Could Orenthal please die already?

[Ltlabner]

Nope, not trying to dance out of anything, I'm just waiting for an example that actually correlates with the topic at hand. If you *truly* believe that a rigged car crash test is on par with the OJ interview, be my guest. We'll just have to disagree there..

I wasn't making the case that the rigged crash test was on par with the OJ thing. I was making the case that all of the news orginzations are flawed and restort to tacky things to get ratings. There is no moral relativity scale here. Both actions by both companies are wrong.

I have no problems slinging criticisms towards Fox because their news channel's smug "We Report, You Decide" tagline is about as far from reality as one can get. Their attempt at moral arrogance with people like Hannity, O'Reilly and Coulter just sets them up to be ridiculed for things like this, and I am more than happy to oblige.

Yes, because nooooone of the other news networks have any moral arrogence. Not Dan Rather claiming the world has to prove his Bush records are false not that he has to prove they are true. Not Sam Donaldson going on about tax breaks to the rich when he is both a millionare and recieves subsides for his cattle ranch. Not any of the news folks who rail on about the environment as they ride around town in limos and fly on chartered jets.

As I said, there is plenty of arrogence from all sides in todays news departments. And that is sad.

[registerthis]

They gave this creep a free limo ride around his neighborhood. After the backlash that occured from reports that surfaced after this guy was peeking in the school window, causing a lockdown and call to police, they thought better of running with it. Wow, they are really ethical down there at ABC.

I get it. You hate FOX. Everybody else is just jim-dandy fine.

Yep, you'll grasp at straws to defend the network's decision. We get it.

[registerthis]

I wasn't making the case that the rigged crash test was on par with the OJ thing. I was making the case that all of the news orginzations are flawed and restort to tacky things to get ratings. There is no moral relativity scale here. Both actions by both companies are wrong.

Of course all news channels do stunts to pump up viewership, the name of the game is ratings, after all. I've never said that the others are perfect, not at all. But I'll also point out that some networks are a bit less hesitant to go down the ratings-for-shock-value path than others.

Yes, because nooooone of the other news networks have any moral arrogence....As I said, there is plenty of arrogence from all sides in todays news departments. And that is sad.

Perhaps, but when I see another network that so clearly pushes a singular agenda so blatantly attempt to advertise that it does not, I'll get back to you.

[Ltlabner]

Perhaps, but when I see a network that so clearly pushes a singular agenda so blatantly attempt to advertise that it does not, I'll get back to you.

Yet an agenda can been seen on the other networks and they try just as hard to pretend they are objective and unbiased. Their slogan may not be "we report, you decide" but when you don't agree with their bias it's pretty clear to see.

It's only natural that you see Fox as hypocritical and arrogent because their "views" conflict with your own. Well, that goes both ways.

I'm trying to dance around political issues, but the plain fact is all humans are pretty concerened with assuming their view is the correct one and trying to convince others they are in the wrong. To believe the humans in these news orginizations (except Fox, of course) are immune from this is nieve.

[NJReds]

Yep, you'll grasp at straws to defend the network's decision. We get it.

Wow. That's a leap. I'm not defending Fox. I'm saying TV news for the most part is a wasteland. This might be the lowest of the low. But I'm not throwing out props to other networks, because at some point, someone will surpass this.

[registerthis]

Yet an agenda can been seen on the other networks and they try just as hard to pretend they are objective and unbiased. Their slogan may not be "we report, you decide" but when you don't agree with their bias it's pretty clear to see.

It's only natural that you see Fox as hypocritical and arrogent because their "views" conflict with your own. Well, that goes both ways.

Somehow, I knew the old "liberal media" slant would rear it's head here.

CNN and MSNBC are as leftwing as Fox is right? Sure. I just need to add, I love this line of thinking--one media outlet/politician/pundit sayd/does something enormously stupid,a nd is rightly chastised for doing so. Only others jump to media outlet/politician/pundit's defense with the "they all do it" line. Much like the Abramoff/Republican ethics scandals from the past year, they *all* do it, so it's unfair to portray any one individual/group as worse than another. They're all above reproach (or under it), if you will.

Well, to that I merely respond with http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1067 .

Take it for what it's worth.

[NJReds]

Before this gets locked down for being a political thread...

I wonder if the advertisers will back away from this. And with everyone in agreement that this is vile, I wonder what rating it will pull in.

[registerthis]

Wow. That's a leap. I'm not defending Fox. I'm saying TV news for the most part is a wasteland. This might be the lowest of the low. But I'm not throwing out props to other networks, because at some point, someone will surpass this.

Who's throwing props to other networks? I merely pointed out that NBC declined to air the interview, and Fox has only been more than happy to promote it.

And saying that "They're no worse than anyone else" is a defense, albeit more of the backhanded compliment variety.

[registerthis]

Before this gets locked down for being a political thread...

I wonder if the advertisers will back away from this. And with everyone in agreement that this is vile, I wonder what rating it will pull in.

Public reaction has been pretty negative...heck, it's been ALL negative. Perhaps it will continue, and no advertiser will want their name associated with this thing.

[pedro]

In other news Britney Spears songs and stage persona have no sexual undertones.

[savafan]

Hey, is this the thread about O.J.?

[dabvu2498]

In other news Britney Spears songs and stage persona have no sexual undertones.

Hmmm... who knew???

[Ltlabner]

Somehow, I knew the old "liberal media" slant would rear it's head here.

CNN and MSNBC are as leftwing as Fox is right? Sure. I just need to add, I love this line of thinking--one media outlet/politician/pundit sayd/does something enormously stupid,a nd is rightly chastised for doing so. Only others jump to media outlet/politician/pundit's defense with the "they all do it" line. Much like the Abramoff/Republican ethics scandals from the past year, they *all* do it, so it's unfair to portray any one individual/group as worse than another. They're all above reproach (or under it), if you will.

You can cling to the idea that I am defending Fox all you want. They are clearly wrong and my first post from the get go made no bones about it. I don't care for Fox's approach as much as I don't care for CBS, etc.

If you can listen to/read most any news cast today, from most any medium and honestly say you can't hear some form of bias one way or the other, IMO you are either not listening closely, not a student of politics/current events or are plainly nieve.

I'm not excusing any of them. I'm indicting all of them. While you take particular glee at pointing out Fox's arrogence (presumidly because their bias conflicts with yours) I am disgusted that the days of reporting facts and letting me make up my mind are long since gone from any news outlet.

I don't know when those days changed. Maybe it was when Kronkite came out against Viet Nam. Maybe it was the combined effect of the Watergate/Nixon/Viet Nam era. Maybe it was the advent of 24 hour news. Maybe it was all of them. EDIT: Of course, "jouralnalism" at different periods of our history has been pretty shady so I'm not making a case for a golden age.

Fox is biased in one direction. Yep. CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, LA Times, NY Times, AP, Reuters and Newsweek are all biased in other directions. Maybe not the same direction, or to the same degree but they are baised none the less.

I'm not commenting at all on how much they do it and which one is better. I'm saying that any of them do it is bad for society.

[M2]

I thought the civil suit against O.J. prevented him from profiting from books and the like about the murder of his wife and Ron Goldman.

As for Fox News, it's wretched. That's got nothing to do ideology. It's made itself into the propaganda arm of the administration. I don't care who the administration is or what party is in power, a news organization has the responsibility to hold its feet to the fire.

Now, other TV, radio and print news organizations have committed a multitude of sins over the years, but most of them at least hold to the principle that they shouldn't be governmental yes men. It's the news equivalent of throwing a baseball game. It's the unforgivable sin of the industry. Fox literally lifted the Bush administration's talking points and built newscasts around them. It willfully abdicated the responsibility of investigating the veracity of the administration's claims and the results of its efforts. Instead it sought to marginalize anyone who didn't get in lockstep behind the government. Truly hoffifying when you think about it.

[paintmered]

And this thread has now become too political. Take it elsewhere folks.