At work, whenever I can get away with it-I change the channel on the flat screen TV's they have in the passageways. It has become someting of a sacred duty. There is one in the hall by the elevator that somehow always is on Fox News when I come in to work.
So with just a quick divert over there, I flick the button to CNN or ESPN and the balance in the force is restored. I do it as a public service.
Rather than in any way maturing, Fox has in recent months become more boisterous and demagogic in rallying the opposition against Obama. The "fair and balanced" mask has been slipping with increasing frequency—as when a RNC press release was regurgitated so lazily that it repeated a typo on air or when a reporter wondered why other networks weren't doing PR for "tea parties" that Fox covered the way the Hearst press covered the Spanish-American war. On Fox, fact-checking about the president's health care proposal is provided by Karl Rove. For literary coverage, it features the bigot Jerome Corsi's rants about Obama and John Kerry. Meanwhile, the crybaby Glenn Beck has begun to exhibit a Strangelovean concern about America's precious bodily fluids, charging the government with trying to invade our bloodstream by vaccinating us for swine flu. With this latest misinformation campaign, Fox stands to become the first network to actively try to kill its viewers.
That Rupert Murdoch may skew the news rightward more for commercial than ideological reasons is somewhat beside the point. What matters is the way that Fox's successful model has invaded the bloodstream of the American media. By showing that ideologically distorted news can drive ratings, Ailes has provoked his rivals at CNN and MSNBC to experiment with a variety of populist and ideological takes on the news. It's Fox that led CNN's Lou Dobbs to remodel himself into a nativist cartoon. It's Fox that led MSNBC to amp up Keith Olbermann. Fox hasn't just corrupted its own coverage. Through its influence, it has made all of cable news unpleasant and unreliable.
Now if I could just change the channel during a two hour VTC…….
Nonetheless, that's why George H.W. Bush is right aout politics in America.
Please, I mean this in all sincerity, give me just ONE example of FOX NEWS (Not the pundits) have misreported or slanted the NEWS towards the “right”? Unless ‘Balloon boy” was part of the vast right wing conspiracy?
Shepard Smith is pretty straightforward so I don’t get this criticism at all unless you are confusing news with punditry?
And the WSJ hasn’t changed either under RM tutelage.
But again, we come down to were one goes to find the “truth” or the “facts”. And who/what to trust.
Look, you and so many others have fallen into this trap of not understanding the difference between news and commentary. I understand that you take the party line (MSNBC/dems) on this but you have some options here if you WANT straight news like the BBC or NPR which tend to be less idealogical. There is even al Jeezera english, which I watch on you tube and Global Focus. Pretty good actually and gets you away from the American perspective. Not to mention they have a wide range of stories about the world. On PBS..check your local listings .
And they hardly ever mention Sarah.
Skippy, I doubt very much if you would like it if I flipped your CNN over to Fox as I was passing through your area. Golden Rule anyone?
William,
Those of the left don’t believe that any single thing or combination of things they do is or are a crime. They have been touched by God and are pure and sans reproach.
Damn you sir for your impertinence in questioning the scientific basis of totalitarianism as practiced by our host and most of his buddies.
Also, the Golden Rule was suspended under an act in Parliament 356 years ago and referred it to the Court of the Star Chamber. The liberal justices of the Supreme Court have adopted this “Foreign Ruling” as justification for suspending it within the United States.
I flip it discreetly. Usually when no one is looking or no one is in the break room. Then I hide the remote control. They can always turn it back if they can find it. I’m lucky that my cube is no where near a TV.
I’m just doing them a favor by preventing long term brain damage.
Richard, you must not watch the same Fox News channels I get stuck having to watch. They talk about all kinds of stupid things. The only redeeming part of a Fox News broadcast is the anchor women’s breasts and legs. It is true that Candy Crowley could never work on Fox News. They talk about Sarah a lot.
I listen to NPR as well. I like PBS. Market Place is one of my favorites too.
Well of course you do! What kind of a liberal democrat are you if you overtly came out and committed some sort of horrible act before discreetly hiding the means to change things back? Sheesh! You might of been mistook for a RINO!!@!
I’m with you on hatred of Fox. But here’s my dilemma:
1. Please name me one U.S. news channel I can go to that’s reasonable? (I like BBC myself, but it’s light on U.S. news).
2. Same question, but how about a website? (Again, bbcnews.com is my home page!)
I cannot STAND the CNN web page. It shows f*(*ing “iReports” on the front page!!
NPR for radio news.
For TV a mix between CNN for breaking news and a mix of print media is the best option I can think of.
Kiplinger’s web site is pretty good for diagnosing trends.
NPR used to be good for straight news. CNN was the channel of choice at TFCCs around the world. Kiplinger’s may have been the aggregator that our host referred to a few weeks ago. I don’t know it. I will learn.
In the meantime….why did it take FOX alone to break the news about ACORN skulduggery? which took a week or more to break into the state ball lapping media? How did the Enquirer display a presidential nominee as a serial philanderer who had kids outside of wedlock while married and while running for president. I mean, come on, that’s so shameful for the print and state sponsored media. Seriously, you would think somebody would have been fired and shipped off to the Tokyo or Hong Kong bureau!