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Fox News is un-American

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Sun__Tzu, Jul 19, 2004.

  1. rflagg

    rflagg Member

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    ugh, TV quality has only increased on stations like HBO and Showtime.

    "Trading Spouses" is an increase in quality of programming? I call it an increase in stupid programming aiming to the lowest common denominator, as Fox often does.

    The only - the ONLY reason - Fox is a major player is because of The Simpsons. However, there was much help with other shows - X-files, Married with Children, King of the Hill, and plenty others that I may not necessarily watch, but can appreciate their place in TV history, FWIW.

    Murdoch took a business opportunity and a chance when picking up the Simpsons, and it paid off greatly, to the point now where just about every year the Simpsons cast are fighting for raises while Fox keeps raking in the profits from the show.

    Network TV is almost as sickening as FM radio, in my opinion. Oh well.

    -m.
     
  2. Sun__Tzu

    Sun__Tzu New Member

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    Well, apparently FM radio is pretty much aligned into a handful of media empires too. Personally, I get my news from PBS (NewsHour, BBC), WSJ, Wash Post and most importantly, the Daily Show. Sometimes I find myself wishing that I had watched a "regular" evening newscast just to see how they spun some of the ridiculous things shown by Jon Stewart, like Bush saying "America is safer!!!" 8 times in a 30 minute speech (unfortunately, I don't think that particular clip is online). However...

    Talking points: http://www.comedycentral.com/mp/play.php?r...t/jon_9007.html

    CIA failure:
    http://www.comedycentral.com/mp/play.php?r...t/jon_9004.html

    Daily Show: news, the way it ought to be : )
    For my money, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, NBC and CBS are all worthless. I wouldn't shed a tear if they all left the dial tomorrow.
     
  3. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    since the advent of the internet, i have links to several national newspapers that are online.

    it is sometimes rather confusing to read the front page of several different cities in one day. it is sometimes impossible to tell that you are reading the news from the same day.

    i will say that several times ive read news stories with a national theme that made the front page in one city and was never mentioned in my local newspaper at all. that to say the least, did great damage to my beliefs in news reporting of any kind.
     
  4. Sun__Tzu

    Sun__Tzu New Member

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    Well, I think some local papers can be excused for being smaller publications, with slightly more limited staffs. Its when all 5 massive, multinational media corporations totally miss huge stories that my faith in mainstream media collapses.

    Can't believe I missed this week's Doonesbury: http://www.ucomics.com/doonesbury/2004/07/19/
    Is there any reasonable explanation for _reporters_ getting talking points? (as has been alleged of Fox News)
     
  5. bookrats

    bookrats New Member

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    Actually, you bring up the one other area I get news from, Sun -- small local "neighborhood" papers. The ones that talk about city neighborhood council meetings, zoning disputes, new businesses moving into the area, etc. Also, plenty of info about community bazaars and church fundraising events.

    I'm thinking stuff that the Seattle Times might miss, but is very nice for those of us living in "urban neighborhoods".

    [Seattle examples would be the North Seattle Herald-Outlook, Ballard News-Tribune, and the Seattle Press; maybe The Weekly, though they\'re bigger and aimed at (a) selling restaurant and singles ads and (B) being hip. (I am not including The Stranger. You can be a satirical humor/review weekly, or you can be a newspaper; you can\'t have it both ways.)]
     
  6. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    oh im talking front page news which is national for nearly every paper and also scan the headlines for papers in half a dozen major cities for a week.

    barring an event like 9-11, i can garantee you variety in news like you have never seen before.

    but that isnt the bad part, the bad part happens when the variety is there even when reporting on the same thing.

    i also thought large organizations would have the same stuff on their pages but in checking the Times in New York, Chicago and LA, i was surprized at the variety there too.

    i used to think that AP or UPI wire stories (which nearly all national front page stories are) would be the same everywhere. boy was i wrong!!
     
  7. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    When I was in Mexico I was always amazed how much better La Jornada is than anything in the U.S. I've gotten lazy, though, and out of the habit of reading it, even though it's available on line.