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How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

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Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#51

The scariest thing about biased news sources is not how they cover something but whether they cover something at all . People who don't tune into multiple will simply have no idea that something even happened. They'll have completely different realities based on their perceptions. Just looking at the graph you can see four whole stories that CNN completely omitted, yet there was nothing that CNN covered that Fox igno…

It should be noted that the four stories that CNN didn't cover aren't actually real stories, but are bordering on conspiracy theories.

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#52
post #26
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point is more that Fox will routinely elevate issues that aren't really "news" in a traditional sense to major "stories", either to fill time[1] or to make a partisan argument. The IRS funding is a great example here. The IRA bill indeed increases funding for the Internal Revenue Service by something like 30%. This would be reasonable content to include in a print article, say, of the kind of bureaucratic funding…

Your own bias is showing. Fox watchers would say something like "it's just a witchhunt, and it found nothing" or "climate change is a big fat nothingburger". (I personally don't believe that!)

Can you be more specific?

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#53
post #52
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your own bias is showing. Fox watchers would say something like "it's just a witchhunt, and it found nothing" or "climate change is a big fat nothingburger". (I personally don't believe that!)

Can you be more specific?

More specific about...?

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#54
post #5

I know this will come across as a bit of flame-bait, but: What is the point in comparing two crappy news sources? Neither is worth spending time on. Also, more on-point: Are they looking only at news, or are they including opinion?

What are good news sources? I guarantee you that for any news source you pick, there are people who will argue that it is crappy and/or biased.

There's no such thing as a good news source. They are all biased. The best option is using multiple news sources, ideally ones that are fairly balanced (NPR, AP) as well as biased ones, as well as foreign news sources about America. For example I really like reading BBC news about the US and Al Jazeera.

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#55

It's disappointing, but just a fact of life now, that people will see the world so differently. People have always had differing politics, but there was a semblance of a baseline. I feel like we need a generation that strikes out against the notion of identity altogether (as I think identity is a core part of the issue), but that already feels like an identity in itself.

Do you have particular examples of identity being a core part of the issue? I see people complain about identity politics all the time, but when it comes down to it, the individual issues that fall under that umbrella are things that people deeply care about and can’t just be dismissed.

I think almost all issues with any controversy seem to have identity at the crux. This is why there is virtually no principled consistency. That's why you have Defund the Police and then Defund the FBI. Or "athletes get paid too much" and "it's a free market". Or "go back where you came from" and "go back where you came from". Or "my body my choice" and "my body my choice".

If I woke up tomorrow I think the supporters of each of these could just about flip and they'd be no worse off from a principled perspective. They just need to make sure those others in their identity group are on the same page.

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#56

i'll just leave this here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent You only need to read the first chapter, which is about 30 pages, to see the arguments. the rest of the book is example and analysis.

I wish everyone knew about Edward Bernays, nephew of Freud, and father of modern propaganda, aka public relations, aka marketing.¹²

It's a real eye opener to be able to notice when you're being manipulated (often emotionally) by the others, including family and friends. The media and ad industries have been playing us for years. It lets you reevaluate where you stand as opposed to where you think you stand. I went through a period of outrage, violation & hate while learning this, but came out with a lot more calm & acceptance as a result. I haven't had a TV in 10 years & find it really irritating to watch bc of the way you're unnaturally enticed to resonate for or against whatever is being presented (note, I still do watch some movies). I think it's in everyone's best interests to learn to be in control ones own mind, free of manipulation.

¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays

² https://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american...

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have particular examples of identity being a core part of the issue? I see people complain about identity politics all the time, but when it comes down to it, the individual issues that fall under that umbrella are things that people deeply care about and can’t just be dismissed.

I think almost all issues with any controversy seem to have identity at the crux. This is why there is virtually no principled consistency. That's why you have Defund the Police and then Defund the FBI. Or "athletes get paid too much" and "it's a free market". Or "go back where you came from" and "go back where you came from". Or "my body my choice" and "my body my choice". If I woke up tomorrow I think the supporter…

How is identity at the crux of “defund the FBI”?

“Identity politics” are generally considered to be issues related to things like race, gender, social class, etc

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#58
post #41
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 60% of Republicans turn to Fox News for political news and 53% of Democrats turn to CNN It'd be nice to see comparisons of all the news networks, but if you're going to start somewhere it seems like the two which have the majority of viewers seems appropriate.

Indeed, the relative numbers are a complete misrepresentation of the image. You need to see nominal viewers to understand just how absolutely crushing Fox News' dominance has been, not just of CNN, but of all the Leftist media. The second most viewed news source (and most viewed Leftist one) isn't even CNN any more, it's been MSNBC for a while now: https://www.statista.com/statistics/373814/cable-news-networ... And i…

If there's something important in that link, can you write it out? I cannot view "premium" statistics.

>You need to see nominal viewers to understand just how absolutely crushing Fox News' dominance has been

Nominal viewers does seem really important to determine dominance. I'm not sure it's as important in the context of the project here, though. The numbers I quoted only seem to matter with respect to how the news sources were initially selected, not the actual analysis being done. I guess that stat does suggest they should compare Fox to MSNBC rather than CNN.

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#59
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People voting D or R because that’s their tribe rather than because they want those policies is an example. I know a lot of people who vote without even really reading what’s on the ballot. They just go with whatever option has D next to it. Others do the same but for R. Personally I can’t vote so it’s mostly an interesting phenomenon to observe

I feel like calling that “identity” muddles the term, as identity politics generally refers to categories like race and gender, and maps to feelings on issues such as abortion and the Black Lives Matter movement. To attempt to be helpful, I’d suggest that what you’re referring to is more of an issue of uber partisanship than identity per se.

[deleted]

Re: How does Fox vs. CNN compare in topic/event coverage over the last week?

#60
post #4

Not to accuse the author of bias, but surely are there must have been some topics covered by CNN that Fox didn't?

The point is more that Fox will routinely elevate issues that aren't really "news" in a traditional sense to major "stories", either to fill time[1] or to make a partisan argument. The IRS funding is a great example here. The IRA bill indeed increases funding for the Internal Revenue Service by something like 30%. This would be reasonable content to include in a print article, say, of the kind of bureaucratic funding…

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