# Fox News Channel is not biased **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 20, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089 "2005-06-20T18:14:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/41 "2005-06-20T23:51:29Z")
Fox is biased. It is indeed biased towards the right, especially in its commentary programs. This is not a bad thing in and of itself–I generally find myself switching between Fox and MSNBC when I am home to watch the news. I think I said once that, if I’m going to have the TV on the background, the schedule looks like this: Special Report with Brit Hume or The News Hour With Jim Lehrer: Both good programs for news, but I’m more likely to watch the first half of the News Hour and the second half of Special Report, because I like the panel discussion that’s on every night on Special Report. Hardball with Chris Matthews or The Fox Report with Shepherd Smith: I generally watch Hardball, unless Matthews is talking with someone I’m not interested in, then I switch it over the the Fox Report. Both have a mixture of news and commentary. Countdown with Keith Olberman: A mixture of news and commentary. The new Tucker Carlson show: Haven’t seen it yet, but I intend to sometime. Scarborough Country: Pretty much pure commentary. So that’s what I watch. I also read at least the headlines and the editorial pages of the local paper, the NY Times, the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, and the Washington Post every day, as well as scanning Fark, Slashdot, the SDMB, [cnn.com](http://cnn.com), [msnbc.com](http://msnbc.com), [foxnews.com](http://foxnews.com), and sometimes something else. Personally, I think that if you turn on the news at 1 PM to any of the cable channels, you’ll get essentially the same story. There may be a different take on it, but there’s generally not as much commentary. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/42 "2005-06-20T23:57:59Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > I think I said once that, if I’m going to have the TV on the background, the schedule looks like this: > > Special Report with Brit Hume or The News Hour With Jim Lehrer: Both good programs for news, but I’m more likely to watch the first half of the News Hour and the second half of Special Report, because I like the panel discussion that’s on every night on Special Report. > Hardball with Chris Matthews or The Fox Report with Shepherd Smith: I generally watch Hardball, unless Matthews is talking with someone I’m not interested in, then I switch it over the the Fox Report. Both have a mixture of news and commentary. > Countdown with Keith Olberman: A mixture of news and commentary. > The new Tucker Carlson show: Haven’t seen it yet, but I intend to sometime. > Scarborough Country: Pretty much pure commentary. I think I said the exact same thing once! Except I almost never watch Shep-- it’s Harbball or nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/43 "2005-06-21T02:50:14Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Bernard Goldberg admitted to bias at CBS News. > > Do I assume that we can all agree that there is bias at CBS as well, based on Goldberg’s admission? The Fox guy was bragging about their bias. Bernard Goldberg was accusing CBS of bias. Big difference. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/44 "2005-06-21T05:20:41Z")
If the media in general are liberal, then why are liberals in general complaining that important issues aren’t getting the coverage they should? And what word would you use to describe Air America? If Fox _doesn’t_ have a Conservative bias, then what does? Fox certainly isn’t like CNN or MSNBC. What makes it noticeably different? Don’t tell me all of these wealthy Conservative Republicans can’t find a voice on the networks. That would be really strange. I wonder if Conservative Republicans listen to NPR for laughs. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/45 "2005-06-21T07:09:44Z")
I don’t know if this thread is for real or not, but I find it interesting that Fox has a column (Tongue Tied) which is ostensibly devoted to detailing excesses of the so-called “Culture Wars” but which is in fact devoted exclusively to documenting liberal excesses. A balanced column would also cite conservative excesses, like Fred Phelp’s recent praise of the death of US soldiers, cited in the following Pit thread: > **[Fred Phelps falls off the edge of the world...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=322061)** > > From http://www.godhatesamerica.com/: Thank God for IEDs killing American soldiers in strange lands every day. WBC rejoices every time the Lord God in His vengeance kills or maims an American soldier with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). “The... ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/46 "2005-06-21T08:00:03Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > And what word would you use to describe Air America? Panacea. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/47 "2005-06-21T10:09:05Z")
I love how **Evil Captor** ’s quoted OP mentions Clear Channel as being a Right Wing member of the Vast Conspiracy. Here’s one of the Biggie CC radio station’s morning show up here. [The Big Dogz](http://kjkj.com/main.html). Clearly it’s a company that tries to silence any dissent of the right. These two monkies take no pause in getting even the lamest Bush bash in. Yet, they still work for the company. This is proof of cecorship in the free media. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/48 "2005-06-21T10:24:30Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > The Fox guy was bragging about their bias. Bernard Goldberg was accusing CBS of bias. Big difference. Yes, it is. If your characterization is correct, the Fox guy risked nothing to make his statement. Mr. Goldberg was ostracized and his job put at risk after he wrote his letter to the Wall Street Journal; eventually; he was fired. He believed so strongly in the bias he was reporting that he risked his job – and saw the risk become reality. Much stronger reason to believe Goldberg. Thanks for bringing that up. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/49 "2005-06-21T10:49:06Z")
I trust I don’t actually have to copy posts back and forth between threads here to make this point, do I? **Jonathan Chance** offers an analysis from a media advocacy group in this thread showing Fox’s bias… what will happen to me when I offer an analysis from a media advocacy group in the NPR thread showing NPR’s bias? (Indeed, in this thread, another advocacy group is offered with a straight face, despite their mission statement being a “progressive research and information center” dedicated “…correcting conservative misinformation.”) **Steve MB** remembers a Doonsbury strip where a character cannot keep a straight face when claiming tobacco does not cause cancer. I suppose I could just port that argument over without changing a word. **elucidator** gives a detailed analysis of Fox, concluding that they don;t lie, but merely market well. I guess I could write something similar for NPR, saying they don’t lie and they market poorly. The post didn’t directly address bias, but it sure didn’t leave you feeling positive towards Fox. **Jonathan Chance** offered an admission from Scott Norvell of Fox purporting to show bias. Now, I’d think that was a slam dunk… but after I brought up Bernard Goldberg’s similar admission of bias at CBS, there seemed to be less then unanimous enthusiasm to agree that an insider’s admission of bias may be taken as proof of bias. So I guess that’s NOT such a strong argument, after all. **Zoe** asks: > [@](#): > > If the media in general are liberal, then why are liberals in general complaining that important issues aren’t getting the coverage they should? And what word would you use to describe Air America?" > > If Fox doesn’t have a Conservative bias, then what does? Fox certainly isn’t like CNN or MSNBC. What makes it noticeably different? Don’t tell me all of these wealthy Conservative Republicans can’t find a voice on the networks. That would be really strange. Well, Zoe, I didn’t claim the media in general are liberal – I was focusing on NPR in the other thread. And I’d say liberals are complaining because the bias at NPR isn’t as strong as they’d like it to be… as an analogy, supporters of civil unions on these boards (a clearly liberal position) get criticized because they DON’T support gay marriage. And if the presence of a wealthy backer is necessary, I seem to recall that George Soros has a dollar or two lying around. Hollywood figures that backed the Democrats strongly are not known as poverty-stricken. I guess I could ask why they haven’t found a voice, and murmer that THAT would be really strange. Would SOMEONE be honest, please, look at these two threads, and decide if you’re going to discuss this subject forthrightly? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/50 "2005-06-21T11:16:08Z")
NPR is not liberal. Authoritarian and socialist maybe, but not liberal. ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/51 "2005-06-21T11:35:16Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > NPR is not liberal. Authoritarian and socialist maybe, but not liberal. You’ve come to enjoy the beatings, haven’t you? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/52 "2005-06-21T11:37:23Z")
Okay, I presented a compilation of 580 items that go to the demonstration of bias by Fox News Channel. These are dismissed out of hand because they come from Media Matters, a progressive organization (NOT because they are false, mind you). Media Matters, by the way, is an organization run by someone who was the darling of the right when he was taking Scaife money to spread bullshit about Clinton, but became unpopular with them when he wrote _Blinded by the Right_. I guess some people’s come-to-Jesus moments are worth more than others. Tell me, who is going to have documented evidence of the bias of Fox News Channel who will also not be dismissed as biased? Who would spend the time detailing their rightward “disassembling”? I also compare these 580 items to **Bricker’s** evidence of bias by NPR, because he was in a story in which they also included one dissenting voice. Of course, **Bricker** is unbiased, and his anecdote surely equals 580 items of Fox News bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/53 "2005-06-21T11:38:19Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > I love how **Evil Captor** ’s quoted OP mentions Clear Channel as being a Right Wing member of the Vast Conspiracy. Here’s one of the Biggie CC radio station’s morning show up here. [The Big Dogz](http://kjkj.com/main.html). Clearly it’s a company that tries to silence any dissent of the right. These two monkies take no pause in getting even the lamest Bush bash in. > > Yet, they still work for the company. This is proof of cecorship in the free media. :rolleyes: Well, damn, duffer, you’re right for once. Although Clear Channel has long been known as a conservative-only network, they’re letting a little fresh air in – in fact, they’re playing Air America on some of their stations. [Here’s a link.](http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2005/04/38786.php) Now, don’t that beat all. I guess ratings talk. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/54 "2005-06-21T11:50:14Z")
So the FOX News channel IS biased? is that right **Bricker**? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/55 "2005-06-21T12:28:46Z")
Fox news is biased. **Bricker** is not disputing that. He wants to get to use the same arguments to defend the calls of Fox’s bias from those that defend the alleged non-bias of NPR. NPR and Fox both fill a niche in a bias sort of way. All you have to do is ask yourself, “Self, why do I listen to Fox/NPR. Is it because I hear the same thing there that I do on the major networks? Or is it because I tend to agree more with how they report the news and hear things there that I don’t hear on the majors?” If their bias didn’t shade a certain way why would there be any appeal to their followers? If you want to claim that the majors are unbiased, then why listen to NPR? or Fox? Clearly, the reason they appeal to you is because they lean a certain way. The proof is right here on the boards. A majority of the left here will prefer to listen to NPR, a majority of the right will listen/watch Fox. Simple, really, I can’t imagine a more logical explanantion. Me, personally, I think the Majors are a moving target with the bullseye shifting with the times. They may ‘seem’ left of center to some now and in six months they may ‘seem’ right of center to the same people. I think that Fox and NPR will continue to present their bias a little more right and a little more left of the majors. Since the center keeps moving so will the assumed bias of Fox and NPR. Things will change, bias will appear to change. That’s why this whole arguement of network bias is so hard to nail down. Wasn’t Nixon a Republican? What would he be considered today? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/56 "2005-06-21T12:34:04Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > Now, don’t that beat all. I guess ratings talk. Whooopety dooo! Until now there wasn’t an alternative. You know, there are a few liberal markets out there. :rolleyes: It ain’t like they’re knocking down the doors at Rush’s studios. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/57 "2005-06-21T12:50:40Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > So the FOX News channel IS biased? is that right **Bricker**? The arguments above, IF ACCEPTABLE, prove to my satisfaction that Fox News Channel is biased, yes. But the same sort of arguments go to NPR’s bias. I’m arguing equitable estoppel here, counselor. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/58 "2005-06-21T12:58:39Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > I wonder if Conservative Republicans listen to NPR for laughs. I doubt they all do but in the thread **Bricker** linked to in the OP someone mentioned that he worked on Capitol Hill and while he was there, at least, absolutely _everyone_ on the Hill listened to NPR (ME and ATC) regardless of their political stripes. That tells me, bias or not, that politicians at least find NPR as the best source for news radio. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/59 "2005-06-21T13:07:42Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > The arguments above, IF ACCEPTABLE, prove to my satisfaction that Fox News Channel is biased, yes. > > But the same sort of arguments go to NPR’s bias. Their are still some differences of degree which I think this glosses over. Can NPR be biased? Sure. Does NPR try rather hard to be even handed? Definitely. Does Fox try to be even handed? In many cases not at all and they actually hoodwink the viewer by pretending to be fair when they are not (O’Reilly, Hannity & Colmes to name two). Does Fox bias actually misinform its viewers? Per my earlier thread yes. Does NPR misinform its viewers with its bias? Perhaps but again per my earlier thrad exploring this NPR listeners are _far_ more clued in to the actual happenings of the world than Fox listeners are. I think you need to allow for mitigating factors when comparing the two. If I were on a jury trying the two stations for bias I’d send Fox to jail for 20 years and give NPR public service. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089/60 "2005-06-21T13:16:10Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I think you need to allow for mitigating factors when comparing the two. If I were on a jury trying the two stations for bias I’d send Fox to jail for 20 years and give NPR public service. I agree. Maybe not with the exact sentence, but I agree. I think NPR tries to be fair more than Fox tries to be fair. The difference is that Fox, a private entity, has no obligation to be anything. They can run pics of Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi with fake mustaches and teeth blacked out all day. They are free agents. NPR peddles its bias (minimal, but present) at taxpayer expense. This puts them in an impossible situation. If they try to be more conservative, perhaps I’ll be mollified… but then folks on the left would correctly be angered. When the government funds a news service, this sort of debate is inevitable. (Now, the government funding a weather service I have no problem with – that’s an excellent example of simply reporting the facts in an arena that demands nothing else). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-channel-is-not-biased/309089.md?page=4)