Fox News – A Good Network
Posted By John Moore on March 19, 2003
As soon as Fox News appeared, I switched to it from CNN.
As a conservative, I was tired of being constantly insulted by CNN’s left-wing bias and its extreme emphasis on political correctness. I got my fill of oppressed women, oppressed or successful blacks, feel-good school programs, environmentalist nonsense and the propaganda from totalitarian countries (like Cuba) that was the price Turner paid for access. There was no balance. For example, one never saw a story that mentioned the costs of environmental action, or that most women were not oppressed.
CNN Headline was even worse. It seemed that 15 minutes of every 30 minute cycle was devoted to a left wing formula. There had to be one story on women’s rights (typically pro-abortion), one story on some environmental issue that required the government to take drastic action, one story on a third world country that blamed us for the mess it’s inevitably corrupt government had caused, and one story on some evil big business.
The major networks were even worse. The “evening news” would better have been called the “evening editorials.” There was little news, but lots of “news analysis,” which is a liberal code word for leftist propaganda.
Apparently a lot of Americans feel the same way I do, since Fox is now the number one news channel in the US!
I watch Fox a lot – I work out of my home and often use Fox as “video wallpaper.” Fox is a serious network with serious news. It does, however, destroy the up-tight stuffed-shirt pretense of modern American journalism.
It doesn’t expect its anchors to pretend to be unbiased – they read the news, but they also comment on it, although it is clear which is which. Even Neil Cavuto, the financial anchor, comments on world affairs. It’s anchors have personalities and a sense of humor – not the contrived type that the “news consultants” foist on local TV, but their real personalities. It also often uses anchors who actually know something and don’t embarass themselves during live events.
Fox’s equivalent of cross-fire is much more reasonable than CNN’s. Hannity (right) and Colmes (left) are both smart and likeable people, and they let their guests put out their message before tearing into them. Thus one has a more satisfactory debate, not just a fight.
Fox also understands that entertainment is part of news for some people, so it enhances its audience with adventure stories such as car chases (and, for a while, many stories that showed scantily clad women) for men, and human interest stories for women. Rubert Murdoch is no fool.
The only program on Fox that is really bad is Bill O’Reilly’s, which for some reason is also the most popular. Don’t judge Fox by O’Reilly… O’Reilly has a huge ego, and doesn’t know very much, but that doesn’t stop him from interrupting his guests and pontificating. But then the guy used to be a school principal, i.e. an educrat, and that’s a bad sign!
The left has two puzzles that they consistently get the wrong answers for: why do people watch Fox News, and why do so many people listen to right-wing talk radio but not left-wing talk radio?
The answer is right in their faces, but they can’
t see it! The mainstream media has a leftward tilt. No, they aren’t left-wing like a hard leftie would like, but they are significantly to the left of much of the population (as shown by numerous surveys, not to mention their editorial decisions). Thus we turn to alternative sources, which on TV is Fox and on radio is Rush Limbaugh, Michael Medved, Shawn Hannity, etc.
I agree with you, Fox News is head and shoulders above the rest of the news stations. After what Bill O’Reilly said in his Talking Points tonight, about Tom Dashle, he rocks! He call’s ‘em as he sees ‘em and he’s right!
Rushs’ formula is dated, I don’t get much from him any more. Have your tried Dennis Prager (on the same time as Rush)
Was O’Reilly a principal? I thought he was just a teacher for a year or two…
Liars,liars ,disgusting liars,trash .
Thanks Mr. Al Framken
Bill O’Reilly should work in a circus as a spitting target….
I don’t live in the US but since I belong to the world that Fox is reporting on in such a ‘fair and balanced’ way I feel obliged to comment.
Firstly a news station which is described by one of the commentators above as to ‘rock’, shouldn’t be taken seriously, the station or the commentator. ‘Fair and balanced?’ Is there a Palestinian opinion represented on Fox, do we get to hear the opinion of a pregnant 16 year old contemplating abortion? Two tiny issues but ones that the ‘fair and balanced’ team will studiously avoid. Where is Osama Bin Laden? Can Fox please investigate: And for that matter, has anyone seen Mullah Omar; I believe these men and their organisations were the reason you went to war. I go further and say that the so called liberal press in your country tows the line just as well as Fox. I have to read European papers and listen to the BBC before I am in any way reasonably informed; I now know that the Pvt Jennifer Lynch lie, was a lie.
Rob.
Robert,
First of all, Fox is not fair and balanced (that’s a marketing phrase), but it is more fair and balanced than most other press. You do get to hear the Palestinian opinion, typically at least four or five times a day whenever it is in the news. You also get to hear spokepeople for the 16 year old contemplating abortion. So right off the bat, you make two basic factual mistakes.
If you listen to BBC to stay informed, you are being ill informed. BBC is so badly biased that even the crew of a British warship (which knew a bit more about the war than BBC) asked that it be replaced with FOX News on their ship channel because of bias. BBC bias has been extensively documented in the blogosphere – just go look around.
And as far as Jessica Lynch (yes, Jessica – you must have a problem with facts), WHAT was a lie? I’m curious what sort of “facts” you pick up in the leftist European press. We do know that a number of lies about Jessica Lynch’s rescue were reported by the European press. Which ones did you fall for?
You probably read the Guardian as your main source of news, right?
I love Fox News. It is the best news channel of all. It is nice not to have to put up with the leftist media like CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC etc. Their approach to news is unmatched. Also, I love the female reporters and anchors. I would sure love to get Fair and Balanced with Jennifer Eccleston or Donna Fiducia… Page Hopkins Laurie Dhue also.
Is there some way attentiond can be brought to the fact that the Calif. fire disaster is a man created disaster brought on by enviromental extremists agenda being passed by lawmakers over the past 20-30 years.
I agree, Fox News is superior to everything, especially CNN. In less then 10 years they made it to number 1. They must be doing something right.
I’d love to read your site but because of the coloring on it, it is very hard.
Why FOX is just a Power tool for Murdock and those in the power elite that have hood winked many Americans into thinking they are for “good” against “evil”. I’m sorry but if you beleive FOX you probably would have been a Nazi if you lived in Germany in the Thirties. Or maybe you are a Nazi. Go ahead wrap yourself in the flag, but here is change for your paradigm. Read the article on the Cato institute funding by the IPA, read it if you are not afraid to find out you might be wrong, or dont read it and be an “ostrich”, the grass roots political movement in America is funded by the people for the people, but all the conservative movements that I could find were all funded by Corporations and the super rich. Are you people crazy, they are going to take away your freedom under the guise of protecting you from terror, and you are going to go willy nilly along with it. 90% of the wealth is held by less than 10% of the people. The robberbarons are not some long forgotten group of 19th century ghosts, and FOX news is their oracle. I actually hope you dont believe me, “I love saying I told you so”.
Well Mike, that’s quite a load you dropped there.
Fortunately my web site doesn’t transmit smell.
Having worked with very rich people (including one of Murdoch’s former VP’s) and CEO’s from time to time, I know how clueless you really are.
But you will never believe it, so I’m not gonna waste my time trying to convince you.
However, I hope you enjoy voting for the Democrats, who always receive more of their money in large chunks from the very rich than the Republicans do. Check out the stats for the large contributions. Or are you an Ostrich.
Oh, and don’t forget that retirement pensions have the largest holdings of anyone in most big corporations – that’s the pensions of labor unions and school teachers and the like.
John Moore, you ARE a useful fool. There are only two types of people in America, Democrats, and Racist. (Opps! and that “other” group, the NRA, but that’s another story). FOX News lasted being number one for as long as it takes to wipe one’s backside before CNN was restored to its rightful place as the number one news station. Yes FOX and this ungodly administration DID lie about private Jessica Lynch. She even admitted so. They lied about this war, the weapons, their reasoning etc. You need to wake up pal. What’s your profile? I know, let me tell YOU what it is. Angry WHITE male? three inch penis? on your second marriage already? balding? You guys all fit the same profile. Tap into reality and get a life. Marion Barry (a scum bag) takes drugs and he’s a “crack addict” on FOX. Our boy Rush(a scum bag) takes drugs and he has a “dependency problem? C’mon man. Get a clue..
Well, “liberal,” you certainly did a good job of showing that some liberals are bigoted idiots.
Oh, and Fox is still number one.
But then today’s liberals never get in the way of facts.
You are wrong on your profile, of course. In fact, the very way you put it is typical of a bigot (look up the word – it describes you perfectly).
Also, it appears you don’t know the difference between pleasure drug addiction and prescription drug addiction – the latter normally happens by accident (as it did in Rush’s case), while the former is by choice.
Well at least I’m not a racist in your fantasy world, because I’m an NRA member (and well armed).
On the other hand, I’m against the drug war anyway.
Go put that in your stereotype and smoke it, asshat.
its so much fun insulting people. its my thing, becaus I want to make liberals look stoopid.
I don’t have no respect for private property. I don’t have no respect for human beings, becaue I am better than all of them. i tease them with insults too clevr for them to undurstand. its so much Fun.
I rite my essays on the computor at the libary, they don’t have one at the half-wy house. Thos asholes say I’m a socopath, but they dont count. What would they no? I’m smarter than any of them. Theyll bel be sorry.
I don’t have my own blog, cause they always keep it from workin when I set it up. I put my briliance in blog coments so the world can reed it
Im smart. I’m smarter than any consertive. I know consertives are all dummys. theres a picture of me where it says my name
CNN, which was founded by Ted Turner (a man who later married Jane Fonda) is a liberal-biased teleivision station, CNN even admits they have a liberal bias and CNN had an apology about a liberal bias on a certain news story on their website about 6 weeks ago. CNN is okay, but it’s liberal and people see that it’s just entertainment, after all, this was founded by a man who married Jane Fonda. AOL-TimeWarner (which owns CNN) also has given $ 138,000 to the John Kerry campaign. So CNN is now owned by a company which supports Kerry, so they’re financing the liberals as well as giving a liberal bias.
Latest Nielsen numbers show that FOX is getting more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined. CNN has had 20 years of liberal bias, Americans are waking up to the liberal CNN trash and they’re going elsewhere for their news.
When Fox got ahead of CNN the first time, CNN executives went to Washington to meet with leading conservatives – wanting to know how to get that part of their demographic.
Obviously, they didn’t follow the advice (which was probably to just tell the truth and quit filling most of their air time with PC stories).
I personally believe the morning slots are the weak link on FOX. Too much cute in the morning drives me over to IMUS, who is himself, fair and balanced for the most part. I’d like to see time given to how the news is being reported to the people in Iraq and Afghanistan by their news agencies. I think we would all like to see our military folks saying hello to their loved ones when going into commericals. FOX COULD DO THIS The bottom line is, when I watch/listen to FOX, I don’t have to worry about our country being run down. ps Where does Ted Kennedy get the nerve? What a front guy for Kerry!
I rarely see Fox in the morning because I live in Arizona (half of the year on Pacific Time) and get up late. But Fox is obviously appealing to the housewife demographic in the morning.
My big complaint is that they re-run the prime-time shows late in the evening with little new content.
But I love them.
Re Kennedy and nerve. He doesn’t have any, they were all dissolved in alcohol.
John