# This country is fucked: Survey says Fox now most trusted name in news. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 26, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580 "2010-01-26T22:32:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/101 "2010-01-27T20:59:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Fox News accuses the other networks of ignoring stories on a more-or-less ongoing basis. Invariably, it turns out to be absolute rubbish, such as when they accused CNN of ignoring the tea parties but had to _borrow CNN footage_ in their story about it. Like I said, some of the “controversy” is a load of crap. But there is an appearance of imbalance. Let’s suppose that Fox had broadcast the news about Toyota suspending new car sales and that the other networks didn’t. You’d call them all incompetent. If MSNBC ran a story that Newt was seen hanging out in drag bars and Fox didn’t cover it, you’d scream bias. The ACORN issue led to a congressional vote and firings but it was minimized by almost everyone except Fox. It doesn’t matter which side does it or why. If the information is available for all to find, then there should be no reason why they don’t all broadcast it. ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/102 "2010-01-27T20:59:12Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Missed the edit window - > > This kind of slanted coverage is characteristic of media coverage of the campaign, which was [heavily slanted](http://www.journalism.org/node/13307) against McCain. Again, this is characteristic - in every Presidential campaign of the last thirty years, the Democratic nominee has always received more positive coverage than the Republican. > > Regards, > Shodan Oh right. McCain being a complete fuckup of a candidate with a horribly run campaign had nothing to do with it, right? ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/103 "2010-01-27T21:09:55Z")
> [@Mr\_Smashy](#): > > - 2 weeks later someone posted that they hate Brock Lesnar because his experience with the socialized Canadian medical system was bad, causing complications to his diverticulitis (sp?). Nobody points out the contradiction this time, because it runs counter to their policy preferences; ie an anecdotal story being used to push an agenda.. You better come up with some cites for the assertion that Lesnar’s experience in Canada resulted in complications. Oh wait, I’ll do it for you. Here’s an article where Lesnar speaks about his illness. [Lesnar Illness](http://content.usatoday.com/communities/mma/post/2010/01/ufc-champion-brock-lesnar-says-long-battle-with-illness-is-over/1?csp=34) From the article: > [@](#): > > He said he was first told he had mono, but that diagnosis didn’t seem right to him. So he went to Canada for a hunting trip and wound up with severe stomach pain and a 104-degree fever. He took a quick jab at the Canadian health care system, saying he found right away that he needed to return to the USA,\*\* though he was apparently misdiagnosed in the USA before leaving the country.\*\* Bolding mine. Nowhere in the article does it say that Lesnar had complications arising from his treatment in Canada. You’re full of shit, Smashy. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/104 "2010-01-27T21:11:19Z")
> [@Slypork](#): > > Like I said, some of the “controversy” is a load of crap. But there is an appearance of imbalance. Only to those with an unclear understanding of what constitutes factuality. > [@](#): > > Let’s suppose that Fox had broadcast the news about Toyota suspending new car sales and that the other networks didn’t. You’d call them all incompetent. If MSNBC ran a story that Newt was seen hanging out in drag bars and Fox didn’t cover it, you’d scream bias. Right, because things are factual. Or would be, if Gingrich (with whom you’re apparently on a first-name basis) did that, and it does not speak well for you that you equate a factual story with an invented one, btw. > [@](#): > > The ACORN issue led to a congressional vote and firings but it was minimized by almost everyone except Fox. Back up. WHY do you think it led to a vote and firings? Because of the facts, or because of the image and the desire to promote a partisan view? What do you think the facts of the case were? :dubious: > [@](#): > > It doesn’t matter which side does it or why. If the information is available for all to find, then there should be no reason why they don’t all broadcast it. Better explain to us your understanding of the definition of “information”. It would not appear to accord with the one used by those of us in the “reality-based community”. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/105 "2010-01-27T21:12:32Z")
> [@Slypork](#): > > Remember the “scandal” of ACORN personnel advocating fraud and abetting child prostitution? Fox covered it and there were blogs reporting on it but nothing was showing on the other networks. Becauuuuse there wasn’t one ? And it was fabricated from whole cloth by Fox ? You might as well complain nobody’s investigating or reporting on the scandal that Obama raped and killed a girl in 1990. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/106 "2010-01-27T21:27:26Z")
> [@tacoloco](#): > > Nowhere in the article does it say that Lesnar had complications arising from his treatment in Canada. And THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is pretty much the FOX News playbook that **Smashy** has illustrated for us. If he (or FOX) want to make a point, they simply MAKE SHIT UP to support it. People here on the SDMB don’t usually get pissed at FOX News for “bias”. They get pissed because they MAKE SHIT UP, or REPEAT KNOWN FALSEHOODS. They go far, far beyond “spin”, into the realm of fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/107 "2010-01-27T21:36:09Z")
You’ve got the choice between watered-down liberal-biased news on 6 networks or mostly truthful but exaggerated fear-mongering on Fox. What’s there to complain about? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/108 "2010-01-27T21:43:12Z")
> [@tacoloco](#): > > You better come up with some cites for the assertion that Lesnar’s experience in Canada resulted in complications. > > Oh wait, I’ll do it for you. Here’s an article where Lesnar speaks about his illness. > > [Lesnar Illness](http://content.usatoday.com/communities/mma/post/2010/01/ufc-champion-brock-lesnar-says-long-battle-with-illness-is-over/1?csp=34) > > From the article: > > Bolding mine. > > Nowhere in the article does it say that Lesnar had complications arising from his treatment in Canada. > > You’re full of shit, Smashy. Smashy is a stupid, ideological, coward who is unwilling to debate in good faith or admit when he is demonstrably wrong. [Cite](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=11876056#post11876056). He’s so full of shit he’s about to undergo fusion. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/109 "2010-01-27T21:44:04Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Right, because things are factual. Or would be, if Gingrich (with whom you’re apparently on a first-name basis) did that The alternative of course is that the poster has inside info on the notoriously private Carrie Henn. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/110 "2010-01-27T22:14:24Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If that’s what you think happened, it’s your fault for watching Fox. > > It’s as if they still follow outdated, old-school notions about separating reporting from advocacy, and fact from fiction. Sad, isn’t it? But advocacy can make the story. In the days before the 24 hour news cycle the voice of the people lead to civil rights marches, anti-Viet Nam protests, calls for AIDS awareness and so on. All notable and honorable things. These outpouring of grass-roots activity changed our country. What’s wrong with people protesting high taxes, a growing government or an administration that is not listening to the people? When Ted Turner created CNN I don’t think he imagined that his network would begin leaning left. Here is some information about the early coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign. This was produced jointly by PEJ and the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. Warning [pdf](http://www.hks.harvard.edu/presspol/publications/reports/invisible_primary_invisible_no_longer.pdf). > [@](#): > > The CNN programming studied tended to cast a negative light on Republican candidates—by a margin of three-to-one. Four-in-ten stories (41%) were clearly negative while just 14% were positive and 46% were neutral. The network provided negative coverage of all three main candidates with McCain fairing the worst (63% negative) and Romney fairing a little better than the others only because a majority of his coverage was neutral. > > It’s not that Democrats, other than Obama, fared well on CNN either. Nearly half of the Illinois Senator’s stories were positive (46%), vs. just 8% that were negative. But both Clinton and Edwards ended up with more negative than positive coverage overall. So while coverage for Democrats overall was a bit more positive than negative, that was almost all due to extremely favorable coverage for Obama. From the same report for comparison: > [@](#): > > **Fox News:** The programming studied on Fox News offered a somewhat more positive picture of Republicans and more negative one of Democrats compared with other media outlets. Fox News stories about a Republican candidate were most likely to be neutral (47%), with the remainder more positive than negative (32% vs. 21% negative). The bulk of that positive coverage went to Giuliani (44% positive), while McCain still suffered from unflattering coverage (20% positive vs. 35% negative). > > When it came to Democratic candidates, the picture was more negative. Again, neutral stories had a slight edge (39%), followed by 37% negative and 24% positive. And, in marked contrast from the rest of the media, coverage of Obama was twice as negative as positive: 32% negative vs. 16% positive and 52% neutral. But any sense here that the news channel was uniformly positive about Republicans or negative about Democrats is not manifest in the data. > > **MSNBC:** On MSNBC, a positive tone pervaded coverage of candidates from both parties. Nearly half (47%) of the stories about Democratic candidates were positive, vs. 19% negative and 34% neutral. Coverage of Republican candidates was not quite as rosy but still more stories were positive (38%) than neutral (33%) or negative (30%). But here as well, Senator McCain still came up short. Four-in-ten of his stories (39%) were negative in tone compared to only about two-in-ten (22%) that were positive. ---
**Author:** ![Cort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/77aa72/32.png) [@Cort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cort)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/111 "2010-01-27T22:15:06Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Again, this is characteristic - in every Presidential campaign of the last thirty years, the Democratic nominee has always received more positive coverage than the Republican. Not true. In the 2000 election, press coverage was significantly biased in favour of [Republican](http://www.journalism.org/node/309) G. W. Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/112 "2010-01-27T23:08:15Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > You’ve got the choice between watered-down liberal-biased news on 6 networks or mostly truthful but exaggerated fear-mongering on Fox. No, we have the choice between moderately right wing news from the networks, or outright far right lies from Fox. There is not and never has been any “liberal bias”. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/113 "2010-01-27T23:28:25Z")
> [@Slypork](#): > > But advocacy can make the story. In the Acorn story, advocacy created the story itself. Fox just made shit up, and people like you swallowed it up as if it were true. That’s quite a bit different from reporting and publicizing facts. It’s called lying. And your role is called gullibility. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/114 "2010-01-27T23:34:22Z")
BTW, the OP story is [false](http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/1/27/830820/-Fox-News:-The-Most-Trusted-Name-In-News). The PPP poll was so badly reported that it obscured the result that showed Fox is the least-trusted news source overall among the major TV networks, and by a wide margin. It’s only the most trusted among self-described conservatives. That does help illustrate the problem that arises when a large sector of the populace is actually so ignorant of the facts that they no longer consider factuality to be important at all. Our friend **Slypork** is only one example of that problem. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Smashy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/115 "2010-01-28T00:24:38Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > You seem to think that the Canadian medical system caused Mr. Lesnar complications to his disease. Got any cite that shows this to be true? No? Didn’t think so. This is a pretty shitty incorrect statement for you to post then. Yeah, I was afraid most people here would miss the point. You’re incorrect of course. **RNATB** was a bit closer. No worries. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Smashy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/116 "2010-01-28T00:25:40Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > A reference to an old running joke about the board being powered by hamster wheels. rgr ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Smashy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/117 "2010-01-28T00:27:41Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Smashy is a stupid, ideological, coward who is unwilling to debate in good faith or admit when he is demonstrably wrong. [Cite](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=11876056#post11876056). > > He’s so full of shit he’s about to undergo fusion. You forgot I have a whore mouth. How did your finals go? Did you and **Smash The State** ever pick up those girls at the frat kegger? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Smashy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mr\_Smashy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Smashy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/118 "2010-01-28T00:30:15Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No, we have the choice between moderately right wing news from the networks, or outright far right lies from Fox. There is not and never has been any “liberal bias”. So your story is that most of the major media networks skew right wing, a little bit? You serious? What’s objective and up the middle then, from your point of view? Kos? HuffPo? Pravda? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/119 "2010-01-28T00:57:20Z")
> [@Mr\_Smashy](#): > > You forgot I have a whore mouth. > > How did your finals go? Did you and **Smash The State** ever pick up those girls at the frat kegger? No, we got sidetracked by your mom crawling around drinking empties. _Oh Snap!_ ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580/120 "2010-01-28T01:12:12Z")
> [@Mr\_Smashy](#): > > So your story is that most of the major media networks skew right wing, a little bit? By a lot, not a little bit. There’s little if any left wing media ( or anything else ) in America. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-country-is-fucked-survey-says-fox-now-most-trusted-name-in-news/526580.md?page=7)