# 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:** 81
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1601 "2017-11-09T15:09:32Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I had reason to go to [FoxNews U.S. page](http://www.foxnews.com/us.html) just now, and will report what I saw. > > An orange pop-up alerted me to > FOX NEWS FIRST: Donna Brazile: My book tells ‘hard truths’ about Clinton campaign, DNC > > Other top headlines were: > Leave No Man Behind: Expert team prepares to retrieve remains of fallen WWII servicemen from up to 350 feet below ice They are only one alien abduction story away from the National Enquirer. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1602 "2017-11-09T15:45:35Z")
Are we sure that WWII story isn’t just someone getting confused while watching Captain America movies? ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1603 "2017-11-09T17:08:07Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Your first sentence is a tautology. That’s the definition of news. > > MSNBC has the ability and the opportunity to do a lot of journalism these days. They keep doing it even while they are being equivalenced with the worst pseudo-journalism in US history. > > I have a broad question: When they are covering the baboon in the white house, why do you need to accuse them (MSNBC) of spinning? It’s clear that no spin is required. Spinning would make the story even less probable than it already is. > > MSNBC is more informative and ethical than CNN, slant and all. I didn’t equate MSNBC with CNN or Fox. Are you pretending that MSNBC doesn’t spin? I’m a liberal and I can sit there and watch their shows and probably find a dozen examples on every show. You don’t know what spin means. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1604 "2017-11-09T17:33:17Z")
> [@ThisIsTheEnd](#): > > I didn’t equate MSNBC with CNN or Fox. Are you pretending that MSNBC doesn’t spin? I’m a liberal and I can sit there and watch their shows and probably find a dozen examples on every show. You don’t know what spin means. I understand going in that they are doing long form investigative journalism, with a dem perspective. They are distinguished by some of the following: They try to get facts right, they apologize if they get it wrong, they cover news that doesn’t “feel good” to their political stance. They don’t lie on purpose. They don’t gaslight their audience. They avoid fanning racial flames, fears, or wedge issues for ratings, unless they are reporting on the behavior of other networks. They don’t have “pro wrestling” style debates with guests dressed as cultural “others.” They don’t have punching bag representatives of the other side to pretend to debate, and then insult their presence. (In particular I’m thinking of Juan Williams and Kimberly Guilfoyle. She makes rude noises when it’s the dems turn to speak. Is this her own improv, or is it from the front office?) I watch all these networks. MSNBC doesn’t even register a blip on the spin meter. You could probably measure the spin in CNN to be greater and more dangerous. The equanimity is making them mad. The spin to watch out for now is coming from there. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1605 "2017-11-09T18:39:18Z")
I notice that cnn has a stripe of clickbait near the bottom but foxnews appears to eschew clickbait. I wonder what that means. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1606 "2017-11-09T18:52:12Z")
There was a time when I ate more ketchup, with its natural mellowing agents. To counteract, I would watch a few minutes of Hannity, the Big Giant Head. Saw it the night that the tighty righties doing flips and conniptions that the massive stash of Saddam’s chemical and bio-weapons had been found! Proof positive! And Hannity radiated righteous triumph, demanding that all those Dems apologize for their offense to America, GeeDubya, the flag, our heroes you know the drill. Very soon thereafter, NYT broke the story that the alleged discovery was a bunch of old WWI era mustard-gas type bullshit, more a threat to the storage facility than any possible enemy. So, I said to myself, Self, sir, you must watch him tomorrow to see how he walks back the turd. So I did, and he didn’t. Didn’t even mention it, its as though the previous broadcast never happened. It was like those action movie scenes where the hero walks calmly away from a thousand pounds of TNT going off about hundred yards behind him and doesn’t look back, doesn’t even twitch! Gotta admit, I hadn’t thought of that one! Ignore it, and it never happened! Now, that there is neutron-density _chutzpah_! ---
**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:** [November 9, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1607 "2017-11-09T18:57:00Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I notice that cnn has a stripe of clickbait near the bottom but foxnews appears to eschew clickbait. I wonder what that means. That you are looking at the ads and not the content being discussed? ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1608 "2017-11-09T20:28:30Z")
You know I try to listen to all sides but heres my fox news experience : When the eclipse happened it was too early here on the west coast so we missed it by chance I remembered what channel fox news was on Well they were doing a live feed somewhere and the guy there was getting into it and having fun and all the studio grumpy old bastard did was make fun of and put down the "damn possibly pothead hippies " and try to get everyone in a argument live guy was getting visibly irritated after a few minutes I went to cnn and listened to the scientists they had at various spots and had more fun ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1609 "2017-11-10T03:50:22Z")
Hannity is defending child molestation because it was “consensual.” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2017, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1610 "2017-11-10T04:01:54Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Hannity is defending child molestation because it was “consensual.” Meanwhile, MSNBC points out that the age of consent in Alabama is 16. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1611 "2017-11-11T18:03:59Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Not even a real German Nazi, but a cheap Hungarian imitation. Hitler wasn’t a real German Nazi either, but a cheap Austrian imitation. > [@jsc1953](#): > > Meanwhile, MSNBC points out that the age of consent in Alabama is 16. That just means in Alabama, 14 is close enough for government work. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1612 "2017-11-11T20:16:36Z")
Well, not\* generally.\* ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1613 "2017-11-20T21:08:31Z")
Let’s give credit where credit is due. > [@How many supernovas does it take to make a solar system's worth of heavier elements?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-supernovas-does-it-take-to-make-a-solar-systems-worth-of-heavier-elements/802189/5): > > According to [a recent news story](http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/10/17/astronomers-strike-gold-witness-massive-cosmic-collision.html), only lighter elements (including iron) are produced by supernovae. Elements with atomic weight much higher than iron are produced by _ **collisions of neutron stars** _. I didn’t set out to quote FoxNews. It was a random story reported in several outlets. The link I followed (barely 1 month old) had been expunged as had other links I found with Google. Fox was the first one I found with the archive intact. Hypothesis: Obviously Fox just copied the story from a news service. Some other quoting sites might have deleted it as part of a content-for-pay plan (?), while Fox feels that keeping it boosts their science credential. :eek: Plus the story mentions gold and platinum specifically as elements only produced in the neutron star collision, possible fodder for their precious metal advertisers and conspiracy bloggers. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1614 "2017-11-20T21:16:35Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Let’s give credit where credit is due. > > I didn’t set out to quote FoxNews. It was a random story reported in several outlets. The link I followed (barely 1 month old) had been expunged as had other links I found with Google. Fox was the first one I found with the archive intact. > > Hypothesis: Obviously Fox just copied the story from a news service. Some other quoting sites might have deleted it as part of a content-for-pay plan (?), while Fox feels that keeping it boosts their science credential. :eek: Plus the story mentions gold and platinum specifically as elements only produced in the neutron star collision, possible fodder for their precious metal advertisers and conspiracy bloggers. Thar’s gold in them stars! ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1615 "2017-11-22T12:49:30Z")
> [@](#): > > Fox News host @seanhannity tried to book one of Roy Moore’s accusers for an on-air interview, and she replies with this EPIC response: [https://twitter.com/EdKrassen/status/932325858768953344](https://twitter.com/EdKrassen/status/932325858768953344) Brutally honest assessment of Fox News interviews. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1616 "2017-11-22T12:58:49Z")
> [@SmartAlecCat](#): > > [https://twitter.com/EdKrassen/status/932325858768953344](https://twitter.com/EdKrassen/status/932325858768953344) > > Brutally honest assessment of Fox News interviews. For clarity: the response was from the accuser’s attorney, not the accuser herself. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1617 "2017-12-15T01:02:31Z")
Sorry to resurrect this. I just watched Lou Dobbs. This dude is seriously whacked. “Obama is a narcissist”. “Those SOBs in charge of the FBI and the DOJ need to all go to jail.” “Hillary is colluding with the Russians to ruin Trump’s first year”. “Not that it wasn’t the most successful first year ever”. “The FBI is corrupt as hell.” It was like he learned all these words, such as narcissist, collude, corrupt, and just turned them around to accuse democrats. People watching this must be borderline simpletons. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1618 "2017-12-15T01:31:35Z")
I recall the guy being a very sober financial analyst on CNN (maybe he was just as kaa kaa koo koo back then, I usually only caught him when my dad was watching his show, and this was the 90’s) ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1619 "2017-12-15T01:46:46Z")
ISTR Dobbs going off the rails a few years back when he became fixated on “Broken Borders”. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/1620 "2017-12-15T01:55:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Sorry to resurrect this. don’t be, fox “news” really IS all that bad and we need to remind people about it on a regular basis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625.md?page=80) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625.md?page=82)