Fox News: We Report. You Decide. Um, I'll have the 2 cheeseburger meal...
The two cheeseburger meal, while fattening and certainly no good for me, at least does not pretend to be what is advertised. Two thin meat patties fried in its own juices, nestled afterwards in their own buns with a blanket of processed American yellow cheese. I don't have it all the time but when I do have it, my stomach feels warm and comforted and full. Putting aside the carcinogenic problems of the burgers, one cannot really ignore the simplicity and practicality of this meal.
However, I have problems with Fox News. At root of my discomfort is that they pretend to care about "ordinary Americans." They think that all America needs is "common sense." They brag about being "#1" like the news is a college football game. They take any opportunity to make fun of The New York Times and the other networks when mistakes are made. And if you disagree with them, they'll label you a liberal, an idiot, a liar, a scalawag (in all fairness, I don't think they've ever labeled anyone a scalawag, but I like the sound of it). They think that by talking directly to the viewer and being less polished like the other networks, the audience will feel a stronger, personal connection.
To their credit, they are very successful. And you know what? I don't blame Fox News for their own popularity. I blame each and every American who watches and believes that Fox News knows better than all the other news programs; that Fox News is the new temple of truth and justice; that every Fox News reporter and pundit worries about you and me. But they don't. When Bill O'Reilly goes to bed, he's not thinking of how to change New York's mental health delivery system so that my clients can recover appropriately. Sean Hannity doesn't worry about helping me advocate to get food stamps for my clients. Rupert Murdoch doesn't care about the lack of federal subsidies for housing programs in the city. They portray themselves as patricians of truth and fairness. But in reality, no one can carry that ethical and moral mantle. It's an impossible task. That is my real problem with Fox News: that they make you believe they know better than you.
So when they report, I do decide. I flip to the BBC World News. They actually care enough to produce in depth news stories. They report in a steady, honest tone that reflects their professionalism. Their graphics are sophisticated but somber. The BBC News has made mistakes before, but on at least one occasion, they spent considerable time airing what went wrong and how they addressed it. News is a serious affair and I believe they report in a way that respects the viewer's ability consider the data and make their own decisions without being reminded every ten seconds by terribly loud graphics and announcements. Really, if you are a news agency, why would you need to remind people?
However, I have problems with Fox News. At root of my discomfort is that they pretend to care about "ordinary Americans." They think that all America needs is "common sense." They brag about being "#1" like the news is a college football game. They take any opportunity to make fun of The New York Times and the other networks when mistakes are made. And if you disagree with them, they'll label you a liberal, an idiot, a liar, a scalawag (in all fairness, I don't think they've ever labeled anyone a scalawag, but I like the sound of it). They think that by talking directly to the viewer and being less polished like the other networks, the audience will feel a stronger, personal connection.
To their credit, they are very successful. And you know what? I don't blame Fox News for their own popularity. I blame each and every American who watches and believes that Fox News knows better than all the other news programs; that Fox News is the new temple of truth and justice; that every Fox News reporter and pundit worries about you and me. But they don't. When Bill O'Reilly goes to bed, he's not thinking of how to change New York's mental health delivery system so that my clients can recover appropriately. Sean Hannity doesn't worry about helping me advocate to get food stamps for my clients. Rupert Murdoch doesn't care about the lack of federal subsidies for housing programs in the city. They portray themselves as patricians of truth and fairness. But in reality, no one can carry that ethical and moral mantle. It's an impossible task. That is my real problem with Fox News: that they make you believe they know better than you.
So when they report, I do decide. I flip to the BBC World News. They actually care enough to produce in depth news stories. They report in a steady, honest tone that reflects their professionalism. Their graphics are sophisticated but somber. The BBC News has made mistakes before, but on at least one occasion, they spent considerable time airing what went wrong and how they addressed it. News is a serious affair and I believe they report in a way that respects the viewer's ability consider the data and make their own decisions without being reminded every ten seconds by terribly loud graphics and announcements. Really, if you are a news agency, why would you need to remind people?
posted by Alan at 8:06 AM
1 Comments:
When it comes to television news I usually tune in to my local affiliates rather than watch a newschannel. Since I won't watch the news for more than a half hour (surely there are more important or least fun things to do) I watch NY1 News in the morning and one of the other major local news agencies (usually Eyewitness News) at night.
When I feel like tuning to a cable newschannel I go to CNN. They seem reliable and informative. Well maybe all except for Larry King, but that's a rant for another day.
As for FOX News' popularity as well as the results of the current presidential election I've come to accept that I live in a nation that leans towards the right more than it does to the left (albeit by a small margin). So it only makes sense that many things that are popular (policies, presidents, and newschannels) are bent toward that direction.
While I agree that the news should be presented as objectively as possible (see "Broadcast News", a favorite movie of mine) it's not possible especially when you have newschannels competing for ratings. BBC News is, if I am correct, produced in a sociaist nation and airs on a non-profit public broadcast staion. They aren't competing with anyone so there no need and perhaps funds to present a pretty graphical representation or biased version of the news.
Mind you I am not condoning the practices of the newschannels (FOX News is not the only channel to have a unique perspective). I understand why they do it. And for FOX, its helping them in the ratings war in service the almighty green god, the Americn dollar, whom we all serve to some extent.
Luis "I've got good news and I've got bad news." Ramirez
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