White House Attacks Fox News

[BLAZER PROPHET]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/12/white-house-escalates-war-words-fox-news/

Here is an interesting quote from the article:

As for Dunn's complaint about Fox News' coverage of the Obama campaign, a study by the Pew Research Center showed that 40 percent of Fox News stories on Obama in the last six weeks of the campaign were negative. Similarly, 40 percent of Fox News' stories on Obama's Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, were negative.

On CNN, by contrast, there was a 22-point disparity in the percentage of negative stories on Obama (39 percent) and McCain (61 percent). The disparity was even greater at MSNBC, according to Pew, where just 14 percent of Obama stories were negative, compared to a whopping 73 percent of McCain stories -- a spread of 59 points.

The Pew Research Center has always done, IMHO, a good job of polling and 'research'. http://pewresearch.org/

 

[barfo]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/12/white-house-escalates-war-words-fox-news/

Here is an interesting quote from the article:

As for Dunn's complaint about Fox News' coverage of the Obama campaign, a study by the Pew Research Center showed that 40 percent of Fox News stories on Obama in the last six weeks of the campaign were negative. Similarly, 40 percent of Fox News' stories on Obama's Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, were negative.

On CNN, by contrast, there was a 22-point disparity in the percentage of negative stories on Obama (39 percent) and McCain (61 percent). The disparity was even greater at MSNBC, according to Pew, where just 14 percent of Obama stories were negative, compared to a whopping 73 percent of McCain stories -- a spread of 59 points.

The Pew Research Center has always done, IMHO, a good job of polling and 'research'. http://pewresearch.org/

So the question to answer, I guess, is what is the right percentage of negative stories about Obama, and what is the right percentage of negative stories about McCain? Should they be the same number? Or different?

barfo

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

was watching CNN at the gym...they were talking about Fox News.

 

[maxiep]

I never thought the Obama Administration would use the Nixon Administration as an example of how to treat the media. So much for transparency.

 

[PapaG]

I never thought the Obama Administration would use the Nixon Administration as an example of how to treat the media. So much for transparency.

To be fair, Nixon never actually included portions of the media to his enemies list. We're all treading new ground here. The White House is basically trying to publically discredit the #1 cable news network by appearing in the #2 cable news network.

 

[maxiep]

To be fair, Nixon never actually included portions of the media to his enemies list. We're all treading new ground here. The White House is basically trying to publically discredit the #1 cable news network by appearing in the #2 cable news network.

He also kept his enemies list secret, at least until the tapes came out. The NYT and WP were on the list.

 

[maxiep]

I wonder what the outcry would have been if the Bush Administration would have actively boycotted MSNBC?

 

[PapaG]

I wonder what the outcry would have been if the Bush Administration would have actively boycotted MSNBC?

Any thought of Obama being a "uniter" is complete bullshit at this point. He's hanging on by a thread, and the dollar is about to tank. His incompetence as a leader is astounding (and outstanding).

 

[barfo]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/12/white-house-escalates-war-words-fox-news/

I love it that on a story about whether fox news is biased, your sole source is fox news.

barfo

 

[PapaG]

I love it that on a story about whether fox news is biased, your sole source is fox news.

barfo

Actually, the story was about the White House accusing Fox News of being biased, not about whether or not Fox News is biased.

 

[maxiep]

Any thought of Obama being a "uniter" is complete bullshit at this point.

I disagree. He's doing one hell of a job uniting the loyal opposition.

He's hanging on by a thread, and the dollar is about to tank. His incompetence as a leader is astounding (and outstanding).

The decline of the USD as the de facto world currency is the biggest story being ignored right now. If people don't use the dollar as a safe haven, we're going to see an overnight drop in our standard of living. Think of other countries as our personal VISA card and it's been our habit to run an increasing credit balance month after month. One day, they not only tell us our credit is cut off, but we must repay it in short order.

In his short time in office, President Obama has been the worst president in my lifetime. He still has time to turn it around and I hope he does. However, he needs to come to the same realization Bill Clinton came to in 1993. I'm not sure he's capable of that kind of personal reflection.

 

[maxiep]

I love it that on a story about whether fox news is biased, your sole source is fox news.

barfo

Funny, I thought it was Pew Research. Does the fact the study was quoted by FOX make it biased?

 

[barfo]

Actually, the story was about the White House accusing Fox News of being biased, not about whether or not Fox News is biased.

It's true, there's no question about whether fox news is biased.
Still, using fox as the source for the story isn't exactly fair and balanced. Fox might not be entirely objective about this story.

barfo

 

[barfo]

Funny, I thought it was Pew Research. Does the fact the study was quoted by FOX make it biased?

No, but the Pew research study was not the entirety, or even the majority, of the linked article.

barfo

 

[maxiep]

It's true, there's no question about whether fox news is biased.
Still, using fox as the source for the story isn't exactly fair and balanced. Fox might not be entirely objective about this story.

barfo

Actually, there's no question the FOX opinion shows are biased. I have yet to see a report that says FOX news is biased. In fact, I've seen reports that they actually are "fair and balanced".

 

[maxiep]

No, but the Pew research study was not the entirety, or even the majority, of the linked article.

barfo

It was the important bit, wouldn't you agree?

 

[PapaG]

It's true, there's no question about whether fox news is biased.

True, but then that means every network using human beings is biased. So that's the starting point. Is Chris Matthews biased? Is Keith Olberman biased?

Still, using fox as the source for the story isn't exactly fair and balanced. Fox might not be entirely objective about this story.

barfo

Why? Are you saying Fox News is lying about the statistics they quoted? If so, which news source would you trust to provide linked statistics?

 

[barfo]

It was the important bit, wouldn't you agree?

No, I don't think so. It was an interesting bit, but it actually isn't the story.

barfo

 

[PapaG]

No, I don't think so. It was an interesting bit, but it actually isn't the story.

barfo

The story is the White House calling out Fox News for being biased, not whether or not Fox News is biased. That's the news, regardless of the source.

 

[barfo]

True, but then that means every network using human beings is biased. So that's the starting point. Is Chris Matthews biased? Is Keith Olberman biased?

I would say yes and yes based on what I've read, but I haven't seen enough of either of them to really form an opinion for myself.

Why? Are you saying Fox News is lying about the statistics they quoted? If so, which news source would you trust to provide linked statistics?

It isn't that I'm saying they are lying about the things they did present, but that they may have been selective about the things they presented. Generally speaking, it isn't a great idea to ask one of the two people getting a divorce whose fault the divorce is. Those involved are not likely to have an unbiased view.

barfo

 

[PapaG]

I would say yes and yes based on what I've read, but I haven't seen enough of either of them to really form an opinion for myself.

So, do you watch enough Fox News to form an opinion on that network?

It isn't that I'm saying they are lying about the things they did present, but that they may have been selective about the things they presented. Generally speaking, it isn't a great idea to ask one of the two people getting a divorce whose fault the divorce is. Those involved are not likely to have an unbiased view.

barfo

Is being selective unique to Fox News? Did you follow the link they provided to the Pew poll?

 

[barfo]

So, do you watch enough Fox News to form an opinion on that network?

Only based on what I read. I very rarely watch Fox News. (or any other tv news).

Is being selective unique to Fox News?

No. If a news story involved NBC, I wouldn't expect them to be unbiased about it either.

Did you follow the link they provided to the Pew poll?

I didn't, but I'm ok with the summary as provided, I have no reason to doubt it. I'm still waiting for an answer to the questions about it I posed in post #2 of this thread, however.

barfo

 

[PapaG]

Only based on what I read. I very rarely watch Fox News. (or any other tv news).

Conversely, do you watch enough MSNBC to form an opinion on their bias?

 

[barfo]

Conversely, do you watch enough MSNBC to form an opinion on their bias?

No, probably I've seen even less of MSNBC than Fox. But it sounds as if they are the anti-Fox, i.e. biased in the opposite direction? I've seen a couple of clips of Olberman ranting. Other than that I don't know much about what they broadcast.

barfo

 

[PapaG]

No, probably I've seen even less of MSNBC than Fox. But it sounds as if they are the anti-Fox, i.e. biased in the opposite direction? I've seen a couple of clips of Olberman ranting. Other than that I don't know much about what they broadcast.

barfo

So ... why the posts in this thread?

 

[maxiep]

I'm still waiting for an answer to the questions about it I posed in post #2 of this thread, however.

barfo

Is that question even answerable? No one save for the two candidates' offices would know if the coverage was fair, and even they'll only know one side. I think it's safe to assume, however, in an election that absent a huge scandal, the positive and negative coverage of each candidate should be equal. The straight news press is there to inform, not to campaign. That's the job for the editorial boards of the news divisions.

 

[barfo]

So ... why the posts in this thread?

Which one(s) do you object to based on my lack of viewership?

barfo

 

[PapaG]

Which one(s) do you object to based on my lack of viewership?

barfo

The original one in which you misrepresented the reason for the article.

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

 

[maxiep]

No, probably I've seen even less of MSNBC than Fox. But it sounds as if they are the anti-Fox, i.e. biased in the opposite direction? I've seen a couple of clips of Olberman ranting. Other than that I don't know much about what they broadcast.

barfo

I used to love MSNBC. I thought they were fair and offered a wide range of opinion with thoughtful guests. The problem was they were getting crushed by CNN and FOX. So they rushed to occupy the left side of the spectrum, trying to become an alternative to FOX. The problem for them is they're still getting crushed and their act is coloring the perception of NBC News, something Tom Brokaw complained about.

I still don't think either NBC or MSNBC has ever recovered from Tim Russert's death.