One More Time: FOX "News" is NOT News. But What Is?

Image from source, American Chronicle

[EDITOR'S NOTE: First of all, apologies for such a long stretch of down time. But, not only was I out to dinner with friends, but upon my return Blogger was 100% inaccessible. Zilch. Nada. Anyway, I'm back!]

I'm tired of the FOX "News" apologists. It couldn't be plainer and it couldn't be more obvious. FOX "News" is not news. And it hasn't been for a very, very long time. Possibly for its entire history. But arguing the point is like arguing atheism to a staunch evangelical, or fighting with a Depeche Mode fan by telling them, "Hey, 'Mode is way overrated." You get nowhere, and you tick the other guy off.

But some truths should be self evident. FOX "News" is, with a few exceptions, a 24/7/365 right-wing operation. It's not a little canted to the right. It's not merely an equal reflection of a leftward slant in all other media. Yes, that's right. All other media may have a bias, but claiming that it is all left-wing except for FOX is like saying that your kid is the only one in the parade who was marching in step.

As an MSNBC watcher, I will concede that the channel's prime time lineup is slanted left. I will not concede that the rest of the channel is, because I haven't seen evidence of that (particularly with the 3-hour Morning Joe, not to mention Lockup, To Catch a Predator or countless other programs. I won't concede that Rachel Maddow, Big Ed Schultz or Keith Olbermann are merely the flip side of Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck either. Their approaches are more than on the opposite sides of the political spectrum. Their approaches are radically different.

On the left, there seems to be a tendency to work from a set of facts, and take the story from there. It may go in a direction that someone on the right wouldn't have taken it, but it starts with a set of facts. On the right, they seem to start with a desired conclusion, and then jigger the facts around until it fits the story they want (see Beck and Hannity particularly). Anyway, besides these differences, if the rest of the media (CNN, CBS, ABC, etc.) is liberally-canted too, why are the MSNBC hosts the ones getting 99% of the backlash from "FOX fans?"

[Excerpt]

THE "BALLOON BOY" & THE WHITE HOUSE: GOOD LESSONS FOR NOT MIXING "NEWS" & "ENTERTAINMENT"

Had the balloon boy´s father just been Googled before the story went public, the "hoax" idea would have immediately popped up for the authorities to take a closer look.…"Balloon Boy" and his fatherDue to this bizarre "flying saucer" hoax event last week, and for the statement finally from the White House saying that FOX News only presents an "ideology", not real news, it´s time to review overall how the country gets its news. No, I mean "real" news. . .

Read more at: American Chronicle