# Fox News "Fair and Balanced" - You Decide



## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

As a long time history and current events student I have been a news junkie as well. After the debut and reign of CNN, I watched quite a bit od MSNBC and Fox. After MSNBC tanked and went all out Liberal slanted, I continued on with Fox for years. In recent years I have seen Fox mislead content with article titles and present theory over factual reporting. It has been bothering me for a while.

Likely, the last straw for me was the first Presidential debate this year. It had the feel of an agenda driven presentation and not a debate of the candidate's initial message they wanted to get out to the public. Quite frankly, it pissed me off. I have often enjoyed O'Reilly, though I do not always agree with him, and Megyn Kelly. But..... Ms. Kelly (the look in her eyes) reminded me of Nancy Grace during the debate, who I despise more than I can elaborate in just a short thread on this board. Let's just say I believe this despicable woman deserves to share a jail cell with the Hildabeast.

I now get most of my newsworthy updates through various newsfeeds that I trust to report just the facts. THEN I DECIDE.

I searched GOOGLE for Fair and Balanced and came up with this - You Decide For Yourself.

"Fair and Balanced" is the slogan of Fox "Faux" News. It means that their overall quality is at best fair, and that their "news" is balanced with a strong dose of commentary, to make sure the viewer gets the talking points clearly. In reality, Fox News is about as "balanced" as Conservapedia is "trustworthy".

Fox News sees the whole media as having a liberal bias. Along with their other slogan of "We Distort, You Deride" "We Report, You Decide," Fox can give the impression that it is factual and that viewers are allowed to make up their own minds as to the political ramifications of the story in question.

As with many media outlets with a strong political view, Fox News sees the "mainstream" media as highly biased to a liberal viewpoint and even politically moderate media as liberally biased. (This is understandable, because it is almost impossible to view something as unbiased when you, yourself, have a bias. It's also difficult to recognize a bias when you actually agree with it.) It tries to counteract this perceived bias by "balancing" the news. In practice, this results in a massive swing to the political right, with Fox News being unashamedly biased towards presenting right-wing politics as good and liberal politics as the work of Satan himself. The term "Fair and Balanced" acts as a smokescreen to hide the obvious bias from its viewers.

Here is a link to articles on Fox's reporting and reporters comments on the Huffington Post. 
Fox News Fair and Balanced

Okay, now I got that off my chest. Do I feel better? Not really.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

You're a liberal!! J/K.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

James m said:


> You're a liberal!! J/K.


Naw..... just a die hard and never give up Patriot of this once great country.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I used to watch MSNBC years ago when they has Chris jansing Lester Holt, I had a mini crush on Ashleigh Banfield then she was in New York in the streets on 9/11. Then they sent her to Afghanistan. Then there was Dr. Alan Keyes who worked during the Reagan administration. And of course Imus was on MSNBC a while. They basically stopped covering what was important to me.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

But I never liked Imus.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I like some of the folks affiliated with fox. Hannity and Levin. The rest have turned into a disappointment. Especially O'Reilly and Beck. Meagan Kelly really screwed the pooch as mod in the debate. That was not fair or balanced at all...


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

I watch cspan a lot now. I no longer get fox on cable so I can't watch. I do get CNN but I only watch about political topics or coverage on the fighting.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

We got rid of the satellite dish almost three years ago. Cable doesn't come this far out.
The only TV I watch is the local news from the big city (and sometimes not even that), and once or twice a week the NBC Nightly News.

My stress level has dropped dramatically, in direct proportion to my rising sense of ease and comfort. I now find it hard to understand how I could get so wound up watching all those talking heads yelling at each other, interspersed with breathless "reporting" of the latest apocalyptic antics of either the Democrats or Republicans.

It is all garbage, the world will go on whether you watch it or not. You personally can do absolutely nothing about it.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

rice paddy daddy said:


> My stress level has dropped dramatically, in direct proportion to my rising sense of ease and comfort. I now find it hard to understand how I could get so wound up watching all those talking heads yelling at each otherQUOTE]
> 
> Thanks RPD - good advice and wise words indeed.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

I Take it all with a grain of salt.look at all the different sources and deduce from there.sooner or later,you may get some truth somewhere.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

i like a variety of sources. All have a particular slant or agenda.


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

Fox IS right leaning but I'll take that over CNN or MSNBC ... unless, of course, I'm keeping my enemies closer that day 

It's all slanted this way or that. I actually prefer local news - keep it simple with local happenings, weather and traffic.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

A Watchman said:


> As a long time history and current events student I have been a news junkie as well. After the debut and reign of CNN, I watched quite a bit od MSNBC and Fox. After MSNBC tanked and went all out Liberal slanted, I continued on with Fox for years. In recent years I have seen Fox mislead content with article titles and present theory over factual reporting. It has been bothering me for a while.
> 
> Likely, the last straw for me was the first Presidential debate this year. It had the feel of an agenda driven presentation and not a debate of the candidate's initial message they wanted to get out to the public. Quite frankly, it pissed me off. I have often enjoyed O'Reilly, though I do not always agree with him, and Megyn Kelly. But..... Ms. Kelly (the look in her eyes) reminded me of Nancy Grace during the debate, who I despise more than I can elaborate in just a short thread on this board. Let's just say I believe this despicable woman deserves to share a jail cell with the Hildabeast.
> 
> ...


You are confused and "disappointed" because you are blurring the line between news REPORTING and news COMMENTARY.

Anybody who doesn't know the vast difference between the two, is never going to be happy with the result.

Fox News REPORTS the news, then Fox News explores BOTH SIDES of an issue with conservative opinions and liberal opinions, with both sides represented by Fox-employed pundits or "guest" pundits.

THAT is, and always has been, and continues to be, the definition of "fair and balanced".

Virtually ALL of the other MAJOR news outlets, especially the alphabet networks and numerous internet "news" outlets, TELL you what THEY decide is "news", and they are experts at feeding the masses largely inaccurate "news" stories by engaging in commentary, omission of facts, and fabrications.

Fox does not engage in this sort of dishonesty and propaganda. Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity and Greta Van Sustern and the rest of the COMMENTATORS on Fox News do not PRETEND to be liberals or PRETEND to be conservatives. They state their own opinions, and they ALWAYS give ample opportunity and time to opposing opinions and viewpoints.

News. Commentary. Liberals THRIVE on blurring the line between the two, because they COUNT ON the majority of Americans to be too busy or stupid or lazy or uninterested to know the difference.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Exactly. Bill O'Reilly is NOT a journalist, does not report news.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I knocked off work early today and worked on moving some dirt into ruts on my roadside. It was a glorious Oct afternoon. When the sun started to set, I showered, ate a bit and settled in and watched some news. My stress level was so low from working on my tractor but the damn liars on the news started to get me worked up. 

As soon as Monday Night Football started I switched. I'm better when I don't watch the "news".

PS I do like to watch MSNBC Morning Joe to watch Mika get all worked up. I fantasize that her head will explode one day and I will be watching it live.


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## PatriotFlamethrower (Jan 10, 2015)

Slippy said:


> I knocked off work early today and worked on moving some dirt into ruts on my roadside. It was a glorious Oct afternoon. When the sun started to set, I showered, ate a bit and settled in and watched some news. My stress level was so low from working on my tractor but the damn liars on the news started to get me worked up.
> 
> As soon as Monday Night Football started I switched. I'm better when I don't watch the "news".
> 
> PS I do like to watch MSNBC Morning Joe to watch Mika get all worked up. I fantasize that her head will explode one day and I will be watching it live.


I'm with you, Slippy. I really don't watch Fox News hardly at all anymore. I get too stressed out over what's happening to this country.

I already know all I need to know. That is why we have been prepping for almost 8 years, and why we moved to Tennessee.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Kelly is headed for CNN...should be no shocker she is likely the most liberal of them. FOX has pundits, Hannity, ORiellly, Cavuto, etc who aren't reporters they are pundits. The Five has nice legs, usually, and it's a good show.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

When Robin Meade interviewed the protester in Ferguson with FTP written across her boobs that placed her little girl in the middle of it to use her as a political prop and called her heroic I changed to Fox and never looked back. Reuters and API are likely your best options for little or no slant. I'm going with the flag wavers every time. I also want to have Megan Kelly's baby.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I usually watch FOX during the day but they have gotten to be like the Today show on Nothing But Crap, NBC. Cooking and stupid bands etc. I'm looking for a good honest news show without the BS. So what do you guys suggest??

Now I watch ABC, All Bull Crap, from 7 - 730 AM take a shower watch Fox til 8am then switch to the Blaze. Watch that unless he's on the religion kick.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

Fox is the epitome of right leaning slant. They are quite biased. 
Nowadays you have to read multiple news streams to get a real picture of the world. Sometimes i even read AlJazeera just to see what them knuckleheads are nagging about. 

Only a robot would get all their news from fox.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Hey Ralphie my boy! Good to see you back. Any new books out?


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Anyone that takes what a MSM news sources says at face value (no matter which way they lean) is a fool. We have a lot of fools in this country.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

this was the LAST fair and balanced news cast

[video]http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/point-counterpoint-lee-marvin-and-michelle-triola/2846665[/video]


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

Arklatex said:


> I like some of the folks affiliated with fox. Hannity and Levin. The rest have turned into a disappointment. Especially O'Reilly and Beck. Meagan Kelly really screwed the pooch as mod in the debate. That was not fair or balanced at all...


Beck is actually saying he prays to G*D before his show to tell him what to do the show on and what to say.

Hannity is a red faced Irishman who wears Green, I don't agree with Green.

ETA-





They don't call us the Fighting Irish for nothing

Jeremiah visited back a long time ago, with the Coronation Stone


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## AquaHull (Jun 10, 2012)

The chair was used for David,with Jacobs Stone underneath and is still used today


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

I think FOX is the best of the bunch, but, I take them with a grain(or two) of salt.
They at least report all the news, not just what suits the administration.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 25, 2014)

They all have bias of some sort. I can honestly think of no news agency EVER that didnt lean one way or the other. 
But bias manifests itself in the press a number of ways:

1) Open bias. They just openly lean to one side like Fox (or NPR ON GUNS)

2) Coverage bias. They simply do not report on events or topics that are contrary to their bias.

3) Concealed bias. This is the most common form, the paper will report on an article because it cant get out of it, but they make it page 3. Any further updates to the case get buried even deeper, or ignored entirely. An example would be mass murders stopped short by armed citizens. If you believed the press then you would think it never happens.

4) If it bleeds it leads. This is the CNN mantra. They avoid most bias by focusingon flashy, hot button issues. All flash, little substance

5) Poison bias. This was common during the Gw Bush years. The press loved to spice a story up (or poison it) by mentionig Bush or his administration (even if it had nothing to do with the white house.) It was magical, the way it set off liberals every time they peppered an article with the words "Bush administration..."


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## Billy Roper (Oct 5, 2015)

They all, yes, including Fox, are owned or controlled by the same tribe with the same tribal group adaptive survival strategy which necessitates dispossessing us and making our descendants minorities.


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## oldgrouch (Jul 11, 2014)

I really, really like Levin. I can not stand Hannity because he invites guests on his program and then talks over them -- giving them little opportunity to explain positions or answer questions. My wife, Mrs. Grouch, listens to Savage. He is just a bit to far out for me. We generally stay tuned to FOX but they really lowered the bar when they hooked up with Geraldo. Bill O is a blowhard and I usually turn him off to read for an hour. I have no plans to waste my time on CNN or MSNBC. You just have to read between the lines and figure out the various agendas.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

I am not convince that fair and balanced has ever been achieved more consistantly than unfair and unbalanced.

When it is unfair and unbalaced, at least you know how to take it.


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