Fox News Channel: Bad for Children and Other Living Things

[pax]

My father is obsessed with watching the war coverage on FNC. He puts it on as soon as he gets home from work and watches it until he goes to bed, unless my stepmother and I intervene for an hour or so. I say this so no one can tell me that I don't like FNC just because of who is on it, or because of what the people at Salon say about it or something. I have actually watched FNC war coverage at great length.

That said: FNC disgusts me. The fact that they're using Newt Gingrich and Oliver North as commentators should tell you something right off the bat. I think they are among the worst examples of propagandistic, jingoistic, pro-war, pro-Bush journalism there is. "Fair" and "accurate" my ass.

I'm not saying that I love CNN or ABC or any other news coverage out there. I think a lot of the war journalists strike me as self-aggrandizing and sensationalistic. But I am calling out FNC as among the worst. And to tell you the truth, I get most of my news from FYM these days--because at least here I know I will get every conceivable side of the story (sometimes ad nauseam, but that's okay. )

Okay, conservatives, take your shots. I've said my peace.

 

[Scarletwine]

I couldn't agree more. It's the most biased reporting around. Oli North, you've got to be kidding? Murdock wouldn't allow anything else.

MSNBC must be trying to compete for the same audiences. They just hired Michael Savage for an hour show. Here are some of his quotes:

Savage routinely refers to non-white countries as "turd world nations" and charges that the U.S. "is being taken over by the freaks, the cripples, the perverts and the mental defectives"(San Francisco Bay Guardian, 9/20/00).
In a recent broadcast he justified ethnic slurs as a national security tool: "We
need racist stereotypes right now of our enemy in order to encourage our warriors to kill the enemy," he explained (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/6/03).

"Turd world" immigrants are a frequent target of Savage's anger: "You open the door to them, and the next thing you know, they are defecating on your country and breeding out of control" (Oregonian, 4/24/02).

At times Savage's arguments echo the conspiratorial scapegoating of the white supremacist movement: "With the [Latino] population that has emerged, since they breed like rabbits, in many cases the whites will become a minority in
their own nation... The white people don't breed as often for whatever reason. I guess many homosexuals are involved. That is also part of the grand plan, to push homosexuality to cut down on the white race" (San Francisco Bay Guardian, 9/20/00).

Commenting on the "Million Mom March" in favor of gun control (which he dubbed the "Million Dyke March"), he dismissed organizers' reference to American children killed by guns (5/15/00): "They're not kids, they're ghetto slime... they're the same kids that are in Sierra Leone toting AK47s."

I find this kind of hatemongering very offensive.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Shepard Smith really SCARES me-he is one of the most frightening people on TV

 

[verte76]

Yuck! I'm not liking these journalists either. I just don't like their take on things.......not fair to me.

 

[nbcrusader]

I can't leave any Fox channel on with children in the house. Even during football season, I need to be ready to change the channel in case they start promoting one of the Fox shows.


And does this really surprise us? From the network that brought us multiple episodes of "When Animals Attack"........

 

[Kristie]

I was watching the Daily Show on Comedy Central the other day, and Jon Stewart was talking about Iraqi tv.. he said "Imagine, a government having an entire station to promote their own agenda!" and then it cut to the Fox News intro.

I laughed so hard my roomie thought there was something wrong with me.

 

[Dreadsox]

I am proud to say I have not once, turned on the FOX News Station. I spend more time reading articles out here, and in FYM than I do looking at the TV.

 

[pax]

Wow, no FNC fans here?

::applauds FYM enthusiastically::

 

[The Wanderer]

well, to be fair, come up with some specific examples where they are not "fair" or "accurate"

 

[MadelynIris]

I love Fox news. Applaud that.

 

[pax]

No.

 

[baener]

Protesters Demand FOX News be accountable to the public
by Camille Sauv? Thursday April 03, 2003 at 05:03 PM


Over 70 people protested in front of Fox News' Battery Street Station to demand that Fox tell the truth about the human toll of the Iraq war and not rely solely on official sources or their supporters for information


fox_battery.jpg, image/jpeg, 576x432

Over 70 people protested in front of Fox News' Battery Street Station to condemn Fox's coverage of the Iraq war claiming that Fox is a voicebox for Pentagon propaganda, excludes anti-war voices and doesn't show the tragic human toll on Iraqi civilians.

Protesters also demanded that Fox give Geraldo, Bill O'Reilly and Oliver North pink slips for their irresponsible, jingoistic and threatening commentary (O'Reilly recently said protesters were terrorist and should be locked-up for a long time). Women from Code Pink next took off their pink slips with the names of the offending "journalist" and tossed the lingerie outside of the stations doors.

Code Pink then attempted to get a representative from Fox to come down and receive a list of their suggestions for responsible journalism, including a college news reporting textbook to learn the basics. Fox did not respond with a representative.

 

[80sU2isBest]

I love Fox news, also.

 

[The Wanderer]

(O'Reilly recently said protesters were terrorist and should be locked-up for a long time)

this is a flat out lie

 

[brettig]

oops

 

[brettig]

Fox News is the News equivalent of Britney Spears, NSync or the Backstreet Boys. Cookie cutter news made to order for the right of centre demographic/marketshare. In that sense it has very little credibility - Fox News isn't really 'news' at all, just 'product'.

 

[The Wanderer]

bre, do that again in 10 minutes!

 

[diamond]

Fox News is not for the weakminded.

thank u
diamond
xxox

 

[pax]

Some of us
might call that
open
minded

thank
u

p
a
x

 

[baener]

On a recent edition of his nightly program, O'Reilly said that "Once the war against Saddam Hussein begins, we expect every American to support our military, and if you can't do that, just shut up. Americans, and indeed our foreign allies who actively work against our military once the war is underway, will be considered enemies of the state by me.

"Just fair warning to you, Barbra Streisand and others who see the world as you do. I don't want to demonize anyone, but anyone who hurts this country in a time like this, well, let's just say you will be spotlighted. 'Talking Points' invites all points of view and believes vigorous debate strengthens the country, but once decisions have been made and lives are on the line, patriotism must be factored in."

 

[The Wanderer]

so where's the bits about terrorists and being locked-up?

 

[womanfish]

Let me set something straight here about FoxNews. People say it's bias and they don't report the real facts fair and balanced. But I must disagree.

People have to seperate "Talk News Shows" from the rest of the actual reporting news.

O'Reilly may be a jackass most of the time, but it's his show, his opinion. Same goes for shows like Hannity and Colmes. That is when you will see news items discussed in a biased manner. It would be like tuning into a radio talk show to get the news. You just don't do that. You understand that it's a "show" where opinions will be voiced, not just straight reporting. But when it comes to reporting the news with their main reporters and reporters in the field they aren't much more bias or less bias than any other station out there in the U.S.

And I saw the show where O'Reilly discussed the bill that some people in Oregon were trying to pass about arresting protestors as "terrorists" with the possibility of a life term. O'Reilly flatly said that it was written too broadly and the consequences were "over the top" He said that he thought that if a protester assaulted a police officer they should get more than a misdemeanor public nuisance charge.

 

[brettig]

Of course the reports will have a veneer of balance but it doesn't change the nature of Fox News' inception, namely its founding with a conciously intentional slant to the right!

 

[MadelynIris]

Of course the reports will have a veneer of balance but it doesn't change the nature of Fox News' inception, namely its founding with a conciously intentional slant to the right!

and hence it's lead in the ratings and rapid growth!

Yay Fox!

 

[sue4u2]

I watch them all at various times, If I don't like the coverage on one I change to another. If they are not making any sense I get on the computer and look around. Not one of the stations have I ever presumed to be the most accurate. They get misinformed just like we do. Make shit up when nothing else is going on. Most time one just has to wait it out - to get the real story.

 

[YellowKite]

I was watching the Daily Show on Comedy Central the other day, and Jon Stewart was talking about Iraqi tv.. he said "Imagine, a government having an entire station to promote their own agenda!" and then it cut to the Fox News intro.

I laughed so hard my roomie thought there was something wrong with me.

Exactly!!! My best friend agree that right now that the most insightful "news" is coming from The Daily Show staff.

 

[womanfish]

I SO miss the Daily Show.

 

[pax]

Of course the reports will have a veneer of balance but it doesn't change the nature of Fox News' inception, namely its founding with a conciously intentional slant to the right!

Which is exactly what ethical, responsible journalism should NOT stand for.

 

[verte76]

Which is exactly what ethical, responsible journalism should NOT stand for.

I agree. There is going to be a "point of view" expressed anywhere. It doesn't have to be so painfully obvious.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I was watching the Daily Show on Comedy Central the other day, and Jon Stewart was talking about Iraqi tv.. he said "Imagine, a government having an entire station to promote their own agenda!" and then it cut to the Fox News intro.

damn i wish i saw that.