Pro-tax: How has the media covered these two issues? Has one side received more attention than the other?

We all know the media to cover something heavily one-sided, this issue is no exception. Information can be found in any medium; from newspaper articles to YouTube and the majority of the time, proper allowance is not given to the amount of revenue this tax could accrue.

Understanding the scientific idea behind the tax

The media features the scientific research in their mention of the proposed tax, but usually briefly. An article in the Los Angelos Times is one that used the science behind the tax as the focus of it's article. Katie Couric from CBS News also mentions the information coming from "leading health care experts" and states the facts given by researchers.

The media has been able to identify health concerns that exist due to high soda consumption and attribute it as one of the reasons for the obesity epidemic in this country. Dr. Nancy has brought both a health concerned Dr. Kelly Brownwell and a caloric-intake conscious guest, Dr. Elizabeth Whelan to hear both sides of the tax and the possible effect it would have on the health of this country.

How the tax is portrayed

My personal favorite example of the media being one-sided on this issue is Shepard Smith on Fox News. Usually outspoken, in this segment Shepard Smith will barely allow for Deborah King to get out a sentence. He focuses heavily on the tax and it very, very against it. In this case, the media puts down the opponent, talks over the issue and become very emotional and heated over it.

Where the President stands

President Obama has said that this soda tax is, "an idea worth considering," but has not directly said that it's something he proposes to do. It could help raise the revenue that's missing from the health care debate and has been looked at as a way to curb the consumers appetite for sugary drinks.

An interesting comment

In doing this media background search I spent a lot of time on Google look for articles from newspapers and blogs and on YouTube zeroing in on the news network's portrayal of the issue. For the most part, it's safe to say that the media does not support this taxing issue. However, as you look over videos on YouTube (try entering 'soda tax' on the search line), look down at the comments on some of the videos. Of course, people agree with some of the commentators, but it's interesting to me how many people leave their comments in favor of this kind of tax while the media is not portraying this option as at all viable.

After reading some of these comments on these videos, tell me how effective these people are in swaying your opinion about the side you just heard. Some of them use the excuse, "I'm not a heavy soda drinker but..." or others use, "I drink soda daily, I'm sixty pounds overweight and..." How do you think their personal comments affect the issue of the tax? Do you trust the media or the personal comments below, and why or why not?