The Decline of Fox News

Media Monitor ^ | 8/31/2005 | Cliff Kincaid

[Mike Bates]

In response to my column on the decline of cable news because of their obsession with missing-person cases, one person wrote in, "Come-On. Get a Grip... What's wrong with a couple of hours 'break' from Real News.."

A couple hours break?

On the other hand, one said, "I am so sick of hearing all of the details of the Aruba fiasco that I just can't tolerate it any more. This Aruba show is sinking Fox News, and I am watching it less and less."

Here's what someone else wrote:

"I just read your article and have to agree completely that the Holloway reporting has gone completely off the deep end. I used to be a junky watching Hard Ball, O'Reilly, Hannity/Colmes and then Scarborough Country until about a month or two ago.

It was getting too much for me to waste that much time but these shows used to be compelling. Especially the first year or so of Scarborough Country. Joe used to be hard-hitting, very conservative and used to expose media bias and liberal hypocrisy. Not any more. Lately he has tried to go head to head and compete with Greta just because they are on at the same time.

[NonValueAdded]

With FR as a primary resource, I pretty much don't need to watch network news. Quite frankly, most of it is 2 to 3 days old from what we learn here. But when there is a disaster, it is a logical place to turn. I was amazed at how miserable was the coverage Monday morning on Fox. Not only was the "morons in the morning" format bad, but they had only one or two old clips played over and over again. CNN was better and quite frankly they eat Fox's lunch when it comes to live coverage, but CNN couldn't compare to the coverage by the local stations streaming via the web. WDSU has done a magnificent job teaming with their sister Hearst stations and I'm sure that is a model that will be well studied. I assume WWL is doing something similar.

I think Fox is suffering from lack of competition on the right. By comparison, they have that segment locked and will drift left to increase their share. That makes sense from a theoretical point of view but their execution is lousy and they are breaking what made them successful. They really need a right-leaning competitor to make them improve.

[saminfl]

I absolutely astounds me when I read what some people put on this site. I have been here for a long time, and never have I seen so many people complaining about conservatives, conservative news outlets and conservative commentators. I it almost as if we have a small (at least I am pretty sure it is small) group of elitists that think they are the only ones who can define conservatism. We appear to be tearing ourselves apart.

Personally, I don't care what you A**h***s think. I am sticking with what got us here and that includes Fox news, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.

I will just ignore your pompous opinions and I hope the majority on FreeRepublic do the same.

[wmileo]

People who want the facts and a balanced treatment of the commentary have to choose from either the National Alphabet Networks, Cable such as MSNBC, CNN or FOX News. I am tired of hearing about Aruba now and Scott Peterson/ Schiavo/whatever before. But FOX is still the best choice for me by far. What are your thoughts?

[bahblahbah]

Fox wins because 1) Their on air personalities have personality. There is much more emotional attachment to the anchors. 2) It's format keeps the news interesting. 3) They are actually fair and balanced so those with a conservative bent really have only one source they can tolerate.

[Alien Gunfighter]

The problem with having a 24-hour news channel is that you have to find 24 hours worth of news to fill the day, every day. And if you have to find something, make something up, and exaggerate something, you do--no one likes dead air.

I don't have Fox News where I live (Japan), but I remember how it was. "Pretty white girl in trouble!"

[Salvation]

I do not see it as declinging, but rather misled into pleasing the public and grabbing the viewers.

[Mike Bates]

I believe he was talking about a decline in the quality...not the ratings.

Thank you for noticing that, sir.

[Ribeye]

I find myself spending less time watching FoxNews. Brit Hume's program is now the only one I regularly try to catch.

---

Me too, for about a year now...
Brit's show is good and Cavuto is decenet but the other "news analysis" shows rehash the same tripe all day long. Fox news has become a tabloid channel.
And the "FOX NEWS ALERTS" are silly.
What will they do when a REAL, urgent breaking story happens? "FOX NEWS SUPER SPECIAL THIS TIME ITS FOR REAL ALERT, ALERT!"

FOX is no better or worse than the left wind channels...
I suck it up and scan CNN, NWI & the others now if I want world/US news. I can see through the left wing bias of the other channels and still get decent news...

[Ben Chad]

It's becoming increasingly clear to me that Fox is marketing itself to an audience with an average IQ of about 90.

Ditto

[BMC1]

I also like Brit Hume. I also like Hannity, however, I CAN'T stand Colmes. No matter what happens with th loony left, he finds a way to defend them.

I'm also loosing interest because they hired Wesley Clark as a expert contributer. The only thing he does is bash President Bush.

Fair and balanced doesn't mean hiring IDIOTS. I find myself turning off FOX more and more. I get my news from other places and it's not the MSM.

[Brilliant]

I think it's a whole lot more important than the stuff they normally report on. But they really have tapped into the obsessiveness of the American personality. It's one obession after another with them.

It apparently works, too.

[armymarinemom]

Yet the Fox news numbers continue to rise. The ratings actually showed that more people WANTED to see the Aruba story. Someone please explain that one.

I can't explain that one. I have just about stopped watching Fox during the weekends entirely. The coverage of Crawford was the worst out there. I spent the weekend flipping channels and listening to the radio for coverage and Fox low-balled the pro American groups worse than CNN.

Britt Hume straightened that out when the weekend was over but damage was done to credibility.

[Pravious]

"Fox News has two good things left:

1) Brit Hume

2) Smoking, hot babes"

---

I disagree. It should be:

Fox News has two good things left:

1) Smoking, hot babes*

2) Brit Hume


* -- Um, Greta not included. :-)

[nutmeg]

I find myself spending less time watching FoxNews. Brit Hume's program is now the only one I regularly try to catch.

Dittos to that...

[wmileo]

You are 100% correct in you view. However, you may be arguing with those who agree with you more than disagree. We do not want to sound like "they' do now, do we?

[kevkrom]

I remeber when CNN was a refreshing break from the establishment media... it was no-nonsense, hard-hitting, and (compared to the establishment) reasonably agenda-free.

Then the "professional journalists" took over.

Fox News is suffering the same fate, as the wheel of history continues to turn.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Apparently, yes, but how? I don't know.

[JLS]

Actually, I find this pretty typical. We play with new toys a lot more than than old ones.

When I first got cable, I watched ESPN and CNN all the time. I watched silly things like Australian Rules football late at night on ESPN and wall to wall of the DC Air Florida Crash on CNN.

Then I moved and my new cable had CourtTV. I had quit watching CNN much at all and ESPN other than sports I was actually interested in. But I begain watching trials and trial stories which was a show with a one hour recap of famous trials they showed. I saw a lot of the Mendez brothers etc. But then I tired of CourtTV and cases that really did not matter even famous ones.

Then my cable added FNC. So I watched lots of news stories on Fox. It was amazing to see somewhat old fashioned straight new reporting. But like you after awhile, Britt Hume has become the one thing I watch all the time. I watched a lot of History channel at this time too.

Now some of it is me and the new toy effect. Some of it is how these stations evolve all fighting for ratings. One great example has been the evolution of the Arts and Entertainment Channel into the Trash and Entertainment Channel with Gottis and Bounty Hunters.

As for Fox, they have not changed that much. Certainly missing attactive people are somewhat newworthy. And it is something to pass the time between serious stories that the public will pay attention to. And the battle of the Dim idiot v. the GOP backer in political segments can grow tiresome too.

[shekkian]

Hey, lighten up. There's a new story to make us forget Aruba. Katrina.</sarcasm>

[steveegg]

Nork, Glock, Steveegg, Westcoastgal and Grrrr could host the weekly NASCAR Shows

Do we get media passes? :-)