Posted on 07/11/2004 9:18:35 PM PDT by quidnunc
Edited on 07/11/2004 9:50:27 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
When Fox News Channel was founded by Rupert Murdoch, the consensus was that no startup all-news cable channel could possibly compete with CNN, and if any startup had a chance, it was MSNBC, which had the combined clout of NBC's esteemed news division and Microsoft, which in those days was believed to own the future.
Now, almost a decade later, Fox News Channel has left both CNN and MSNBC in the dust. There's no guarantee that this is permanent, of course. But it certainly has the left in a panic. They hated it that American conservatism had any voice at all, back when it was confined to a few radio talk shows remember how everybody wanted to blame Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talk-radio hosts for the Oklahoma City bombing?
Now, though, to have Fox News Channel be the source for the largest portion of America's TV news junkies just sticks in their craw. How could such a thing happen? Scott Collins, author of "Crazy Like a Fox: The Inside Story of How Fox News Beat CNN," thinks he has the answer.
It's not what Fox claims that the American news media have a pronounced and painful liberal bias, so that huge numbers of Americans had given up on TV news, only to return in droves when Fox News offered them a balanced, trustworthy source of information. No, it's that a large number of Americans believed that the news was biased. How they got this idea is that they were hmmm idiots? But no matter. Mr. Collins repeatedly states that the perception is what mattered, and by homing in on the audience dumb enough to think the media was biased, Fox News won the ratings race (but not, of course, the race for quality news coverage).
I'm painting Mr. Collins's book far too negatively, and I'm doing it deliberately. In fact, you can finish "Crazy Like a Fox" and think you have received a balanced story. Nowhere does Mr. Collins actually say that Fox News viewers are idiots. But Mr. Collins is a product of the liberal American news media, which are deeply offended at any accusation of bias. They don't twist the news they inform their readers of the truth. And when they see Fox News trumpeting slogans like "we report, you decide" and "fair and balanced," they see red. They take it for granted that those slogans are true of every news outlet except Fox News.
So when Mr. Collins sets out to write a fair and balanced account of Fox News's triumph, he does not realize that his own reporting is biased, too. He scrupulously avoids demonizing the folks at Fox News.
But the bias is there. It is simply taken for granted that Fox distorts the news, that Fox is unusual for taking sides, while all of the allegations about liberal bias are refuted so that one could close this book believing that liberal bias in the vast majority of the American news media is a delusion shared only by dimwitted conservatives who don't like it that the world has passed them by and blame the messenger.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
'The left sure is pulling all the stops out in this election year. If they lose the election, I expect riots in Beverly Hills and Greenich Village.
And suicides. They're kooks!'
and THIS TIME, when they say they're leaving the USA if Bush is elected, THIS TIME, I REALLY, REALLY want to see them LEAVE!!!!!!!!!
Yeh, but they play presidents and stuff on TV. The left wing useful idiots think TV is real.
Fox is the only one I can watch without getting very angry (at the biased reporting). Media is a bunch of Leahys.
Card is my favorite conservative Mormon Democrat science fiction writer. What's wrong with this very solid article?
The Conservative movement is under attack in America. The pillars are being targeted one-by-one:
1. Rush Limbaugh - transparent and shameless attack by Florida Attorney General;
2. Air America - left-wing radio attack on Talk Radio;
3. ABC The Note - left-wing pathetic attack on Drudge;
4. Free Republic - transparent attack by Socialist Media to prevent fair use including threat of lawsuits;
5. FoxNews - transparent and shameless propaganda attack in Outfoxed movie;
6. Can Ann, Mark, Sean, et. al. be far behind?
Freepers, make a difference.
In every way, every day, do your part to help destroy American Media and the Democratic Party.
Just look at today's Sunday shows. Not one word about Joe Wilson being exposed (we knew it, but now it is documented) as a liar.
The mainstreams constantly try to contort situations to make it look like the Bush administration is lying, while they ignore the real lying going on by the left.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to detect their repugnant distaste for straight facts and the favor they bestow upon deceit and spin.
That's what I remember about him. He's a Democrat. Apparently a big Zell Miller fan.
Nothing's wrong with the article or with any of the twenty others that I missed on FR. Do a search and enjoy. (and I've read most of his books)
Don't forget Dr. Laura.
Powerful bias in media, Exhibit "A":
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1169406/posts
turns a great day in the WH into a bash Bush opportunity.
There's a guy around here with a Fox News ping list. He'd be interested in this, I'm sure.
Another newcomer is the sprawling estate at Conyers Farm, a gated community in Greenwich that formerly was home to Rosie O'Donnell and is currently home to Ron Howard and Paula Zahn. The $53 million property has 80 rolling acres, a 22-stall stable, two apartments for grooms, a tack room and a commercial laundry facility.
Just wondering if she might be one of the former FOX employees they interviewed.
BUMP
From the front page of MSN.com
http://www.msn.com/
Looks like MSNBC and FOX working hand in hand.
MSNBC News
Deadline extended for hostage
Sens. urge quick CIA chief pick
How Edwards affects the race
SPORTS by FOX SPORTS
Punches fly in NASCAR pits
Griffey to miss All-Star game
Thanks for the ping!
Ping
From time to time, Ill post or ping on noteworthy articles about politics, foreign and military affairs. Let me know if you want off my list.
If you're not familiar with this author, he's a blue dog. I bookmarked a previous article from him in comment# 38.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.