Nine in ten Americans believe the media are biased. Trust in journalists ranks beneath that in lawyers, and even the media themselves regularly portray their own industry as slanted toward Democrats and liberals. These perceptions, however, do not coincide with reality, as David Niven reveals in his bold new take on an often-debated subject. "Tilt? The Search for Media Bias" presents the first comprehensive review of the charges, the evidence, and the effects, beginning with a simple but altogether overlooked premise: to measure media bias or fairness, one has to have a fair baseline with which to compare coverage. Using situations in which presidents, governors, mayors, and members of Congress from different political parties have produced the same results in office, "Tilt?" compares media coverage of Democrats and Republicans in situations in which they clearly deserved equal treatment.

The lack of evidence for partisan media bias is only part of the story. The media cover allegations of bias as if their industry has already been tried and convicted, while the American people readily accepted the premise that their main sources of information are selfishly slanted toward reporters' personal political agendas. Niven's findings, unmistakable and consistent, reveal that when the output of politicians is the same, media coverage follows--a conclusion that is as provocative as it is timely and necessary.

In America, women are the clear majority of the electorate and the clear minority of elected officials overall. In 1997, women held only 21% of the seats at the state legislative level. This study finds that a significant and overlooked culprit acting to limit women's state legislative candidacies is the political party elite. Surveys of county party chairs and potential women legislative candidates were used to investigate the interaction between party leaders and women candidates and to assess its importance in the women's candidacy equation. The vast majority of potential women candidates did, in fact, respond that their parties discriminated against women candidates.

Why would party leaders harbor bias against women? Party leader survey responses are consistent with the notion that most leaders are subject to the outgroup effect, which in essence means they prefer candidates in their own image. Since most party leaders are men, this encourages them to value male candidates and doubt the merits of female candidates. The findings suggest that this bias against women is most likely to occur where chairs have greater decision-making power and where chairs are leading the parties in less competititve districts. The existence of outgroup-motivated bias from party chairs is estimated to reduce the number of women state legislative nominees by one-third. Scholars interested in women in politics, political parties and recruitment, legislative elections, social psychology, and political psychology will find this book useful.

This examination of the causes, severity, and implications of racially stereotyped media coverage of Congress incorporates original analysis of congressional media coverage and interviews with congressional press staff. The news media often portray African-American members as being primarily interested in race, overly concerned with local matters, and wielding little legislative influence. By contrast, the images African-American members attempt to project of themselves are more complex and comprehensive than the images the media communicate. The authors offer a psychological explanation for this phenomenon, the Distribution Effect, in which those who are numerically rare in an occupation tend to be lumped together rather than treated as individuals. Their findings suggest that it is the media, rather than members of Congress, who are responsible for the racialized images that appear regularly in the press. This results in an advantage for white incumbents trying to attract votes but presents an obstacle to be overcome for African-American politicians.

This study will appeal to political science, media studies, and racial studies scholars. It incorporates content analysis of the newest forum of communication, congressional Internet web sites, to disclose how white and African-American representatives in fact have similar media priorities.

David Niven, now remembered as one of the most debonaire and English of actors, was also a wit and humorist extraordinaire.

In this bestselling volume of autobiography, he takes us back to his childhood days, his humiliating expulsion from school and to his army years and wartime service. After the war he returned to America and there came his tremendous Hollywood success in films as varied and acclaimed as Wuthering Heights and Around the World in 80 Days.

Honest, warm and extremely entertaining, The Moon's a Balloon is the compelling story of a great actor and, above all, a great man.

Here is Niven at his best. He and Errol Flynn were filming The Charge of the Light Brigade for a director, Michael Curtiz, 'whose Hungarian-orientated English was a joy to us all'. High on the rostrum he decided the moment had come to order the arrival on the scene of a hundred riderless chargers. "Okay," he yelled into a megaphone, "Bring on the empty horses!" ' BRING ON THE EMPTY HORSES is the second part of David Niven's internationally bestselling autobiography, following the superbly entertaining THE MOON'S A BALLOON. Both books were highly acclaimed by the critics and remain as wonderful reminders of a much-loved actor who epitomised, for many, the essential British gent, even when surrounded by the stars of Hollywood.

Sociologists, therapists, and psychiatrists have spent entire careers investigating the ins and outs of health, success, and happiness, but their findings are inaccessible to ordinary people, hidden in obscure journals seen only by other experts.

Now David Niven, the international bestselling author of the Simple Secrets series, has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand of the best scientific studies on three of the most important aspects of our daily lives. Niven has boiled these findings down to sound, succinct advice for each day of the year, presenting 365 essential ways to find and maintain health, wealth, and wisdom. Each entry is accompanied by a true story showing the results in action. Whether you want to enhance your body, your bank account, your IQ, or all three, this bestselling series offers 365 essential ways to let science help you.

La Ciencia del Exito

Que tiene en comun la gente exitosa? Los cientificos han estudiado el caracter, las creencias y las costumbres de personas exitosas de toda profesion y clase social, pero sus investigaciones casi siempre acaban en publicaciones academicas que solamente leen otros cientificos. Ahora, el autor bestseller de Los 100 Secretos de la Gente Feliz ha reunido la informacion mas reciente e importante de los miles de estudios que se han hecho acerca del exito, y explica los descubrimientos claves en un lenguaje sencillo y facil de comprender.

Los 100 Secretos de la Gente Exitosa ofrece excelentes consejos para lograr el exito en todos aspectos de su vida. Incluye inspiradoras historias como la de Paul Gonzales, un hombre que surgio de un vecindario de Los Angeles dominado por pandillas, para convertirse en medallero de oro de las Olimpiadas; relatos de escarmiento como la quiebra de la compania de bicicletas Schwinn; y el consejo que David Brinkley recibio de una maestra y que lo ayudo a convertirse en un exitoso conductor de noticiero. Tener metas determinadas aumenta la confianza en si mismo de un 50 por ciento. Trabajar con personas que tienen opiniones y actitudes diferentes aumenta la productividad de un 14 por ciento. Personas que hablan despacio tienen un 38 por ciento mas de posibilidades de ser percibidas como bien informadas. El hacer trabajo comunitario voluntario resulta en un 25 por ciento mas de satisfaccion con el empleo. El 50 por ciento de directores ejecutivos dicen que una vida familiar saludable es esencial para tener una vida profesional fructifera.

La Ciencia de una Vida Saludable

Cual es la diferencia entre las personas que se sienten y se ven saludables, y las que estan cansadas o deprimidas y jamas estan en forma? A diario enfrentamos una cantidad alarmante de estudios y estadisticas que nos dicen que debemos y no debemos comer, cuanto tiempo tenemos que hacer ejercicio o como protegernos del humo de segunda mano y los daninos rayos del sol. Pero estos estudios, ademas de ser contradictorios, suelen tener informacion cientifica literalmente incomprensible para el lector comun.

En este libro, David Niven nos hace el favor de resumir los millones de estudios que se han hecho acerca de la salud del ser humano, y de convertirlos en cien faciles puntos que nos ayudaran a vivir mas saludables y felices. Desmontando mitos comunes con consejos reales y aplicables, Niven nos explica la importancia de estos descubrimientos.

Coma con frecuencia. Los investigadores de la universidad Oxford hallaron que las personas que comen cinco o seis veces al dia tienen un 5 por ciento menos de colesterol que la persona media, y tienen un 45 por ciento mas de posibilidades de mantener su peso ideal que las personas que solo comen una o dos veces al dia.

Quien dice que la cafeina es mala para la salud? La mayoria de los resultados cientificos prueban que, para un adulto saludable, cantidades moderadas de cafeina (aproximadamente tres tazas de cafe al dia) no presentan ningun riesgo a la salud.

Hogar, dulce hogar. Segun un estudio de la Universidad de California en Los Angeles, aquellas personas que dicen tener una vida de hogar satisfactoria tienen un 24 por ciento mas de posibilidades de vivir mas que la expectativa normal de vida.

La Ciencia de ser una Pareja Feliz

Que cosas hacen que una pareja sea feliz? Los cientificos y academicos han pasado anos investigando la naturaleza de las relaciones, los noviazgos, y el matrimonio, pero sus hallazgos tienden a quedar escondidas en diversas publicaciones academicas, sin jamas llegar al alcance de la gente comun. Por eso, el aclamado autor de Los 100 Secretos de la Gente Feliz ha recolectado la informacion mas significativa y reciente de los miles de estudios que se han hecho acerca de las relaciones, y la presenta de una manera clara y facil de comprender.

Los consejos aqui contenidos no estan basados en la experiencia o las opiniones de una persona en particular. Estan basados en las investigaciones de reconocidos cientificos que estudias las vidas y los amores de los estadounidenses. Cada uno de los 100 secretos va ilustrado por una historieta que lo justifica. El amor es dificil de calcular. Los investigadores han comprobado de la edad, el presupuesto, la educacion y la religion de una persona no tienen nada que ver con el nivel de satisfaccion de una persona en una relacion. El siempre querer ganar puede llevar a una gran perdida. La gente que tiene un sentimiento de competitividad con su pareja, tienen 37 por ciento menos de posibilidades de sentir que estan en una relacion que los satisface. Deje el pasado en el pasado. Mas de 40 por ciento de la gente reporta que los celos de una relacion previa es una fuente de desacuerdo en la relacion actual.

A new addition to the best-selling series furnishes practical guidance on the most important aspects of family life, with one hundred definitive suggestions on how people can find and maintain love, satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment in their family relationships..