The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[wendybeth]

Faux news pushes the envelope for bad, bad, bad journalism. It's no wonder they love Palin. None of the network or cable news shows are blameless, but Faux is so blatantly biased (not to mention staffed by a bunch of snarky nimrods) that it boggles the mind. It's the Enquirer of the news world. If one has to reach as far back to the CBS debacle, then I'd say they were doing pretty well. That was probably several thousand misleading and deliberately misreported Faux stories ago. Good thing about Faux, though- you don't have to open up your mind to watch. You don't have to think at all.

[scaeagles]

I did not say that what they did was OK. Please show me where I did. In fact, I even said it was quite probably done intentionally.

Like every news source, I think they all have their spins and biases.

As far as news coverage goes, I watch as little of it as possible from any news source. I regularly get internet news from Fox and CNN. I read many, many different political writers, mostly on the right, my favorites being Sowell, Walter Williams, Krauthammer, and Dick Morris.

I have what I think is a pretty realistic view of the media, understanding they ALL have their biases. Obviously I believe (and have stated) that most go left. Fox obviously goes right.

[Alex]

Fox News does a fair amount of perfectly good journalism. It just generally doesn't overlap with its political coverage.

But then political journalism on TV is generally a great big ball of suck, even when it isn't -- intentionally -- putting forward a particular slant. Any medium that gives an average of 45 seconds to a story isn't going to be able to cover any topic requiring analysis rather than facts at all well.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

You don't have to think at all.

News is supposed to be "event X happened at this time at this location". It's all analysis now. It all sucks. It's all this expert or that expert or whomever telling us what they think. You don't have to think watching any of them. They all try to tell you what to think.

[wendybeth]

Funny- I have all the major sites, including the horrid ones, bookmarked for comparison. I seldom watch TV, but when I do I skip around and compare notes as well. I never just sit and accept a station's broadcast as verity. I figure the truth is somewhere in the mix, you just have to look for it.

As far as spin- there is bias, and then there is propaganda. Most are biased to some degree, but only one comes to mind as the official mouthpiece of the current regime.

[scaeagles]

Bias and propaganda and whatever are all in the eye of the beholder.

What I find interesting (and others may find scary) is that Fox is the clear leader in viewers of the news networks. I think this is because there is so much left bias that everyone who was tired of that watches Fox.

And I've always viewed CBS, CNN, ABC, NBC - whichever - as the mouthpieces of the democrats.

[Alex]

Having thought about it now, I realize that I would take Fox News over the horror that CNN Headline News has become.

Nancy Grace, Glenn Beck, Showbiz Tonight. Each so incredibly offensive in their own way (only Sean Hannity matches on Fox). Then they top it off with an attempt at mimicing VH-1 shows called Not Just Another Cable News Show.

I mourn the hours once spent with Headline News on constant loop in the background keeping me minimally informed about the days events.

[Stan4dSteph]

Originally Posted by Alex

I mourn the hours once spent with Headline News on constant loop in the background keeping me minimally informed about the days events.

I miss BBC World for that. I had that on a lot in France. Sky News was good for the more tabloidy stories.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

CBS - the network of forged documents days prior to an election.

MSNBC - the network of demoted yet completely unbiased Olberman and Matthews.

NBC - the network that faked the explosions of Ford Explorers (or some other SUV) and aired footage of created explosions and claimed them to real.

ABCs Good Morning America reported that Michelle Obama had used the term " whitey " in a speech.

There are example of other media outlets reporting on Palin's baby not being hers, but in fact it belonging to her daughter.

Examples are endless.

I agree that Fox has grossly mishandled this story. It is even probably intentional on behalf of several of the people on the network. Hear me when I say I am in complete agreement that this story is wrong and done to politically damage Obama. However, please do not pretend that Fox is the only organization that does such things.

One example from each of the other networks does nothing to excuse the hundreds - no, thousands - of examples from Fox.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Bias and propaganda and whatever are all in the eye of the beholder.

What I find interesting (and others may find scary) is that Fox is the clear leader in viewers of the news networks. I think this is because there is so much left bias that everyone who was tired of that watches Fox.

And I've always viewed CBS, CNN, ABC, NBC - whichever - as the mouthpieces of the democrats.

Liberal bias of the media is a myth. All the major networks are owned by big corporations that have a vested interest in having Republicans in power.

If they were "mouthpieces for the democrats (sic)", they wouldn't be so soft on McCain and Palin.

(ETA: Also, if the major media really had a liberal bias Bush and Cheney would have been impeached years ago, and Obama would be heading to a landslide.)