I very watch Bill O'Rielly but the other night he was blaming the "liberal media" for influencing the public. But Fox News is the highest rated cable news channel And the Factor with O'Rielly is the highest rated show. So shouldn't public opinion reflect the ratings?
and always has been. I don't like them but it's what they do.
Some years ago, liberal blogger BartCop did a piece on the myth of the liberal media. It's a bit dated, but it still holds true.
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http://www.bartcop.com/libmedia.htm
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What if a show like Dateline did a "hatchet job" on George W. Bush?
It wouldn't have to really be a hatchet job, but any honest appraisal of that idiot's
qualifications would prove he's a non-thinking rich man's boy - and that's all.
But what would happen if Dateline did an unflattering portrait of Bush?
I'll tell you what would happen:
The vulgar Pigboy would spend at least three hours saying it wasn't true
and he'd offer hours of rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Bill O'Reilly would spend at least an hour on his show saying
it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Sean Hannity would walk all over Alan Colmes for an hour that night,
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Eva Von Zahn would spend at least an hour that night saying it wasn't true
and she'd offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
The Beltway Boys would spend at least an hour that night saying it
wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Brit Hume and Tony Snow would spend at least an hour on Sunday
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Juan Williams and Mara Liason would spend their entire allotted time
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
John McLaughlin would spend at least an hour on his syndicated show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Chris the Screamer would spend at least an hour on his show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
G. Gordon Liddy would spend at least three hours on his radio show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Laura the Whore would spend at least an hour on her radio show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Michael Medved would spend at least an hour on his radio show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Sam and Cokie would spend at least an hour on This Whore
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
George (Judas Maximus) Steffi and George (dumb as a chimp) Will
would spend their entire allotted time swearing that it wasn't true.
Bob Scheiffer would spend at least an hour on Face the Whore
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Tim the Catholic would spend at least an hour on Meet the Whore
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
John Hockenberry would spend at least an hour on his show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Ollie North would spend at least an hour on his radio show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Robert Novak would spend at least an hour on his cable TV show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Paul Weyrich would spend at least an hour on his cable TV show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Still with me? We're close to the end...
BSNBC's Brian Williams would spend at least an hour on his show
saying it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Wolf the Whore would spend at least an hour on his show saying
it wasn't true and offer rebuttal as to why Dateline was lying.
Bill Schneider and Candy Crowley would do an hour special on CCN
(Clinton Cock Network) saying it wasn't true, and offering rebuttal.
John Stossel would have a special on ABC: Is lying OK for liberals?
Then Howie Kurtz would spend 30 minutes on Reliable Sources asking
if the media wasn't being too hard on a developmently-disabled child.
Barbara Olson would write a book condemning Dateline.
Ann Coulter would write a book condemning Dateline.
Laura Ingraham would write a book condemning Dateline.
Peggy Noonan would write a book condemning Dateline.
Andrew Sullivan would write a book condemning Dateline.
William Safire would write a book condemning Dateline.
On and individual basis, Fox has high ratings, but that is one of many. If I recall, and this is from aged memory, Fox has a 12% share.
It is the highest, but that is against MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, PBS, Telemondo, and others.
It may have the plurality, but it is in the far minority.
Then you have to top that off against all media. The conservatives have talk radio and Fox. The Liberals have all the TV networks mentioned above, plus the NY Times, LA. TImes, SF Chronicle and the papers in Boston, NO, etc.
Topping it of further is the "non-news media" that also influences public opinion, like all to TV, moves, universities.
Thus, you can have the highest rated show and network, but still be a small minority.
fox is only one of 6 or 7 other cable news......the others -- watch Big Ed, Matthews, the entire MSNBC groupies...alll day everyday, talk for days about the 47% comment....while hardly if ever, discuss the redistribution vid.....msnbc wouldn't discuss it due to they had not independently verified authenticity..even after the White House acknowledged it.....Soledad O'brien n CNN shouting down her guest,, talking over them, screaming......tough to overcome such day after day pounding.
The others you mention require and prefer some truth while Faux has no such need for truth. They are more interested in creating sensational lies to keep their audience such as you.
Fox's opinion pieces are conservative, but can you name one knowingly false news story they name.
Dan Rather ran the story on Bush after his own network told him that the document the story was based on was "questionable." But knowing the basis of the story was probably false, he ran it anyway.
A while ago, MSNBC (I think) ran a tape of Zimmerman saying "he [Martin] looks suspicious. He's black."
It turns out they edited a section out of the tape. Between the two sentences, the dispatcher asked what the suspect looked like, and the second half was an answer.
The statement the network ran made it look like Zimmerman was saying Martin was suspicious because he was black. The real statement said no such thing. He said the person was suspicious and then he answered a question.
Now, those are two stories that the MSN ran knowing they were not accurate. Name one where Fox knowingly ran a false story. NOT A STORY THAT LATER TURNED OUT WRONG. Everyone makes mistakes. I am asking for one story where you can document, like I did, how Fox new a story was a lie.
Cognitive Dissonance is a disorder which causes one to argue both sides of the story. Mittens has the same disorder.
It is true that he has high ratings. It is true that he has a below 50% market share. It is true he is popular, and it is true he is one person in a sea of opinion.
You can state all those facts and not be arguing both sides of the same story. In any event "congative dissonence is not arguing both sides of the same story, because, in fact, many stories are not totally one sided. Therefore, it is a sign of intelligence to see other aspects.
On the other hand, congitive dissonance is holding two conflicting beliefs.
Stephen T Colbert, DFA