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[woodsworth]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

No, it didn’t. Because Fox News isn’t North Korea. and every news source including the august New York Times, as well as state media like NPR or the BBC, is extremely biased. Mainstream news is no more objective than Fox based on what I’ve seen. NBC/CBS/CNN have the fancier brand but I’d say the bias levels are roughly equal, with mainstream being morally inferior due to how often they side with the most powerful elements in our society (the federal government and giant corporations). What you think is objective is actually far from it.

Completely agree.

I always find it humorous when people put state news like NPR/BBC on a pedestal saying it is as objective as objective gets. I can think of 10 stories that prove otherwise and I am not even a consumer of those networks.

Objectivity is a thing of the past. People generally want to read/watch media that bolsters their own biases, subconsciously or not. The Rittenhouse trial (not sure if I am allowed to be this specific on TRF) is a prime example of this. NPR couldn't mention his name without saying "far-right" right after.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by brandrea

Now we’re getting somewhere.

Is there any news outlet that reports on just the facts without political or corporate bias? I suppose not.

Well since the news as they still call it is market and dollar driven it’s geared more towards what the viewer wants to hear and not that idealistic fair and balanced approach that was regulated decades ago.

Good luck with that.

[JoeJoeBobo]

Originally Posted by dddrees

Well since the news as they still call it is market and dollar driven it’s geared more towards what the viewer wants to hear and not that idealistic fair and balanced approach that was regulated decades ago.

Good luck with that.

I disagree. I think most of it’s driven to what corporations and the government want you to believe then can get you to believe. Like a bunch of good little consumers.

[Star Ferry]

Originally Posted by woodsworth

Completely agree.

I always find it humorous when people put state news like NPR/BBC on a pedestal saying it is as objective as objective gets. I can think of 10 stories that prove otherwise and I am not even a consumer of those networks.

Objectivity is a thing of the past. People generally want to read/watch media that bolsters their own biases, subconsciously or not. The Rittenhouse trial (not sure if I am allowed to be this specific on TRF) is a prime example of this. NPR couldn't mention his name without saying "far-right" right after.

Without mentioning any specific stories, I’ve lost count of how many times Fox and the New York Post reported a story, were then lambasted by mainstream media for unverified (because only the folks in charge can verify facts, apparently) “conspiracy theories” that eventually turned out to be true. And the mainstream media never apologizes or admits they were wrong.

If Dan is afraid of America becoming North Korea, then one of the fastest ways to get there would be to eliminate Fox News and News Corporation generally. They’re the oppositional voice that takes an antagonistic stance toward the established power structure. They serve an important role in calling out behaviors and issues that nearly everyone else ignores. Do they sometimes veer into untrue conspiracies? Yes, but I can hardly blame them, given how often yesterday’s “conspiracy theory” and “hate speech!” becomes tomorrow’s cold hard fact.

[Kinnakeet]

I’ve come to like FOX news. Enjoyable format.

[Blansky]

I think we have to step back and get a bigger picture of what we're really talking about here. Firstly news companies are commercial enterprises and they really ONLY care about money and profit. So they know they have to get eyeballs on the screens and to do that they have to use the age old tools of sex and death, two of the motivating factors in human behavior. "It bleeds it leads" has been the mantra since news and communication began. And sex is always basic titillation.

These days the name of the game is fear. (death) and almost ALL stories are fear based, and they all cash in on it.

Another factor is if you studied most countries, around 40% of people lean conservative and 40% lean liberal. And studies have been done that say that this isn't an accident, its actually how our brains are wired. Which is probably why both sides have a difficult time trying to convince the others side of the legitimacy of their points.

And we also find that cities are generally more liberal than rural places possibly just due to more interaction with other people than what rural places are exposed to.

So in all this messy human experience we have companies trying to not only exploit these differences but in the last few years, they have people that have weaponized the differences. (conflict entrepreneurs)

Every side has their daily fear based broadcasts and when we add into that the human nature of confirmation bias, we are left with what we have today. And mix in a few million misinformation bots coming from other countries trying to spread chaos on social media and we are now at each others throats.

I've always said that I could spend an hour with my counter part on any issue and we could come up with a compromise that would be acceptable to both of us. But all the screaming and muck thrown from the sidelines these days I wonder if that's possible anymore.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by JoeJoeBobo

I disagree. I think most of it’s driven to what corporations and the government want you to believe then can get you to believe. Like a bunch of good little consumers.

Well there very well may be elements of both. But when news became more focused on the almighty dollar it became nothing more than any other TV Show and all TV shows rise and fall based on their ratings and their viewers.

That is unless in my opinion you don't think people are capable of being responsible for what they do and don't watch.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

Without mentioning any specific stories, I’ve lost count of how many times Fox and the New York Post reported a story, were then lambasted by mainstream media for unverified (because only the folks in charge can verify facts, apparently) “conspiracy theories” that eventually turned out to be true. And the mainstream media never apologizes or admits they were wrong.

If Dan is afraid of America becoming North Korea, then one of the fastest ways to get there would be to eliminate Fox News and News Corporation generally. They’re the oppositional voice that takes an antagonistic stance toward the established power structure. They serve an important role in calling out behaviors and issues that nearly everyone else ignores. Do they sometimes veer into untrue conspiracies? Yes, but I can hardly blame them, given how often yesterday’s “conspiracy theory” and “hate speech!” becomes tomorrow’s cold hard fact.

They don't serve anyone or even close to being good for anyone's society when such a vast amount of what they do is fantasy and isn't based or grounded in the truth.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by dddrees

Well there very well may be elements of both. But when news became more focused on the almighty dollar it became nothing more than any other TV Show and all TV shows rise and fall based on their ratings and their viewers.

I think it's pretty easy to see that in the meetings at CBS to monetize the news under the entertainment division, plus the advent of CNN all news all the time in 1980 and then the progressions to Murdoch's Fox News with a "conservative" bias that all these companies basically just devised ways to be as controversial as possible.

They only had to look at wrestling and football as the cash cows that emotionally pitted one side against the other and the profit that ensued.

Unfortunately they treat news as sport and laugh all the way to the bank, not caring that it has real consequences for real people when their lives are treated as sport.

[JoeJoeBobo]

The advent of the current news narrative may have inadvertently begun on MTV (Real World) and CBS (Survivor) with reality TV which is anything but reality.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by JoeJoeBobo

The advent of the current news narrative may have inadvertently begun on MTV (Real World) and CBS (Survivor) with reality TV which is anything but reality.

Sensationalism works.

I think Oj Simpson showed us that.

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by Star Ferry

Without mentioning any specific stories, I’ve lost count of how many times Fox and the New York Post reported a story, were then lambasted by mainstream media for unverified (because only the folks in charge can verify facts, apparently) “conspiracy theories” that eventually turned out to be true. And the mainstream media never apologizes or admits they were wrong.

If Dan is afraid of America becoming North Korea, then one of the fastest ways to get there would be to eliminate Fox News and News Corporation generally. They’re the oppositional voice that takes an antagonistic stance toward the established power structure. They serve an important role in calling out behaviors and issues that nearly everyone else ignores. Do they sometimes veer into untrue conspiracies? Yes, but I can hardly blame them, given how often yesterday’s “conspiracy theory” and “hate speech!” becomes tomorrow’s cold hard fact.

Beautifully, written and right on the mark.

"And the mainstream media never apologizes or admits they were wrong."

Ethically speaking, they should apologize, but they have accomplished their goal and the damage is done. A one inch retraction on page 13, even if they retract at all, goes completely unnoticed by the majority.

Free and open discussion is anathema to a large portion of the country and anything that opposes their dogma drives them to streets to wreak havoc on the rest of us.

And that's the way it is, Sunday, October 16th, 2022.