Rename FOX News?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

By the way, I am assuming that those of you who think it is "way slanted to the right" are refering to the commentation programs on the network. I would just point out that those commentators do not promote themselves as news reporters, but as entertainers. When it comes to simply reporting current events, I personnally find them to be pretty middle of the road.

At this moment, when I go to Breaking News | Latest News | Current News - FOXNews.com, I find the following major headlines:

- Craig Set to Quit? - Idaho governor reported set on replacement
- DEMS' DIRTY DONOR BUSTED - Top Fundraiser Arrested on Grand Theft Charge (note: caps sic)
- How to Join Al Qaeda 101
- 'Hardcore Videos Involving Babies'

and these minor headlines:

President Bush Unveils Homeowner-Aid Plan
Egyptian Students Face Explosives Charges
Warner Retiring From Senate, Hotly Contested Seat Open
Press Secretary Tony Snow Resigning Sept. 14
Gay Iowa Couple Marries, Judge Stays Ruling
Dad Who Stabbed Daughter's Alleged Molester Jailed
Michigan Serial Killer 'Nightmare Is Over'
U.S. Lawmakers' Jet Barely Evades Missiles in Iraq
Harry: Diana 'Best Mother in the World'
'Wucha Dun Did Now?': Ghetto Handbook Sparks Furor
Bomb Threats Made at 4 Ohio Stores Related to Scam
WWE Suspends 10 Wrestlers for Steroids
Police Chief Accused of Sexually Assaulting Employees
Man Kills New Wife, Self in Apparent Murder-Suicide
Actor Playing Brutus Stabs Himself in 'Julius Caesar' Play
Massive 200-Yard Spider Web Blankets Texas Park Trail

On CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News, the major headline is "Family buries second son killed in war". The minor headlines are as follows:

Nuclear aftermath: Deformity and fear
Warner to retire from Senate
Egyptian students face explosives charges
Toobin: Craig entrapment claim risky
Bush 'sadly' accepts Snow's resignation
Ticker: Karl Rove chokes up at farewell
Bush offers subprime help
Famed 'beer hunter' dies
Kroger potato salad may carry E. coli
Peace doomed without us, Hamas says
Same-sex marriages halted in Iowa
Diana recalled as princes' guardian, friend
'One more' turns into 2nd set of triplets
Police: Disney worker had baby sex pics
Couple wins lottery again -- same numbers

I don't know - do folks here see a difference in approach to what each organization considers "newsworthy"?

 

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

I remember the day that Scooter Libby was convicted. I was with several of my friends, and we were flipping channels to see who was talking about it.

Every single major cable news channel had interrupted their programming to give live coverage of the breaking event. CNN, MSNBC, Headline News, I think even Court TV had it. Every one, that is, except for one single channel: FOXNews. Not only did they not break to coverage, they didn't even mention the verdict (but, of course, they would later dishonestly claim that he was acquitted).

 

[lamplighter]

And yet the same people who own Fox News have programing like Family Guy and the Simpsons.

 

[MotoEric]

LOL, well, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

Let me ask, how do you think of Olbermann as compared to O'Reilly?

I think they are flip sides of the same coin. O'Reilly is a tad less conservative then Olbermann is liberal. O'Reilly shouts people down more than Olbermann does. Olbermann rarely has differing views on. Olbermann seems more erudite than O'Reilly. O'Reilly thinks everyone is always talking about him. Olbermann is.

I don't know, they seem about the same. But Olbermann is much more annoying to me as I can't stand smarmy, supercilious, but I have a high tolerance for belligerant, angry.

Eric

 

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

And yet the same people who own Fox News have programing like Family Guy and the Simpsons.

And yet the silence is deafening. I guess as long as its loyal followers receive their daily dose of Bread & Circus, they will continue to gorge on the steady diet of hate and misinformation.

I think they are flip sides of the same coin. O'Reilly is a tad less conservative then Olbermann is liberal. O'Reilly shouts people down more than Olbermann does. Olbermann rarely has differing views on. Olbermann seems more erudite than O'Reilly. O'Reilly thinks everyone is always talking about him. Olbermann is.

I don't know, they seem about the same. But Olbermann is much more annoying to me as I can't stand smarmy, supercilious, but I have a high tolerance for belligerant, angry.

Eric

Erm. Have you even watched these two at length?

At one point or another, I have watched an extensive number of both shows, and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is almost nothing in common between those two. Their personalities, their character, and their shows are leagues apart. Like I said, say want you want about them--it's your opinion and you're entitled to it--but at least be willing to admit their stark differences.

Final note: While Olbermann's ratings are skyrocketing, O'Reilly's ratings are dropping significantly (please forgive the obvious bias in that site, but AFAIK the numbers are right). I guess people are just getting tired of the bullcrap that "Billo" constantly slings.

 

[MotoEric]

Well, let me take a minute to clarify. I stated a few ways in which they were different. I believe that they are pretty much equally offensive, with Olbermann edging out O'Reilly due to his overly smug and smarmy manner.

I'm not a fan of O'Reilly's. Never read his books. Don't listen to his radio show. The only time I watch his tv show is while channel surfing. I certainly don't have a pro-O'Reilly point of view. That being said, Olbermann is just as bad, if not worse.

How are they similar?

Both are pedantic reactionaries who tilt considerably to one side of the political spectrum.
Both have fans who are RABID in the defense of their hero's.
Both are the 'darling' of their channels.
Neither suffer dissenting views well.
Both spend a great deal of time criticizing other media (although with Olbermann it's almost always Fox News).
Neither have ever been in my kitchen.

Eric

 

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

Well, let me take a minute to clarify. I stated a few ways in which they were different. I believe that they are pretty much equally offensive, with Olbermann edging out O'Reilly due to his overly smug and smarmy manner.

I'm not a fan of O'Reilly's. Never read his books. Don't listen to his radio show. The only time I watch his tv show is while channel surfing. I certainly don't have a pro-O'Reilly point of view. That being said, Olbermann is just as bad, if not worse.

How are they similar?

Huh. I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree. Only thing, make sure you know for certain about these two shows, not just what you've overheard or seen at a glance.

Both are pedantic reactionaries who tilt considerably to one side of the political spectrum.

I have heard O'Reilly repeatedly claim to be impartial. Even though he is anything but.
I have never once heard Olbermann make this claim. Ever.

Both have fans who are RABID in the defense of their hero's.

I'm confused. When has Olbermann shown such a thing?

Both are the 'darling' of their channels.

In terms of ratings or attention? I honestly don't know, I rarely watch MSNBC at any other time.
With Faux News, however, they also have a guy named Sean Hannity.

Neither suffer dissenting views well.

Olbermann doesn't call his opponents "pinheads" on the air.
Olbermann doesn't shout at his opponents.
Olbermann almost never calls people names except for the nutheads on Fixed News.
Olbermann doesn't have people's mics cut when he is losing a heated debate.

Bill O'Reilly has done all of the above. Many, many times.

Both spend a great deal of time criticizing other media (although with Olbermann it's almost always Fox News).

Somewhat agreed with.

Neither have ever been in my kitchen.

Eric

Try it, then. Just one time. I encourage you to watch one full episode of both shows. Just see what you find. Don't believe all of this simply because I'm saying so; observe it for yourself. Observe why I stopped watching "The O'Reilly Factor" even when I was a conservative, simply because it was too loud and blaring.

Remember, Eric, you're talking to someone who has watched hundreds of episodes of both shows. I'm no expert in assessing journalism, but I do know a thing or two about these two men.

 

[MotoEric]

I was going to respond to you point by point, but I really can't muster up the effort. I went so far as to cut and paste your post into MS Word and get started when I thought 'what the heck am I doing'.

You started by saying that we will have to agree to disagree. I will be happy to leave it at that. Let me just reiterate two points.

1) I am NOT a fan or proponent of O'Reilly's, where you seem to be a fan of Olbermann.

2) You seem to be basing your judgment of my post based on an assumption that I am not familiar with either of their shows, when I am certainly familiar with both.

In the end it's my belief that they are both biased and I hold them in pretty much equal disdain. You like Olbermann. Ok, good enough.

Eric

 

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

Heh heh, OK.

I'll leave you with this: YouTube - Keith Olbermann special comment - Sept 4th 2007

 

[MotoEric]

Heh heh, OK.

I'll leave you with this: YouTube - Keith Olbermann special comment - Sept 4th 2007

Thank you. And I will leave you with this:

Olbermann Watch - MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Lies, Damned Lies, and Olbermann | NewsBusters.org
YouTube - Keith Olbermann Lies to Excuse Rosie O'Donnell Troop Slam

and just to be 'fair and balanced' (pun intended)

[SIZE=-1]www.oreilly-sucks.com/
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWNEkE1VYz8

Again, you like Olbermann and dislike O'Reilly. I think they are both deplorable and are flip sides of the same coin.

I assume we are now both done with the topic?

Eric
[/SIZE]

 

[mcteethinator]

 

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

Thank you. And I will leave you with this:

Olbermann Watch - MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann

How come there's a huge, blank, white space in the middle of the page?

Lies, Damned Lies, and Olbermann | NewsBusters.org

This doesn't make sense. Do they simply disagree with his perspective?

YouTube - Keith Olbermann Lies to Excuse Rosie O'Donnell Troop Slam

Major strawman in the interpretation of Rosie's quote.

and just to be 'fair and balanced' (pun intended)

[SIZE=-1]www.oreilly-sucks.com/
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWNEkE1VYz8

Again, you like Olbermann and dislike O'Reilly. I think they are both deplorable and are flip sides of the same coin.

I assume we are now both done with the topic?

Eric
[/SIZE]

The thing is, both guys make mistakes. I know that. The difference is that Olbermann openly admits it--on the air, on his show. He has even nominated himself for his nightly "worst person in the world" before!

O'Reilly, by contrast, has an ego that is absurdly sensitive, and he takes constructive criticism extremely personally. Any time someone calls him out on his lies on the air, he resorts to namecalling (he LOVES the word "pinhead"), shouting, and when all else fails, cutting off their mics. Honestly, I know some kids who could act more mature than he does.

Show me one time where Olbermann has done that on his show--one single time--and I may start to reconsider my opinion.

LOL!

 

[MotoEric]

I am done with this topic. I have made my point of view clear. I dislike both O'Reilly and Olbermann. You made your point clear. You like Olbermann and dislike O'Reilly.

Got it.

Eric

 

[blackout]

I personally think it's all just a big (con)game.
This left-right left-right monkey dung slinging...
(both govt. and media)
is nothing more than "world stage" performance.
"programming"...
to keep the masses constantly divided and arguing.

Mass marketed "reality programming"...
to take the place of an open reality...
that begins from a space of "knowing thy-self"
and embracing all people.

I find all of this "screen play" to be nothing more than a divisive distraction from love and individualism and TRUE freedom. A way to keep people labeled "against" one another. A way to conjure automatic animosity between men/women. A way to keep people in (party) line, and constantly arguing! A way to keep people dependent on a system that will never do them any higher good, and keep them locked in a perpetual slavery of "faux dependence" and limited vision of possibility. (while at the same time providing an impotent illusion of "choice").
For as long as man(s)kind continues to live under/choose/conceed personal (govt/doctorinal)"rule" ,"restriction" and "author-ity"... instead of personal dynamic vision, creative cooperation and mutual respect, we will never leave this rancid warring behind. On either the personal or the large scale level.

I personally liked "faux news".
Just name it all the same and be done with it.

My personal answer?
the (permanent) off button.

 

[Mercy Not Sacrifice]

I am done with this topic. I have made my point of view clear. I dislike both O'Reilly and Olbermann. You made your point clear. You like Olbermann and dislike O'Reilly.

Got it.

Eric

Fair deal. See you around, then.