Fox News’ Promotion Of Tea Parties Shatters Their Credibility

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This isn't anything new though. The US Media, especially television news - is mostly total garbage.

Most commercial television news is mediocre at best. There are few of them that I think stand out though - 60 Minutes, Anderson Cooper, and Meet the Press are consistently good.

For public television - Charlie Rose, Jim Lehrer News Hour, McLaughlin Group, and Frontline.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

AC? You must be kidding.

[mawilson 2,133]

The problem isn't bias. It's when news organizations like Fox News use their platform as a propaganda machine and the most troubling part to me is that many people who watch Fox News fail to see the difference.

And MSNBC doesn't?

So when the news anchors on Fox News are supposedly reporting the news of this tea party and adding comments like, "It is my duty as a patriot, to bring attention to this...," that is blatant propaganda.

I disagree.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

AC? You must be kidding.

It has its moments.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

So when the news anchors on Fox News are supposedly reporting the news of this tea party and adding comments like, "It is my duty as a patriot, to bring attention to this...," that is blatant propaganda.

Protests are nothing new - but having a broadcast journalist preface his report with an activist position on the central issue is certainly propagandistic.

Quite honestly I don't understand why people watch the TV news. Well... that's not true - I do understand why they do it, its because a carefully targetted audience demographic responds to that stuff.

[chri'stina 190]

I personally feel most of the news has a bias. I watch CNN mostly now and I do feel they are biased towards loving Obama. So I don't really care if Fox news is the opposite. Who cares? Since none of the major news channels are being objective, they all throw in their little opinions or twists on everything. I don't care that they are covering the tea parties. It's true, other certain protests get better coverage on the other channels. No one has to watch Fox if they don't want to. I get annoyed by some of the ppl on Fox but I also get annoyed at the left wing bias I see in other channel's personalities too.

As far as I know, Fox's ratings aren't plummeting.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Parivar CSK

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I personally feel most of the news has a bias. I watch CNN mostly now and I do feel they are biased towards loving Obama. So I don't really care if Fox news is the opposite. Who cares? Since none of the major news channels are being objective, they all throw in their little opinions or twists on everything. I don't care that they are covering the tea parties. It's true, other certain protests get better coverage on the other channels. No one has to watch Fox if they don't want to. I get annoyed by some of the ppl on Fox but I also get annoyed at the left wing bias I see in other channel's personalities too.

As far as I know, Fox's ratings aren't plummeting.

Well they wouldn't. If they were - the chief exec would get canned.

All they're doing is feeding their audience with what they want to hear.

[chri'stina 190]

And oh yeah, which of you who thinks their credibility was shattered gave them any credibility anyway? Did the coverage of tea parties really change your mind about them?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

And oh yeah, which of you who thinks their credibility was shattered gave them any credibility anyway? Did the coverage of tea parties really change your mind about them?

Not really. Its just business as usual.

[chri'stina 190]

Well CNN really annoys me too. For every topic they have to have a left winger and a right winger give their opinions. Why don't they find some independents who maybe don't have an obvious bias. And when lots of their reporters on CNN were gushing with joy about Obama being elected, it's not hard to see the bias. lol.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I personally feel most of the news has a bias. I watch CNN mostly now and I do feel they are biased towards loving Obama. So I don't really care if Fox news is the opposite. Who cares? Since none of the major news channels are being objective, they all throw in their little opinions or twists on everything. I don't care that they are covering the tea parties. It's true, other certain protests get better coverage on the other channels. No one has to watch Fox if they don't want to. I get annoyed by some of the ppl on Fox but I also get annoyed at the left wing bias I see in other channel's personalities too.

Stina, there's a difference between news bias and propaganda. Bias comes from the journalist's own viewpoint, which they can and should first be constantly aware of it with the choice of words they use, and to try and state the news with neutrality, whereas propaganda is selling or promoting a product or idea. I think the confusion comes when there is journalistic opinion as in editorial news - then the journalist is of course promoting his or her own ideas, but already with the disclaimer that they are expression their own personal opinion.

When a regular news broadcaster is giving the news about the President's new Air Force One jet, and he or she says, "A blatant misuse of taxes by Obama, the new Air Force One jet took its maiden flight today." Was that commentary or reporting the news? Do you see the difference? The news anchor didn't make a disclaimer first, "This is only my opinion, but..." That's my beef with the Fox News Channel. There is no clear cut line between report the news and opinion, which then makes it propagandist in nature.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well CNN really annoys me too. For every topic they have to have a left winger and a right winger give their opinions. Why don't they find some independents who maybe don't have an obvious bias. And when lots of their reporters on CNN were gushing with joy about Obama being elected, it's not hard to see the bias. lol.

As I said elsewhere I think the media tries to align itself somewhat to the public mood, albeit within the confines of their target audience demographic.

Its pretty telling that there was very little criticism of president Bush in his first term - in the wake of 9/11 and the run up to the Iraq war, even on the supposedly "liberal" channels.

The European media, by contrast, was a lot more critical - unsurprisingly of course its also where the biggest anti-war protests took place.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Private Pike

[natty bumppo 297]

I just think it's funny that people think ANY news source is unbiased.. it's people.. people who have opinions and biases and blind spots.. watch all the news coverages you can and SOMEWHERE in the middle is the actual truth IMO.

The problem isn't bias. It's when news organizations like Fox News use their platform as a propaganda machine and the most troubling part to me is that many people who watch Fox News fail to see the difference. There is a difference between reporting news and propaganda. For example, when ABC Morning News program dedicates a 10 minute segment on an upcoming Disney film, that is propaganda. Why? Because Disney is the parent company of ABC. Now if they dedicated 10 minutes of their programming on other films not made by Disney, then it's less likely to be self promotion, but still skeptical. So when the news anchors on Fox News are supposedly reporting the news of this tea party and adding comments like, "It is my duty as a patriot, to bring attention to this...," that is blatant propaganda. We all should be concerned when major news organizations are shoveling us propaganda and pretending it as if it is news. And even more concerned when so many of the masses consume it without even knowing the difference. Scary sh!t, IMO.

propaganda or advertisement?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Steven,

They're doing what they're doing because they love their country and want to rid it of tyranny. Do you not care? Does your heart not bleed when the socialist Obama digs that knife another inch deeper into the heart of your unborn great-great-grandson? Wake up, man!

[chri'stina 190]

I personally feel most of the news has a bias. I watch CNN mostly now and I do feel they are biased towards loving Obama. So I don't really care if Fox news is the opposite. Who cares? Since none of the major news channels are being objective, they all throw in their little opinions or twists on everything. I don't care that they are covering the tea parties. It's true, other certain protests get better coverage on the other channels. No one has to watch Fox if they don't want to. I get annoyed by some of the ppl on Fox but I also get annoyed at the left wing bias I see in other channel's personalities too.

Stina, there's a difference between news bias and propaganda. Bias comes from the journalist's own viewpoint, which they can and should first be constantly aware of it with the choice of words they use, and to try and state the news with neutrality, whereas propaganda is selling or promoting a product or idea. I think the confusion comes when there is journalistic opinion as in editorial news - then the journalist is of course promoting his or her own ideas, but already with the disclaimer that they are expression their own personal opinion.

When a regular news broadcaster is giving the news about the President's new Air Force One jet, and he or she says, "A blatant misuse of taxes by Obama, the new Air Force One jet took its maiden flight today." Was that commentary or reporting the news? Do you see the difference? The news anchor didn't make a disclaimer first, "This is only my opinion, but..." That's my beef with the Fox News Channel. There is no clear cut line between report the news and opinion, which then makes it propagandist in nature.

I see that all the time in CNN's Lou Dobbs show. Any show that has tons of opinion annoys me, even if I might agree with some of the opinions. Sujeet wants to watch them sometimes he knows I'll always say, "I don't want to hear your opinions, just tell me the news".

All the channels have too much commentary and too much opinion.