Unless you've been living with your head buried in the sand for the last 10 years or so, you've heard of it, and I would guess that with most of you the very name conjures up some intense emotion. People will go to great lengths to either defend to the death, or fervently lambast, the news giant that once proclaimed itself "America's most-watched cable news channel." Well, the same would apply to me, I would say. I love the freedom of choice with which God blesses us all - and I choose to lambast.
A relatively small part of the media juggernaut NewsCorp owned and run by Australian-born mogul Rupert Murdoch, Fox News seems to be quite the point of contention among news-junkies and the politically minded. For many, Fox News has an extreme conservative bias. For example, during the buildup to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, all of the newspapers owned by Murdoch - as well as Fox News - favored the folly. Also, I cannot turn on Fox News without hearing some derision against either the Democrats, Hollywood, or "Barack Obama and his liberal allies." However, Fox News and Murdoch himself have perpetually denied the allegations of conservative bias - or any bias at all, for that matter. (They call that covering one's ass.) For others, Fox News is the only channel that is FREE from bias, and the others all have a liberal bias. Fox's slogan, "Fair and Balanced," is obviously aimed at distinguishing itself from all the others.
I can easily say that, from my point of view, Fox News is the MOST biased mainstream news source in the United States that consistently claims to be otherwise. What frightens me, however, is that people buy it. Intelligent, rational, compassionate people. Many members of my own family - maybe even most of them - fall into this category. These are wonderful people, whom I am blessed to call my relatives. But I hate to see them fall for such a blatant hoax. I cannot even begin to understand why so many people believe this to be a legitimate news source. Not only that, but Fox News has successfully brainwashed people into believing that the OTHER GUYS are the biased ones, usually angrily and adamantly. I've even heard CNN referred to as the Clinton News Network! Now that's just funny.
I will say that I actually believe there to be some worth to Fox News yet - if only to figure out where in the hell conservatives are coming from. As a good friend of mine pointed out to me, tolerance is about striving to understand those who are different from yourself. Well, I guess then that Fox News is a great place for me to start doing some research. The channel is also pretty hilarious. I think it's a shame that "The O'Reilly Factor" and "Hannity & Colmes" lost the Best Comedy Emmy to "30 Rock" four years in a row!
There is another side to this coin, however. This is where it gets tricky. Murdoch was reported to have hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic Primaries. He also has said in an interview, in regards to his New York Post's endorsement of Barack Obama, that he did have something to do with the endorsement. "He is a rock star," he said. "It's fantastic. I love what he's saying about education. I don't think he will win Florida...but he will win in Ohio and the election. I am anxious to meet him. I want to see if he will walk the walk." Well, that's confusing. Also, many of the media outlets under the umbrella of NewsCorp. are very progressively-minded - dare I say liberal - companies. These include Fox Broadcasting Company and all its subsidiaries, 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures, FX, National Geographic and its myriad subsidiaries, and much more. Oh, what a tangled web we weave.
Perhaps the other side of the coin is a little something we in the media call RATINGS (yes, I realize I just lumped myself in with the media, haha). I don't think that this factor is considered enough. Is it possible that Fox News is just tailoring to its own niche in news, and gets consistently high ratings by perpetuating the farce? Is it possible that the farce is continued simply to get a rise out of people both from the left and the right? Maybe so, because it doesn't seem to me like Rupert Murdoch necessarily has a personal conservative bias. His politics seem to be quite the opposite. Maybe he is an amoralist with no agenda except getting more dough in his pocket, playing both sides against each other and laughing the entire time. Whoa, that's quite the accusation, Ryan.
If people actually held cold concrete proof of Fox News's bias in their hands, I would like to believe they would flee from Farce News very quickly. But, I don't think that's the case. I could be wrong, but for these people ignorance is bliss, and they'd much rather have a news network that tells them what they want to hear, and what they already believe to be true. Any news source who tells them otherwise...has a liberal bias. I mean, who wants their whole construct of reality to be turned on its head? Not me. I certainly don't desire growth or progress...none is needed.
At this point in the 'blog, I hope that you (the audience) know when I'm laying on a thick schmear of sarcasm. Remember: I report, you decide...but if you disagree with me, you are Anti-American. :)
When you say, "thick schmear of sarcasm", do you mean Einstein Bagel schmear or St. Louis Bread Co. schmear?
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