How Fox Is Winning The War (Print Jealousy of Fair & Balanced Report Wins Ratings!)

Sun-Sintenal ^ | 4/4/03 | Steve Johnson

[Recovering_Democrat]

They report. We deride.

We deride Fox News Channel for saying "us" and "our" in talking about the American war effort, a strategy that conjures images of gung-ho anchor Shepard Smith, like Slim Pickens in "Dr. Strangelove," riding a Tomahawk straight into Baghdad.

We deride Fox for playing ratings politics with the news, turning Joint Chiefs Chairman Richard Myers' public call Tuesday for media to be "fair and balanced" into a back-door endorsement, pointing out frequently afterward that the general had echoed a Fox News marketing slogan.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Nice, long article of rationalizing as to why Fox is #1 but shouldn't be. :)

I thought of putting in a barf alert, but figured it was entertaining enough not to warrant it. This guy gives us thumbs up to Barry McCaffrey, the fretful General on NBC. Funny stuff!

[GulliverSwift]

No TV operation is innocent here, but Fox seems especially enamored of putting a pretty face on the news.

Finding liberal women to fit that profile is no easy task for CNN and the other networks.

[GulliverSwift]

CNN's stretched far afield to incorporate other world news. Fox stayed mostly with the war.

Good, I don't care about other news right now. CNN had liberal human-garbage protestors in front of there headquarters in Atlanta, complaining they were doing too much coverage of the war, and it looks like they've listened. CNN doesn't want ot offend its base.

[GulliverSwift]

I saw the same few field reports essentially offered over and over again. These were fine, as far as they went, but they offered a distinctly narrower picture of the news than was offered on CNN during the same time period.

Fox was the first to have videos of troops entering Baghdad, they were the only one to have a camera one Saddam's Baghdad palace for hours. They were the only ones who caught a video of Saddam's statue with him on a horse getting blown up.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Fox & Friends' E.D. Hill
Number One in the Galaxy!

"You are right, Captain Kirk. Her legs are sugar hotel all the way!"

[YaYa123]

MSNBC has breaking news that Saddam and sons might have been killed today by heavy bunker busting bombs we dropped after receiving good tips they would be at a meeting. MSNBC is the only one with it for now. Andrea Mitchell and Brian Williams are reporting on this, to Lester Holt.

If this is true, this is the biggest scoop of the war. and for heavens sake, scoops aside..the very best news we could have.

I'm uneasy because MSNBC is the only network going with the story....everyone else must be holding back.

[martin_fierro]

This prig author makes much of Fox being late in its facts concerning the imprisoned journalists, then he comes up with this probing gem of analysis:

[up arrow] David Bloom, NBC. He's got a mobile studio, too, but at least he looks sexy with his windswept hair.

Yeah. Too bad he's DEAD.

[T Lady]

Oh boo hoo hoo hoo!

Now that there's some real competiton out there, Liberals just can't take it; they're literally becoming unglued, reduced to taking pot-shots at a cable network that's only seven years old-and a ratings powerhouse.

What Steven Johnson and other Liberal nitwits refuse to accept is the majority of the American viewing public, armed with remote controls, have chosen to watch news that is reported, not DNC/Leftist Talking Points disguised as journalism. You actually get to hear two sides of any given issue, not the stacked 'panels' featured on most of the major webs/cable channel competitors.

...Of course they've also said the same things about talk radio, too.

Here's a hankie, Steve.

-Regards, T.

[Terabitten]

Pretty faces? Bet your bippy.

Let's face it - Heather Lauert is a goddess.

[callthemlikeyouseethem]

..."Take dollops of news by comely correspondents, and toss it atop a main dish of attitude led by charismatic, right-leaning hosts."

and? should we ask for a side of french fries with our main dish?

[Arkinsaw]

Let's face it - Heather Lauert is a goddess.

Patty Ann Browne. Haven't seen much of her lately.

[Batrachian]

They're right about one thing: Linda Vester does have shapely legs. I couldn't help noticing, either.

[cricket]

Watched briefly, CNN the other night. . .like maybe four minutes. . .the correspondent referrenced our 'Coalition' as Invaders. . .using 'invasion' as a prominent noun as well. . .his story complimented our troops. . .

I thought, 'not bad'. . . and then he took us for a walk through a hospital where supposedly those who were victims of our efforts, were now in varying states of dismemberment. . .

. . .the Liberal version of 'fair and balanced' but only for those with strong stomachs and weak, little Liberal minds. . .

[Stopislamnow]

ED, Jennifer, Laurie, Linda, Allison.....

hrm....

Fox Ownz.

[Tamzee]

Typical nasty hit-piece...

What they don't understand is that Fox's immediate popularity reflects that there was a large market out there not being served previously by mainstream media. For them to yammer on about Fox's being "patriotic", they are essentially admitting that the rest of the media isn't ;-)

[nutmeg]

...after watching five straight hours of Fox News earlier this week, there isn't, comparatively speaking, that much reporting...

So this author - Steve Johnson - watched "five straight hours" of Fox News this week and is now qualified as a Fox News Channel expert. Yeah, right.

Steve, in case you're lurking... Check out this little gem that Greg Kelly of the Fox News Channel broke to the world early this morning. Greg Kelly is no bubblehead "comely correspondent" BTW. He served for nine years as a United States Marine before beginning a career in journalism:

US: 'We own Baghdad'

The Evening Standard ^ | April 7, 2003

"Saddam Hussein says he owns Baghdad? Wrong. We own Baghdad. We own his palace. We own his downtown hotels. This is history," US tank commander Colonel David Perkins said. The euphoric message was broadcast to the world from the doorstep of one of Saddam's presidential palaces by American reporter Greg Kelly of Fox TV.

Reporting from the Al Sijood palace on the banks of the Tigris today, Kelly told how the US 3rd Infantry moved into Baghdad in less than an hour this morning. Live footage showed American soldiers entering what the correspondent called "the main presidential palace", a large structure with high, arched windows which was being searched "room by room".

Soldiers could be seen on top of several Bradley fighting vehicles in the grounds of the palace, taking off their helmets and waving their arms at television cameras.

Describing the scene, Kelly said: "It is amazing to be talking to you here from what is literally Saddam's front yard...

Read the rest here: US: 'We Own Baghdad'

[nutmeg]

Typical hit piece on Fox News ping!

[GalvestonGal.com]

Glad you posted this. Article is already out of date, what with the lightening speed of this war, but I was looking for a thread to post my big YEEEHAWWW! FOX RULES! shout out.

I wanted to go out and shoot my gun last night when Greg Kelly was reporting live from Sadam's palace. How 'bout them dawgs!!! That was worth the hours spent watching the war, when Greg Kelly, Fox News, Col. Perkins, David Hunt, those tank guys with the Georgia flag were dancin' in Saddam's driveway.

I'm sure there was plenty of posting last night, but this is my first chance to say thank you to "Team Fox"!

This minor commentator's review of Fox is worthless because don't you just KNOW George Bush and Donald (I know the plan) Rumsfeld and Dick Chaney - all the guys "who KNOW the plan", watch Fox News.

That was lifetime historical stuff last night watching Col. Perkins and David Hunt talking LIVE to each other. Watching soldiers and reporters who we have come to know and care about. That was just as exciting as allhell. Oh yeah, and special thanks to Brian Wilson who told the control booth to take down that damn banner so we could see what is going on.

How 'bout that Dave Hunt - the retired whatever who is wound up so tight you think he's going to corkscrew through the roof. And I love Shepard Smith - all of them are great.

Ok, I'll quite and let someone else talk, but GO FOX!!!!

[DannyTN]

Jay Leno: "I had something strange happen to me yesterday, I’m coming to work, i turn on the radio in the morning, the war is going badly, we weren’t in control, the enemy was escaping and the people of Iraq hated us. Then, I’m driving home, we’re winning every battle, racing toward Baghdad, cheered on by Iraqi people, and then I realized: On the way in I was listening to National Public Radio when I commuted to work. And on the way home, I was listening to Fox News. "

That's why Fox is winning, Fox has some Journalism, the other networks have spin.

[Betty Jane]

...Of course they've also said the same things about talk radio, too.

That's how I wound up being a ditto head. I heard all these leftists that I knew and respected saying how awful this Rush guy was. He shouldn't be allowed on the radio.

So like a normal hip person, I wanted to be in on the joke. Except I agreed with this guy on the radio. No more Dems for me since 1989. Isn't advertising great?

Every time some nitwit critizes FOX, someone will want to see what all the hubbub is. Then another FOX watcher will be born. Ain't life grand?