posted on April 21, 2003 01:48:33 PM new
::but I do disagree that patriotism is akin to religion. ::
I did not mean to aapply that patriotism is like a religion, I was stating that it has similar attributes, benefits and can suffer from simillar abuses.
::I don't think I have called anyone a 'commie' here on this board, or anywhere else online or in RL. I have never called anyone 'anti American' either. I may have thought 'anti American' at times... but unless you can read minds.... ::
Now see - I went and carefully included that disclaimer all for naught.
posted on April 21, 2003 05:20:17 PM new
msincognito - I couldn't disagree more with these statements of yours:
The trouble with Fox News is that - while it's hired a lot of good journalists - it ruthlessly supresses any info that doesn't fit into its pre-conceived notion of what's going on. And that notion is usually built around conservative ideology, gussied up in patriotic garb. Might be your opinion, but you have no 'proof' Fox News supresss any info.... NO, it's just your opinion. An opinion, that the numbers prove is wrong. And while the 'lefties' just can't stand it when American's cheer for their country, cheer for their armed forces. They can't stand it that the majority of American's feel a positive about how things in Afghanistan and Iraq have worked out - well - not like all the left's predictions. They just can't stand that Bush has the support for his 'war on terrorism'. Drives them nuts.
People who don't understand news find a consistent "message" comforting - at least, until they think about it - and let's be frank, people don't like to think about it that much. That, I suspect, is why Fox has spiked in the ratings. Oh, because people don't think like you do, then it's because they just don't like to think much. That's funny. IMO, it's because people appreciate hearing the news, often reported first on Fox News before the other news services have reported it, in a pro-American way. It's my opinion that people have grown very weary of listing to the 'sky is falling' group of reporters. The 'gloom and doom' group. Those who are constantly critical of this administration. When the majority of the country support the President's actions...it's tiresome to continue to listen to those anchors who just *know* everything horrible is going to happen. Been proven wrong time and time again, but still keep chugging along.
Whatever they're doing....it's working.
The question is not what a man can scorn, or disparage, or find fault with, but what he can love, and value, and appreciate. J. Ruskin
posted on April 22, 2003 03:45:34 PM newLinda, My impression that Fox News surpresses news was formed during the Florida election scandal, which provided the network's first big surge in ratings.
I live in Florida. Furthermore, I know many of the players (mostly bit players, a few names you might recognize) in the entire sorry mess first-hand. I watched literally thousands of hours of TV coverage and scanned 10 or more state newspapers every day as part of what was then my job.
All the national media outlets got details wrong, understandably so, because they didn't have the background on Florida's political system or history. (A digression: One of the early victims of that was Katherine Harris. I would never vote for her, but the vicious image portrayed nationally had little grounding in reality. The idea that she and Gov (Jeb) Bush were anything but politically aligned is downright laughable. In fact, one of his closest allies is one of Harris's biggest political enemies. Obviously, this was not one of the mistakes I attribute to Fox. The Washington Post and Newsweek were probably more at fault in perpetrating that image.)
Fox's mistakes and misstatements went far beyond the understandable blunders of inexperience. They were quick to report any rumor that even tangentially supported their slant, but got "beaten" several times because they ignored valid leads being developed by other networks and (most often) Florida's daily newspapers because they favored Democrats. When those leads were taken up, it was often in a belittling "news on the news" sense that tried to undermine the credibility of the media outlet that originally published the report.
Currently, consumer affairs is a big weak spot for them - though they do go out of their way to report on what they consider "ridiculous" lawsuits, like the fat guy who sued McDonalds. The massive tobacco and Microsoft lawsuits got short shrift on Fox, and most of the "coverage" came from commentators who went on and on about how bad this was for Americans. I've watched one "special" and several news reports about medical malpractice reform and each has omitted and misrepresented significant elements of the debate.
All you have to do is compare their coverage to other networks and newspapers, and the gaps become quickly apparent.
[ edited by msincognito on Apr 22, 2003 03:47 PM ]
posted on April 22, 2003 04:16:11 PM new
Thank you for the further clarification.
All you have to do is compare their coverage to other networks and newspapers, and the gaps become quickly apparent.
Somehow I'm getting the 'feeling' that you think, or have formed the opinion, that I ONLY watch Fox News. That is not correct. I, too, am an avid reader and read several online news sites, most everyday. And I do alternate watching CNN and MSNBC, I just prefer Fox News. Each offers their own style of reporting.
Because one forms a different opinion doesn't mean one is not well read or informed by multiple sources.
The question is not what a man can scorn, or disparage, or find fault with, but what he can love, and value, and appreciate. J. Ruskin
posted on April 22, 2003 06:17:05 PM new
I think it's good to also read or somehow understand blatant ‘’’’radically opposing views’’’ in order to gain full awareness and 'balance'. Access to more information does enable us to assess the truth for ourselves. Although that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are always capable of deciphering the truth through the often subtly bias representations made by various media or even our own often subtle biases.
I just got an email link to this conservative ‘’love ballad”.
If you’ve only got a 56K modem it may approx. 5Min to load.
http://www.zen15631.zen.co.uk/bb.mpg
I though some of you might like to share it with me.
E-mail it to your friends.
