How trustworthy is the media today?

Which sources do you trust?

Which mainstream sources show the most bias?

Why is Fox News #1?

I think all of these are interconnected in some way. Fox is seen as the most trustworthy source by most Americans, obviously. I don't understand why the others continue to mislead as such.

1/16/2007 6:05:14 PM

Quote :

"Fox is seen as the most trustworthy entertaining source by most Americans, obviously."

1/16/2007 6:06:30 PM

We discussed this already, do a search.

1/16/2007 6:06:47 PM

Quote :

"I don't understand why the others continue to mislead as such."

did he actually say this???

jesus, you sure live up to your username, don't you?

1/16/2007 6:09:23 PM

The previous thread is no longer avaliable.

The american people identify more with the opinions of fox news. this might seem misleading based on the last elections, but that was mostly decided by scandals and strife in iraq, not actual domestic policy or policy in the war on terror. if it had been, it would have been a runaway for the right, and thats coming from me, an independent.

i dont trust the liberal media.

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 6:12 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 6:12:41 PM

well...you see booger....liberals believe that they are smarter than everyone else...soo...the fact that foxnews kills all the others in the ratings is just evidence to them that Americans are so dumb. Thats why they are always ranting about "americans being sooo stupid!!"...they cant understand that those people who have different opinions than them are not stupid...they just disagree

1/16/2007 6:13:19 PM

LIBERALS

RARRRRRRRR

1/16/2007 6:15:50 PM

there, I bttt'd one of them for you

1/16/2007 6:16:15 PM

^^^fished in

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 6:19 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 6:16:32 PM

i'll be glad to answer the first two questions:

Quote :

"How trustworthy is the media today?"

Not very trustworthy

Quote :

"Which sources do you trust?"

I trust them all with general information on huge issues...I'm not going to really be skeptical if a news story is "President Bush meets with Iraqi President"...but as far as the lesser known stories, or the miniscule details...I don't really trust them...I mean the current media companies are huge for-profit corporations...they want to make money...ratings = money...sometimes (more often than I would like) they will skip fact-checking in order to "break the big story first"


[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 6:18 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 6:16:39 PM

here's a legit question: why do people love those crazy noises and seizure-inducing graphics on fox?

1/16/2007 6:24:54 PM

every news chanel has those

1/16/2007 6:28:19 PM

^^ and ^ Yeah, but Fox News took sound effects, if you will, to a new level. I like the sounds: they clearly demarcate a segue from one segment to another, they get your attention, and they are enjoyable and interesting separate from the content--yes, they are a type of entertainment. Do you want to watch the Boring News Channel? If yes, see you at the bottom of the ratings--and in the unemployment line. Just ask Phil Donahue.

Concerning the popularity of Fox News, the Big Three and Chicken Noodle News had a stranglehold on the dissemination of news for far too long in this country. Many--including moderates and independents--were searching for some other viewpoint besides the typical liberal blather, some other approach. Fox News satisfied that want.

Like them or not, Fox News attempts to be "fair and balanced," but they often fail--at least they are trying, however. Most of the others don't try at all, and they become indignant when their objectivity is questioned--but Tim Russert worked for a Democrat; Chris Matthews (who recently said, "Cheney likes to kill.") worked for a Democrat; Dan Rather openly attended Democrat fundraisers for years while anchoring the CBS Evening News, and on and on. Have you EVER heard a liberal commentator, writer, talk show host, or others introduced as a liberal when appearing on an MSM outlet? NO! Of course not! But you can bet your ass they will introduce a conservative as such--every time.

BTW, anybody who questions whether Fox News is THE major player in the cable news game, is in denial. They are number one, and EVERY Democrat of note has appeared on their air. If you question the legitimacy of Fox News, you question the legitimacy of all those Democrats that routinely appear on the channel.

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 7:04 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 6:57:48 PM

I typically watch the news for strictly informational purposes. That being a given, I will watch just about any news channel and take what they say with a grain of salt. However, I do beleive that when stuff is presented in any sort of an objective manner, Fox will present it with the least left leaning stance.

1/16/2007 8:28:30 PM

When the same people who love Clay Aiken and NASCAR unanimously endorse a cable news channel, it's clearly something to be proud of.

Just saying.

1/16/2007 8:45:45 PM

Quote :

"When the same people who love Clay Aiken and NASCAR "

I thought the Republicans hated homosexuals?

1/16/2007 9:07:31 PM

Quote :

"Like them or not, Fox News attempts to be "fair and balanced," but they often fail--at least they are trying, however. "

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
breath
AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAH

funniest thing I have read all day. Thank you.

Quote :

" Most of the others don't try at all"

Thats actually fairly accurate, but mostly its only true because of FoxNews. You see CNN popped up and changed news. Then everyone realized it was a huge potential moneymaker for ratings and ad dollars. Rupert Murdoch realized that news sells, but news that tells people what they want to hear and involves drama, loud noises and pretty pictures sells even better. Now everyone else is just trying to follow in his tracks.

1/16/2007 9:10:36 PM

You will find that life has a decidedly liberal bias.

1/16/2007 9:13:19 PM

^^^Not if they're closeted.

Mark Foley, Jeff Gannon, Shepard Smith...

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 9:15 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 9:15:31 PM

Quote :

"Like them or not, Fox News attempts to be "fair and balanced," but they often fail--at least they are trying, however."

Have you, um, ever actually watched the show?

Don't get me wrong, I can't think of a show that is fair and balanced. But Fox News certainly isn't leading the charge.

1/16/2007 9:17:55 PM

^^So wouldn't they also be closeted about letting people know they liked Clay Aiken?

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 9:18 PM. Reason : ^^]

1/16/2007 9:18:16 PM

No

1/16/2007 9:20:15 PM

Don't play it off now...you're the only dumbass who would put NASCAR fans and Clay Aiken fans in any kind of similar category

1/16/2007 9:22:48 PM

Male and female subsets of the same group.

1/16/2007 9:24:38 PM

So what do people who watch CNN like, broadway shows and tofu?

1/16/2007 9:26:10 PM

If the population is roughly 50/50 "liberal/conservative"(I know that's not exact but lets just use it for the sake of my argument) and there are 5 "liberal" stations and only 1 "conservative" station...wouldn't the conservative station be the most likely to gets the best ratings if the other side of the population is spread among the 5 liberal stations?

1/16/2007 9:26:37 PM

^If that were true then I suppose that could be a reason

Probably why the Dems lost in 04...they had their eggs in too many baskets...they couldnt decide on a candidate until the 11th hour

1/16/2007 9:29:58 PM

Well let's not get carried away. For everything but GOP conventions and presidential addresses, network news still thwomps Fox, even when divided into three networks.

Not to mention, we're essentially polling people who sit on their asses all night and watch cable TV. Congratulations Fox News, you win the lazy fat-ass demographic.

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 9:37 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 9:35:18 PM

You would be surprised how many idiots people get their news and/or world view from TBN.

1/16/2007 9:39:29 PM

^^thats the biggest demographic there is, your preferred news stations should try to get on that

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 9:39 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 9:39:41 PM

I'd rather they not. Less than 5 lbs of make-up on male anchors, plz.

Also, I like the notion of news agencies doing actual investigative journalism, as opposed to what Fox Does.

1/16/2007 9:41:06 PM

like Nancy Grace?

and obviously when referring to the "lazy fat-ass" demographic, I meant to try and get them as VIEWERS, not to hire them to work as NEWS ANCHORS

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 9:43 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 9:42:18 PM

Yeah, apparently the lazy fat-ass market likes their men caked and their news regurgitated.

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 9:45 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 9:44:18 PM

well why dont you give an example since i apparently cant guess

btw there are so many different cable news stations that dont regurgitate the same shit

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 9:46 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 9:44:43 PM

The journalists from network news.

Excuse me if I only know their work and not their names. Not everyone can be narcissistic pundits.

1/16/2007 9:47:03 PM

i only know the names of narcissists

when i meet someone i dont know, i dont dare tell them my name for fear of being perceived as overly self absorbed

but i also prefer a regular old local newcast

[Edited on January 16, 2007 at 9:50 PM. Reason : .]

1/16/2007 9:48:18 PM

I'm still not sure whether Bill O'Reily's show is an asset or liability to Fox's "Fair and Balanced" mantra.

He's a bit extreme for a news man, but I do like the fact that he has a highly sensitive BS meter.

1/16/2007 10:13:10 PM

if you cant figure that out...

1/16/2007 11:47:51 PM

let's say you accept the hypothesis that all mainstream media sources are biased to some extent, whether it be towards a liberal, moderate, or conservative viewpoint, depending on which source you're talking about. let's take that as a given.

then the stereotypical or most-often perceived assignation of those biases is that Fox News is conservative, CNN and NPR are liberal, and MSNBC, ABC, etc, are moderate-to-liberal.

if you concede these points, then the practical explanation as to why Fox News is #1 is not that it's what the majority of Americans identify most closely with or want out of a newscast--if that was the case, then Fox News would have greater than 50% market share. The practical explanation is that they have no competition for whatever the conservative market is that exists, and the much larger number of other networks are competing against themselves for the same non-conservative audience. As long as that conservative market is larger than whatever share of the moderates and liberals the most successful moderate-liberal network can grab, then Fox News is #1.

i hesitate to make the analogy here b/c it's not particularly apt and the percentages aren't similar, but it's sort of like a Ralph Nader effect.

1/17/2007 1:10:06 AM

Never trust LIEberals

durrrrrrrrrrr

1/17/2007 1:12:11 AM

LIBELrals

[Edited on January 17, 2007 at 1:16 AM. Reason : .]

1/17/2007 1:16:16 AM

To Boondoggle: For one who claims to loathe Fox News so much, you seem to be curiously familiar with the specifics of the cable news oulet and their allegedly closeted homosexuals. Hmmm--peculiar.

Oh, here are a couple of CNN's more recent "mistakes"/intentional (?) errors :

CNN makes Obama mistake, then apologizes
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/194428,obama010207.article

CNN retracts Tailwind coverage
http://www.cnn.com/US/9807/02/tailwind.johnson/

Don't get me started on the mistakes/biased reporting of the Big Three.

[Edited on January 17, 2007 at 4:14 AM. Reason : .]

1/17/2007 4:10:53 AM

^ I, of course, meant cable news outlet.

1/17/2007 5:17:53 AM

I really hate how people run away with the term "liberal media". There. is. no. such. thing. The media is not decidingly left biased. They are money biased. Any scandal they could break that would raise ratings and thus revenue would be on their list of things to report. Its not their fault republicans tends to be a little crooked.

1/17/2007 9:06:05 AM

^

Quote :

"republicans tends to be a little crooked."

Generalize much?

[Edited on January 17, 2007 at 11:20 AM. Reason : V PS: The richest members of Congress are Democrats. ]

1/17/2007 11:02:36 AM

^i just point out what has been made apparent over the past few years. I didnt say "all" or "every" that would be a generalization. so to answer your question in short, no I do not generalize much.

1/17/2007 11:08:14 AM

It's not Fox News' fault that Democrats tend to be a littled crooked

1/17/2007 11:15:42 AM

republican corruption is an accurate reflection on the last few years as far as scandals go.. but the claim that there is a liberal media bias stretches back longer. that doesn't make it true - it just means that the neocon. movement was working politics and public sentiment BEFORE it became stupidly corrupt.

.. and fox news is a farce. to call it news it even to give it too much credit - they broadcast misinformation to the american public to combat the liberal media (like mark foley, D-Florida) .. and when it's not blatant, they produce reports that lead the viewer to jump to false conclusions.

[Edited on January 17, 2007 at 11:27 AM. Reason : - ]

1/17/2007 11:26:26 AM

^this is very true. i can't count how many times i have had to correct friends parents basd on things that are said on fox news

1/17/2007 11:28:50 AM

cnn is a joke...the neoliberal agenda just spreads misinformation that sympathizes more with terrorists than US troops

btw before you bash this post, realize this is exactly what you sound like, except on the opposite end of the spectrum

[Edited on January 17, 2007 at 11:33 AM. Reason : .]

1/17/2007 11:31:08 AM