# Is Fox News really all that bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 3, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625 "2012-10-03T21:14:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 31
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/601 "2014-10-30T12:08:01Z")
The problem with Fox News is that the left cannot stand even one network that does not toe the line in what they think is acceptable. The natural instant of the mid to far left now (in my observation the last 10 years or so) is to shout out or shut down anyone who does not agree with them. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/602 "2014-10-30T12:37:05Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > The problem with Fox News is that the left cannot stand even one network that does not toe the line in what they think is acceptable. > > The natural instant of the mid to far left now (in my observation the last 10 years or so) is to shout out or shut down anyone who does not agree with them. Oh look, another person who needs to read the thread. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16771193&postcount=307](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16771193&postcount=307) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/603 "2014-10-30T13:04:55Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > The problem with Fox News is that the left cannot stand even one network that does not toe the line in what they think is acceptable. Do you think think that shenanigans that have been described in this thread that have been done by Fox News are acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/604 "2014-10-30T15:10:11Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > The natural instant of the mid to far left now (in my observation the last 10 years or so) is to shout out or shut down anyone who does not agree with them. How do you square your observations with the continued success of FOXNews and the Murdoch empire, Limbaugh and EIB, and the ongoing proliferation of right-wing talk radio? I’m not seeing a lot of shouting out or shutting up. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/605 "2014-10-30T15:26:27Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do you think think that shenanigans that have been described in this thread that have been done by Fox News are acceptable? The shenanigans by Fox News are no better, nor worse, than the ones pulled by all the other news outlets. They all pull shenanigans. They all are biased and they all pull shenanigans one way or another to support their bias. News is, and always has been, a consumer beware commodity. I am not a right wing ideologue either. I have views that would get me thrown out of a gathering of a group of the tea party, deranged gun toting, cross bearing, righties. I also have other views that would have me thrown out of a gathering of the ACLU card bearing, Muslim loving, constitution hating lefties. I am middle of the road and I don’t buy into the bullshit that is spouted out by either of the far wings on the right or left. However I do feel that a tactic of the left side on the political spectrum is to shout out, and try to shut down anyone who disagrees with them. See it all the time. Can’t be the only one. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/606 "2014-10-30T15:27:44Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > The problem with Fox News is that the left cannot stand even one network that does not toe the line in what they think is acceptable. > > The natural instant of the mid to far left now (in my observation the last 10 years or so) is to shout out or shut down anyone who does not agree with them. No, the problem is that there seems to be a growing trend in this country that all opinions are valid, regardless if they are supported by facts, figures, science or reality. Fox News is a symptom of that trend. It panders to Middle Americans who like to get enraged whenever they are presented with something that contradicts what they already “know” to true, based on their “common sense”. Not to mention that Fox News feels like watching a grown up version of a bunch of jocks discussing their poly-sci homework with their sorority girlfriends. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/607 "2014-10-30T15:55:17Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > However I do feel that a tactic of the left side on the political spectrum is to shout out, and try to shut down anyone who disagrees with them. > > See it all the time. Can’t be the only one. :dubious: You actually claim that the screamers like O’Reilly at FOX that do that to the guests that disagree with him is not common on the right? In any case the ones that tell you that you did not read the thread are correct, I even linked to studies, from right wing think thanks even, that found that FOX is only reaching for false equivalences. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/608 "2014-10-30T15:55:56Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > The shenanigans by Fox News are no better, nor worse, than the ones pulled by all the other news outlets. They all pull shenanigans. They all are biased and they all pull shenanigans one way or another to support their bias. I don’t know where this lazy idea came from that we can just assume that all sides do it equally, when there is no evidence that it is so. Do you think that there is some sort of natural law that prevents one side from being worse than the other, _The Law Of Balance Of News Morality_? It doesn’t exist. If any other news outlet pulled the outrageous crap Fox has pulled over the years, don’t you think there would be equivalent stories out there about it? > [@](#): > > The shenanigans by Fox News are no better, nor worse, than the ones pulled by all the other news outlets. Even here, you compare the posted crap pulled by one Fox network to the anonymous crap supposedly pulled by _all_ the other unnamed networks, then wave your hands and say “one equals the other.” Why don’t you just go ahead and give us examples from one network that is as bad, and as frequent, as the ones from Fox News shown here? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/609 "2014-10-30T16:21:33Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > No, the problem is that there seems to be a growing trend in this country that all opinions are valid, regardless if they are supported by facts, figures, science or reality. Fox News is a symptom of that trend. It panders to Middle Americans who like to get enraged whenever they are presented with something that contradicts what they already “know” to true, based on their “common sense”. Nicely said. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I don’t know where this lazy idea came from that we can just assume that all sides do it equally, when there is no evidence that it is so. Do you think that there is some sort of natural law that prevents one side from being worse than the other, _The Law Of Balance Of News Morality_? It doesn’t exist. If any other news outlet pulled the outrageous crap Fox has pulled over the years, don’t you think there would be equivalent stories out there about it? Maybe it’s just one of those things that he “knows” to be true based on his “common sense”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/610 "2014-10-30T17:42:08Z")
Amazing. Reading the above I am now informed that all the other news outlets, in the shenanigans department, are free of sin. Sorry, not buying that dog food. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/611 "2014-10-30T17:45:35Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > I am not a right wing ideologue either. I have views that would get me thrown out of a gathering of a group of the tea party, deranged gun toting, cross bearing, righties. I also have other views that would have me thrown out of a gathering of the ACLU card bearing, Muslim loving, constitution hating lefties. Where are these “Constitution-hating lefties” you speak of? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/612 "2014-10-30T17:49:36Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > Amazing. Reading the above I am now informed that all the other news outlets, in the shenanigans department, are free of sin. > > Sorry, not buying that dog food. Amazing. Reading the above I am now informed that you did not understand what you read. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/613 "2014-10-30T17:54:24Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > I also have other views that would have me thrown out of a gathering of the ACLU card bearing, Muslim loving, constitution hating lefties. Based on this comment, it appears that you have no understanding whatsoever of what the ACLU stands for. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/614 "2014-10-30T19:09:40Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Where are these “Constitution-hating lefties” you speak of? This is a totally awesome comment coming from you. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/615 "2014-10-30T19:27:49Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > Amazing. Reading the above I am now informed that all the other news outlets, in the shenanigans department, are free of sin. That was beautiful, man. I’m just not creative enough to get the hidden messages of these posts. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/616 "2014-10-30T19:51:06Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > I am not a right wing ideologue either. I have views that would get me thrown out of a gathering of a group of the tea party, deranged gun toting, cross bearing, righties. I also have other views that would have me thrown out of a gathering of the ACLU card bearing, Muslim loving, constitution hating lefties. If one of your views is “I like to eat dog food”, I’m not surprised.😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/617 "2014-10-30T22:33:20Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > Amazing. Reading the above I am now informed that all the other news outlets, in the shenanigans department, are free of sin. > > Sorry, not buying that dog food. Nice strawman. Nobody brought up anything about anything being free of sin until you did. What has been said is that Fox News is demonstratively full of crap compared to it’s peers. Don’t agree? This entire thread is filled with evidence. Post some evidence of your own. If all you have is strawman and no evidence, it’s possible your position is incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/618 "2014-11-21T19:40:57Z")
Fox morning program _Fox And Friends_ is against Obama not doing something. Until he does it. Then they’re against him doing it: > [@](#): > > The hosts of Fox & Friends were incensed that President Obama quoted scripture in a primetime address detailing his upcoming executive action on immigration, challenging him to a “scripture-showdown” and claiming it’s “repugnant” for Obama to “lecture us on Christian faith.” But just 48 hours earlier, the Fox hosts were lamenting that Obama doesn’t make public expressions of his Christian faith often enough. > > Obama quoted lines from the Bible in a November 20 address… His use of scripture did not sit well with the hosts of Fox & Friends the next day. Co-host Tucker Carlson called it “repugnant” and argued, “For this guy specifically, the president who spent his career defending late-term abortion, among other things, lecturing us on Christian faith? That’s too much. That is too much.” Elisabeth Hasselbeck attempted to rebut the scripture Obama used with scripture of her own, quoting verses from Proverbs and saying she is “going to get into a scripture-showdown.” According to Hasselbeck, Obama used the Bible to guilt people into supporting his executive action, and that’s “not what the scholars behind the Bible would interpret as proper use, perhaps.” > > On November 19, the hosts promoted a “fiery” online op-ed penned by Chuck Norris, echoing his outrage that Obama had not publicly opposed a local school district’s decision to remove references to religious holidays on the schools’ calendars. The hosts then aired video of former President Ronald Reagan talking about Christmas and his Christian faith, saying, “Chuck Norris’ point was, remember the time when American presidents weren’t afraid to talk about traditional values, as Ronald Reagan did back in 1981.” Hasselbeck remarked that Reagan’s religious rhetoric gave her goosebumps. > > [Media Matters](http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/11/21/now-fox-amp-friends-is-upset-that-obama-is-quot/201665) Yes, there is bias - Obama bad! - but the issue isn’t the bias. It’s how that bias alters their coverage. Even this, on a show that is ostensibly commentary and not news, where fact-finders are not at play since it’s a matter of opinion, the network shows why they are really all that bad. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/619 "2014-11-23T00:21:49Z")
As noted in another thread: > **[Fox News story on House Benghazi report ignores the entire report](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2014/11/22/1346743/-Fox-News-story-on-House-Benghazi-report-ignores-the-entire-report)** > > It's not news. It's Fox News. > > Let the words speak for themselves. First, take a look at how the Associated Press covered the ... The Republican-chaired House Intelligence Committee investigation into Benghazi concluded that there was no wrongdoing or coverup by the Obama administration. All the other major news outlets reported that, e.g. [Bloomberg - Are you a robot?](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-21/benghazi-coverup-allegations-rejected-in-bipartisan-house-probe.html). Fox’s account had a meaningless side issue for the headline, and misleadingly stressed that the report concluded that there was no protest before the attack, while not mentioning that the report acknowledged that at the time Susan Rice gave her summary of intelligence findings on TV, there were several reports of a protest, from many sources. Fox completely ignored the main conclusion, i.e. no coverup by the administration. I don’t know what could make it more clear that Fox is for right-wing propaganda, not news. They don’t even pretend to be objective any more. ---
**Author:** ![Cardboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Cardboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardboard)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/620 "2014-11-23T01:47:35Z")
“Is Fox News really all that bad?” No. It is really no different than any of the other news channels (including the “moderate” CNN). But liberals need go-to boogeymen. Fox News is one of them. The Koch Brothers are another. Sarah Palin was, but her time has passed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625.md?page=30) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625.md?page=32)