Huffington Post Continues To Soften Its ‘Liberal Soundtrack’ By Hiring Libertarian Contributor

by Alex Alvarez | 11:00 am, March 22nd, 2011

» 11 comments

One persistent bit of criticism following Arianna Huffington‘s Huffington Post since its inception is the fact that its various blogs have a tendency to lean to the left. While the blog network has occasionally featured posts by more conservative writers – including a pre-RedEye Greg Gutfeld – criticism over its mostly liberal voice reached a fever pitch when it was revealed that Aol had bought HuffPost for $315 million and would be placing Huffington in charge of editorial across various blogs. That news prompted Aol blogger Matt Lewis to leave Politics Daily for The Daily Caller, citing Huffington’s “fat-left liberal” views.

In the days following Aol’s announcement, Huffington was asked about a potential liberal bias. She insisted, repeatedly, that she sees a left / right dichotomy as “an obsolete way of looking at the problems America is facing.” She would later take to Twitter to point out a HuffPost piece critiquing President Obama’s proposed budget cuts, asking “Is this left?”

Since then, the Huffington Post has taken other tentative steps towards a more inclusive view. Earlier this month, conservative writer and commentator Andrew Breitbart (who helped launch the Huffington Post) took to HuffPost to offer a defense of the recent NPR sting.

And, just yesterday, HuffPost associate media editor Jack Mirkinson offered a response to a post by our own Colby Hall, offering a nuanced, if not flattering, look at the Powers That Be at Fox News, not to mention Glenn Beck.

Now, HuffPost has announced six addition to its reporting team, including Reason‘s Radley Balko, a libertarian, as its new criminal justice reporter. Balko has previously offered commentary and analysis on Fox News and elsewhere in addition to running his own blog, The Agitator.

It’s no doubt that a more varied and wider range of opinions can be better for Aol, if not the Huffington Post, in the long run. Time will tell whether readers will rush to HuffPost and/or Aol’s blogs for political news and opinion across the spectrum but, in the meantime, it seems like Huffington is at least beginning to make good on her promise to offer a more nuanced means of looking at “the problems America is facing.”

Huffington Post, Left Wing, politics, Radley Balko

Harry Flashman

Alex:

Sorry, but I have to point out this tiny bit of understatement in your article:

“One persistent bit of criticism following Arianna Huffington’s Huffington Post since its inception is the fact that its various blogs have a tendency to lean to the left”

A tendency to lean to the left? That’s sort of like saying that a lion has a tendency toward being a carnivore.

HuffPo does WAY more than lean left.
http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Randal/100000535186834 James Randal

Just another example of how far liberals are willing to go to prove that they are open minded, even if it means alienating their core followers. What were they thinking? What will they gain by adding this fool? Teabagger/GOP pigs will still think they are Marxist, anti-colonial, anti-white, radicals who are being controlled by George Soros in order to collapse the economy and trigger a New World Order. Will Newsbusters hire a liberal commentator? Don’t bet on it.
http://www.treadingground.com AbsurdHero

I’m sick of this perception that conservative ideologies can be proudly worn on the sleeve, while liberal ones must be covered up like an inappropriate-for-the-workplace tattoo. Stop rolling over!
http://politicallyincorrectlibertarian.wordpress.com PoliticallyIncorrectLibertarian

“I’m sick of this perception that conservative ideologies can be proudly worn on the sleeve, while liberal ones must be covered up like an inappropriate-for-the-workplace tattoo. Stop rolling over!”

–What are you talking about? Have you not read “Bias” by Berny Goldberg? When was the last time MSNBC or CNN or ABC, NBC or CBS complained about the radical left? Or leftwing radicals? They never use that term! To them you’re only a radical if you’re on the right.

http://libertarians4freedom.blogspot.com/
Raygun

It should be noted that they hired Radley Balko to tackle criminal justice issues, and liberals and libertarians have a lot they agree on in that area.
Pablo

James Randal said:
Teabagger/GOP pigs will still think they are Marxist, anti-colonial, anti-white, radicals who are being controlled by George Soros in order to collapse the economy and trigger a New World Order.

That’s a big bowl of Hatey Crazy you had for breakfast, isn’t it, James?
Joepalooka

Strident Right = Limbaugh, Hannity
Strident Left = Olberman, Maddow
Right = O’Reilly
Left = Matthews
Center Right = Scarborough
Center Left = (doesn’t exist)
LarryB

The Democrats are struggling to defend Obama’s actions on Libya, Afghanistan, the unpatriotic Patriot Act, Guantanamo Bay, that all seem rather Republican. The Republicans are wondering how to rip the hated Obama for his actions, or lack thereof, on those issues. I think it is interesting that as Democrats and Republicans seemingly are becoming more polarized they are finally beginning to notice that the results are basically the same no matter which party is in office. Everyone might be looking for common ground, away from the extremists, and might just be finding it in the Libertarian party. It really isn’t healthy to allow a political party to define your political beliefs for you.
Barack Must Go

You guys are a riot. Headlining HuPo as anything other than a left wing bomb throwing, de facto arm of the Obama administration is rediculous at best.

Next you’ll be touting MSNBC as a bunch of non – bigoted middle of the roaders because they’ve announced, when they find the right one, they’re going to hire a black guy……they promise.
hgovernick

Arianna Huffington will do anything to service the bottom line – PROFIT. If that means expanding her readership to pander to Libertarians, Tea Partiers, Right Wingers, Birthers and you name it.

More readers = more money for her. She has sold herself out.
mamapat8512

won’t be reading huffpost. sellout.