Reporter ratings could identify bias

The day after a recent Republican debate showed me some disturbing facts about newscasters: They show their bias in their supposedly impartial reporting.

While I'm not by any means a Trump fan, it was obvious that several reporters, one on NBC national news and one on ABC national news were not Trump fans either, as they prattled on and on about how Rubio won, and "took it to Trump." Their tone and attitude gave their true feelings away.

I think every reporter, local and national, should have a "Tilton Scale Number." George Stephanopoulos, Brian Williams, Chuck Todd, etc., should all be required to have their TSN shown along with the graphic of their name. That way, the audience will know where they stand.

If a print reporter uses a byline, then his/her TSN should also be printed after their name on the byline. In the "Tilton Scale," one's rating is self-assigned and easy to do. It's entirely "do-it-yourself." The scale goes from zero to 100. One hundred is not necessarily "better" than zero, it's just that we read from left to right.

So, if a left-wing commentator like Rachel Maddow is a zero, and a right-wing commentator like Bill O'Reily is a 100: Where do you rate yourself? That's all there is to it.

Of course, reporters might, for self-serving purposes, lie and all say they're 50s, but perhaps they could rate themselves while taking a lie-detector test.

Unfortunately for the American voters, it's only the far left-wing (from 0-10) and the far right-wing (from 90-100), who get all the attention from the media.

I firmly believe that most rational Americans with an IQ over room temperature would rate themselves between 40 and 60. I think the American public would benefit from this idea. BTW, I'm a 53.

Steve Tilton

Libertyville