Fox News Channel Beats MSNBC & CNN Combined in February Ratings

[ironbear]

Oh Lord, save us from the excesses and insecurities of the party which is not in power. Thank you kindly.

 

[LKellerIII]

What's funny is how there is now a great cry about bias in the media. There was a time in this country when the accepted method was to select your media based on its bias. Col. McCormick in chicago, Hearst everywhere, Ochs in NY, Kaltenborn, Ed Murrow and Walter Winchell nationally. They all had a bias and people loved them for it. There was a balance in that if you didn't like one go to the other. I guess it became a problem within in the last fifty years when people started going into journalism to "change the world" rather than report on someone else changing it and most of the media practitioners took a left turn. What was interesting to me was I recorded newscats off of each network. Not a personality show like Hannity or King but news. I compared the two of them as to stories covered and information provided and they were virtually identical.

When there were just three evening network newscasts, there was no "balance". They all leaned to the left and hid the truth as they pleased (for the left as they still do - NBC to the extreme left today, of course). We did not have much talkradio or many other sources of information except newspapers, most of which also leaned and continue to lean to the left (the ones that haven't folded yet), so how would we know? We were in the dark. But we're smarter today thanks to cable news, talkradio and the internet.

Today we have much more information available at our fingertips from hundreds of thousands of sources. Everyone in the government is under much more scrutiny today. Deservedly so. We need even more of a microscope put on politicians and thankfully it won't be done by the "old media".

Fox News Channel has more Democrats and Independents watching it than Republicans. So all those in this thread who think it's right leaning, you are off balance yourselves. Fox News is the TRUE meaning of "fair and balanced". Embrace it and get over your own bias.

There's probably no point having this argument...people perceive bias based on their own political viewpoints. So FoxNews seems "fair and balanced" to those with conservative views, while CNN appears left-wing. Liberals see Fox as outrageously right-wing and CNN as unbiased.

My own feelings as a liberal - I perceive Fox to be on the right, and I don't think anybody is trying to hide it. Roger Ailes was the major force in the creation of FoxNews. He was a media consultant and advisor to Nixon, Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Rudy Giuliani. Ya think he might be a conservative??

Rupert Murdoch stated quite explicitly a number of times that the network was designed as a conservative alternative, and it's been very successful doing so. He's also hinted around that he's not personally as conservative as his network. Remember that Murdoch got his start with British tabloids featuring female naked boobs on the front page. The regular Fox network runs more risque and bold programming than the other 3 networks. Original FX programming features more profanity, nudity, sex, and violence than any other basic cable network.

It's all about the money, folks.

Like most liberals, you have no facts but good imagination. Now, let's talk facts:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/rich-n...ubt-about-it-all-fox-news-tipping-obama-s-way

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-bl...fox-most-fair-balanced-thus-far-prez-campaign

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-s...ton-official-fox-news-religiously-middle-road

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/02/12/hillary-suggests-fox-news-fairer-her-msnbc

Well thanks for throwing unnecessary insults around 4UH8...uh, whatever. What is incorrect about my facts? I stated that Rupert Murdoch owns other networks that run programming that is hardly in tune with much of the right-wing conservative base in this country. Are you denying that? Have you watched the Fox Netwok or FX or read one of his tabloids? Based on these facts, I stated that it's all about money, and that - at minimum - Murdoch's principles are...let's just say - flexible. I did not say he was a liberal.

As to the media in general being "pro-Obama" - yeah, no kidding...they're in love with the guy. But the news media is all about attracting audience, so they will turn on him quickly if there's a good anti-Obama story, much as they did with Bill Clinton.

I also see a fair amount of punditry the last week or so (yes, even on CNN) criticizing Obama's team (especially Geithner), and implying that they are seriously blowing it on the economy. So if you are stating seriously that CNN is some pro-Obama monolith with no opposing viewpoints, you're just wrong.

I also watch CNBC, and I can tell you that for the most part, their anchors and commentators are quite anti-Obama because they perceive him to be anti-business. Prime examples - Jim Cramer, Larry Kudlow.

I guess we'll be "taking it outside" very shortly...

 

[TexasTom]

Fox News Channel has more Democrats and Independents watching it than Republicans. So all those in this thread who think it's right leaning, you are off balance yourselves. Fox News is the TRUE meaning of "fair and balanced". Embrace it and get over your own bias.

That's simply not true -- at least not based on actual voting patterns. In both 2004 and 2008, Fox News viewers went overwhelmingly for the Republican candidate in the presidential races. While results vary by poll, one example that turned up in a quick Google search is an August 2008 poll from Rasmussen that showed McCain leading Obama by 88 to 9 percent amongst Fox viewers.

Considering the fact that polling at the time showed little support for McCain amongst Democrats and a pretty close race amongst independents, that certainly suggests that very few Democrats or independents are watching Fox News.

 

[whit979]

Well thanks for throwing unnecessary insults around 4UH8...uh, whatever. What is incorrect about my facts? I stated that Rupert Murdoch owns other networks that run programming that is hardly in tune with much of the right-wing conservative base in this country. Are you denying that? Have you watched the Fox Netwok or FX or read one of his tabloids? Based on these facts, I stated that it's all about money, and that - at minimum - Murdoch's principles are...let's just say - flexible. I did not say he was a liberal.

Good point. Murdoch is a master of filling programming voids, and has done so to huge success with Fox TV, FX, Fox News, and so on. Like FNC or not, the fact is that there's a market for it...and if Murdoch didn't jump on it, somebody else would have.

 

[LKellerIII]

Well thanks for throwing unnecessary insults around 4UH8...uh, whatever. What is incorrect about my facts? I stated that Rupert Murdoch owns other networks that run programming that is hardly in tune with much of the right-wing conservative base in this country. Are you denying that? Have you watched the Fox Netwok or FX or read one of his tabloids? Based on these facts, I stated that it's all about money, and that - at minimum - Murdoch's principles are...let's just say - flexible. I did not say he was a liberal.

Good point. Murdoch is a master of filling programming voids, and has done so to huge success with Fox TV, FX, Fox News, and so on. Like FNC or not, the fact is that there's a market for it...and if Murdoch didn't jump on it, somebody else would have.

Agreed - I have nothing against Murdoch. He's a businessman. FX has some excellent original series - his Fox Searchlight Pictures(I think NewsCorp still owns it) produce some excellent independent theatrical films.

Over the years, I've known people in the print and electronic media, and most of them have a liberal political outlook. Though I've hardly made a scientific survey, it's always seemed to me that even though they seek to be objective, their own outlook has to color their stories to some extent. So I concede that FoxNews fills a void, and that's fine.

But to say that they are more objective than other media is just not true. "Fair and balanced" is a laughable slogan. In my opinion, they are more biased than CNN, which does, in fact, include conservative pundits in their coverage. You wouldn't call Lou Dobbs liberal, would you? Or Alex Castellanos (ex-Mitt Romney advisor). There are others. At least CNN attempts balanced coverage.

Is FoxNews less biased than MSNBC is on the left? I dunno - tomato, tomahto. It's silly to argue about it.

 

[oldschooltv]

I like to watch all 3 cable newschannels - I call it my "news buffet". You need to see all 3 sides of the alleged truth before you come to a solid conclusion on what the news really is, in my opinion. I'll stop at that ;D

 

[LKellerIII]

I like to watch all 3 cable newschannels - I call it my "news buffet". You need to see all 3 sides of the alleged truth before you come to a solid conclusion on what the news really is, in my opinion. I'll stop at that ;D

Agreed...though I have to admit, MSNBC is my least favorite. As a liberal, I don't particularly need to have my world view constantly validated like a liberal version of a Limbaugh ditto-head. Though I'm capable of enjoying Olberman's rants, I generally find them too long, too strident, and just plain over the top. I know I should like Maddow, but I don't know why - I find her irritating in anything but small doses.

 

[landtuna]

I like to watch all 3 cable newschannels - I call it my "news buffet". You need to see all 3 sides of the alleged truth before you come to a solid conclusion on what the news really is, in my opinion. I'll stop at that ;D

Agreed...though I have to admit, MSNBC is my least favorite. As a liberal, I don't particularly need to have my world view constantly validated like a liberal version of a Limbaugh ditto-head. Though I'm capable of enjoying Olberman's rants, I generally find them too long, too strident, and just plain over the top. I know I should like Maddow, but I don't know why - I find her irritating in anything but small doses.

I'll also agree but add that it pays to wait several days until the entire story is reported. All too frequently the rush to beat the competition results in incomplete or erroneous stories.

As far as MSNBC goes.....they do a good job in straight news reporting but tend to get a bit crazy on political stories and interviews.

As for Keith's rants.....I haven't noticed one since Bush hopped a plane for Texas. Unless you consider his mini-rants (usually directed at his two favorite targets Billo and Comedian) but these usually last only seconds.

Also interestingly, I have come to enjoy Rachel's more easy-going style to Olbermann's bombast. But I'll also admit the bombast is the spice of life and a fix every now and then is necessary for good health.

 

[whit979]

I like to watch all 3 cable newschannels - I call it my "news buffet". You need to see all 3 sides of the alleged truth before you come to a solid conclusion on what the news really is, in my opinion. I'll stop at that ;D

Back in November/December I did what I called a 'news fast'. Very simply, I cut all news sources (print, radio, TV) out of my life completely for 30 days. For about three days I wondered what was going on in the world, then I realized that if it was important enough, I'd hear about it from other people anyway. It was arguably one of the best months of my life. Just throwing the 'news fast' idea out there as an anti-option to the 'news buffet'.

 

[Otto Maddock]

"Fair and balanced" is a laughable slogan.

Perhaps so, but no more laughable than Campbell Brown's "no bias, no bull" slogan.

 

[DToTheJ]

Does anyone know why MSNBC, outside of their live news coverage, runs their bottom-of-the-screen news scroll only during "Hardball" and not their other nightly shows?

 

[landtuna]

No, but I personally find news crawls distracting and not very informative. I'm happy they don't.

 

[LKellerIII]

No, but I personally find news crawls distracting and not very informative. I'm happy they don't.

CNN's more recent bottom-of-the-screen format (I guess you can't call it a "crawl" anymore) is much less visually distracting. If you don't like it, it's easy to ignore.

 

[landtuna]

No, but I personally find news crawls distracting and not very informative. I'm happy they don't.

CNN's more recent bottom-of-the-screen format (I guess you can't call it a "crawl" anymore) is much less visually distracting. If you don't like it, it's easy to ignore.

Agree but it is less than worthless. Never enough info and they don't seem to tie in their stories to the crawl....er, BotSF.