networks have lost about fifty percent of their audiences. Consider that people are turning away from newspapers left and right. Consider that CNN, once the flagship of cable news, is in a complete free fall. Consider that if you want to find MSNBC on the ratings, you need a pretty good set of binoculars…. And ask the media, 'Why is it that everyone is leaving you?'"