NY Times Manipulates Poll, Claims Health Care Reform Opposition "Growing"

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By Dean Powers (about the author) Page 1 of 1 page(s)

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For OpEdNews: Dean Powers - Writer

Today, The New York Times published a new poll that it erroneously claimed found "growing unease" about health care reform.

The actual numbers were buried in the article and actually seemed to point to broad support for health care reform.

The article, entitled, "New Plan Finds Growing Unease on Health Plan." The thrust of the headline was consistent with a series of articles the Times has published framing opposition to health care overhaul as "growing."

However, while the Times typically prints the poll findings on the front page with multli-media graphics to accompany the findings, this article buried the actual poll numbers supporting their assertion that there is "growing unease on a health plan" almost 20 paragraphs into the article.

Moreover, the actual poll numbers suggest that America is very enthusiastic about health reform. The article cites the worst numbers first: Obama's approval rating is down 10 points from April and 69 percent said they worried their plans would diminish in quality if the government passed a public plan option.

Then the article printed this: "The poll found 66 percent of respondents were concerned that they might
eventually lose their insurance if the government did not create a new
health care system, and 80 percent said they were concerned that the
percentage of Americans without health care would continue to rise if
Congress did not act."

Growing concern!?!? Those sound like some enthusiastic numbers for health care reform. So there's a little concern that the quality might diminish if the government passes reform (69 percent), but there is almost an identical number of respondents (66 percent) who feel they will ***lose*** their health care altogether if the government fails to act!! Haha!

Wow. Wonderful reporting. Again. The mainstream media cannot be trusted in this debate. The New York Times has proved over and over again that they are reporting about health care reform in a manner that is consistent with the health care industry's wildest fantasies.

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