Fox News: Fair and Balanced?

[ISUCY11]

Bill O'Reilly is the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD!!

[cyclonenum1]

In hindsight, I probably should have said something different to convey the tongue in cheek tone that I intended. Next time, maybe I will do better.

Now that you brought up an issue, that is: "a lefty website that has creators that are not man enough to put their names anywhere on the site that is easily accessible", how is that different from most of posters on this message board, including you, who are free to post all sorts of far fetched comments and extraordinary opinions without having their identity exposed before a critical world?

Big difference! I have not created any website to "knock" a specific group. Additionally, my comments on this board are neither far fetched or out of the ordinary.

[cyclonenum1]

Just because you have two guests, one on each side of the spectrum, doesn't mean you're being balanced.

Question: Did you pay attention to the verbage O'Reilly used? If he said "many people beleive homosexuality is a sin, and being around such an accepting environment may influence their children that living this way is alright, and may "convert" them to homosexuality. What do you have for those people?" would be a great way to word many of those concerns that people have for the issue. However, saying something along the lines of "Are you trying to turn kids gay?" is completely irresponsible for a journalist. Granted that's just two ways to word a question that may have come up, and the latter is quite blatant, he could have used more subtle cues. What I'm getting at is that all journalists should ask their questions in an unobjective frame, and not set out subtle cues to discredit their opponent.

Another example would be asking someone if the were unamerican because they don't support the war, or if they're bigots because they think homosexuality isn't inborn.

First of all, the O'Reilly Factor is clearly an "opinion" show on Fox...not "hard news". The balance is that they always try to have an even number of panelists on each side of an argument "duke it out". As opposed to Paula Zahn which typically has a 2 to 1 liberal to conservative panelist mix.

By the way, many people do view homosexuality as a sin. He asked the gay rights proponent on the show some tough questions for which he really was only able to spout off his rehearsed "mantra". He also slammed the guest on the other side for some of her comments as well.

I think the bottom line is that if you view most of the mainstream news (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, et al) as unbiased (which is what those sources have tried to condition us to) then you will think that Fox News is slanted to the right. I, however, believe the mainstream news (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, et al) is slanted significantly to the left and that Fox is fair and balanced.

[Johnny Tremain]

Big difference! I have not created any website to "knock" a specific group. Additionally, my comments on this board are neither far fetched or out of the ordinary.

Well, that was very O'Reilly of you to say.

So, your comments on this board are not far fetched. Really! Here are some of your past words. Of course, this is not the complete list.

"My personal anecdotal experience has been that the "less gifted" students typically seek the "easier" majors like education and journalism."

"But studies have shown that conservative voters tend to be both better educated and, more importantly, more knowledgable than any other voting group."

"I used to live in DC and was friendly with a top staffer to Senator Hatch from Utah. This guy told me that if you want to watch a movie to see how the DC political scene really works you should watch "The Distinguished Gentleman" with Eddie Murphy...I encourage you to watch it and think about what my friend said...scary!"

I agree that in some circles, these comments are not out of the ordinary.

[cyclonenum1]

Well, that was very O'Reilly of you to say.

So, your comments on this board are not far fetched. Really! Here are some of your past words. Of course, this is not the complete list.

"My personal anecdotal experience has been that the "less gifted" students typically seek the "easier" majors like education and journalism."

"But studies have shown that conservative voters tend to be both better educated and, more importantly, more knowledgable than any other voting group."

"I used to live in DC and was friendly with a top staffer to Senator Hatch from Utah. This guy told me that if you want to watch a movie to see how the DC political scene really works you should watch "The Distinguished Gentleman" with Eddie Murphy...I encourage you to watch it and think about what my friend said...scary!"

I agree that in some circles, these comments are not out of the ordinary.

So these are far fetched and out of the ordinary comments?! Come now.

The first comment is clearly stated as my personal anecdotal experience. The second comment was backed up by an actual study that I quoted. And the third comment is nothing more than relaying an actual conversation that I had with someone.

Did you go to ISU?

[Johnny Tremain]

So these are far fetched and out of the ordinary comments?! Come now.

The first comment is clearly stated as my personal anecdotal experience. The second comment was backed up by an actual study that I quoted. And the third comment is nothing more than relaying an actual conversation that I had with someone.

Did you go to ISU?

In your first comment, you attempt justify a stereotype. If your anecdotal experience is that good, lets hear what it is.

In your second comment, you merely cited the selected text that Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly like to crow about. You did not link the entire study so that a reader could make their own judgment about what the study says. More importantly, you made no mention of the current study at the time, the Pew Research Center study dated April 15, 2007 entitled: Public Knowledge of Current Affairs Little Changed by News and Information Revolutions, What Americans Know: 1989 - 2007

Summary of Findings: Public Knowledge of Current Affairs Little Changed by News and Information Revolutions

This study happens to mention (gasp) The Daily Show/Colbert Report, for what its worth, in their review of knowledge levels by news source.

In your third comment, it is a stab at name dropping. Instead of teasing us, just name the staffer. I would be interested knowing who of the top Hatch staffers is the one who believes that an Eddie Murphy movie portrays the real DC political scene.

And yes, I went to Iowa State. Graduated too.

[jamesfnb]

Fox News and CNN are more alike than people think. Republicans and Democrats are more alike than people realize. Vote Libertarian........

[jdoggivjc]

Bill O'Reilly is the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD!!

That's not true... After all, Drew Tate and Pierre Pierce are still out there.