StPaulHusker Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 There isn't an answer or a solution short of death squads. If you talk to people who really buy into the lies Fox News spreads (and there are many, both of the lies and people taken in by them), you quickly realize nothing can be done. You can pick apart the falsehoods line by line, showing examples of primary source evidence that utterly contradicts Fox News, and the sheeple will simply come back with some version of, "It's a liberal conspiracy of some kind." The delusions created by their circular logic are unbreakable. Yep. Ran into this today. My dad is more convinced than ever that the IRS story and the Benghazi stories are heating up. The next Issa hearing is going to blow the lid off . . . And like you said, I'd bring up facts that Fox News doesn't focus on and he wouldn't believe me. "Where are you hearing this bull@#$%?!" I guess I think the misinformation runs both ways. CNBC and CNN aren't any better IMO. But I don't know anyone who watches CNN or CNBC. I guess I only read CNBC online for money and investing news. I guess I hadn't paid close enough attention to their political leanings. Now if someone mentioned MSNBC, I could see where they could be grouped with CNN. Link to comment
knapplc Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 CNN used to be so good. Headline News, too. It's a shame what's become of them. I haven't watched either one (or any TV-based news) for years now. It's a wasteland. Link to comment
tschu Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 CNBC and CNN are nowhere close to Fox News on the crazy propoganda spectrum. However, they're equally worthless as new agencies anymore. I remember CNN being awesome as recently as Hurricane Katrina, but man they were an embarrassment to humanity with the Boston Marathon bombing stuff. Link to comment
Excel Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I feel bad about it but for the past year or so when there's a big event I tend to turn to reddit and look for live threads. During the Boston bombing scare last year I found information there two or three hours earlier than on CNN or other large sources. That story really showed the best and worst of reddit all in one week. Best: Live threads, aggregated stories so all the information is in one place, information earlier than other sources, interesting commentary Worst: Rampant speculation, Stories taken out of context, tons of unverified information and occasional lies If a person approaches it with an understanding of its weaknesses it can be a valuable tool and more useful than CNN/FOX/NBC. I guess I just got sick of those big three, especially having fallen victim to FNC psychosis myself in the years following 9/11. After watching it religiously for nearly a decade I began to notice the little things they do to hook viewers and subtly change opinions. The "BREAKING NEWS" cut in every half hour or so, the giant American flag graphic they flew at the top of the screen for years, the weasel words, using suggestions and quotes as a way to make points (example: "Some people say all Democrats hate Christmas"), the selective covering of stories, the frauds they trot out as experts and morons they give shows, the outright lies, especially on history, that their hosts often represent as fact. It's sickening. Other sources do it too but Fox is by far the worst. 1 Link to comment
NUinID Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 There isn't an answer or a solution short of death squads. If you talk to people who really buy into the lies Fox News spreads (and there are many, both of the lies and people taken in by them), you quickly realize nothing can be done. You can pick apart the falsehoods line by line, showing examples of primary source evidence that utterly contradicts Fox News, and the sheeple will simply come back with some version of, "It's a liberal conspiracy of some kind." The delusions created by their circular logic are unbreakable. Yep. Ran into this today. My dad is more convinced than ever that the IRS story and the Benghazi stories are heating up. The next Issa hearing is going to blow the lid off . . . And like you said, I'd bring up facts that Fox News doesn't focus on and he wouldn't believe me. "Where are you hearing this bull@#$%?!" I guess I think the misinformation runs both ways. CNBC and CNN aren't any better IMO. But I don't know anyone who watches CNN or CNBC. So now your upset because your dad is listening to stuff that basically is validating what he wants to here. All of these news stations be it right or left leaning are just preaching to the choir. Link to comment
carlfense Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 So now your upset because your dad is listening to stuff that basically is validating what he wants to here. All of these news stations be it right or left leaning are just preaching to the choir. I don't think that upset is the right word. Disappointed? Frustrated? He literally doesn't believe it if he doesn't hear it from Fox. We talk 3-4 times per week and subject is often politics . . . this makes things difficult. Link to comment
Excel Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 So now your upset because your dad is listening to stuff that basically is validating what he wants to here. All of these news stations be it right or left leaning are just preaching to the choir. I don't think that upset is the right word. Disappointed? Frustrated? He literally doesn't believe it if he doesn't hear it from Fox. We talk 3-4 times per week and subject is often politics . . . this makes things difficult. How can you do that 3-4 times a week? At some point I'd just avoid the topic entirely. Link to comment
carlfense Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 How can you do that 3-4 times a week? At some point I'd just avoid the topic entirely. Probably 1 out of 4 is about politics. The other 3 are some combination of home improvement, fishing, hunting, and farming. Link to comment
NUinID Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 So now your upset because your dad is listening to stuff that basically is validating what he wants to here. All of these news stations be it right or left leaning are just preaching to the choir. I don't think that upset is the right word. Disappointed? Frustrated? He literally doesn't believe it if he doesn't hear it from Fox. We talk 3-4 times per week and subject is often politics . . . this makes things difficult. I guess my point is that you can be on the left or right of the isle and still get your news from the source that is what you want to hear. My wife's uncle is so far left he makes Al Frankin look like Rush Limbaugh. He is not going to listen to anything that doesn't agree with what he thinks. Many older white Americans like what they hear on Fox News there is nothing wrong with that. IMO there is very little unbiased news reporting in America anymore, that includes the major networks. Link to comment
EbylHusker Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I take issue with it when Fox News is pushing what amounts to bigotry, anti-gay, anti-anthing that's not white, outright war mongering, near unbelievable levels of Christian zealotry, fear mongering, etc. When you boil Fox News down, that is what you're getting every single day, nonstop. Again, no other "news" source even comes close to that. I completely agree that the main 24 hour TV news sources are complete sh#t. But Fox News stands alone in how bad they are. It's not even a contest when you compare them to others. 3 Link to comment
tschu Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Twitter and reddit are by far the best source of news, as long as you're twitter/reddit-literate. 1 Link to comment
sd'sker Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Many older white Americans like what they hear on Fox News there is nothing wrong with that. IMO there is very little unbiased news reporting in America anymore, that includes the major networks. there is a difference between bias and propaganda, or being the mouthpiece to a party (as opposed to an ideology). what is wrong with fox news is how the feign outrage over the victimization from a historically ruling class because their entitlements are being called into question. Link to comment
NUinID Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Many older white Americans like what they hear on Fox News there is nothing wrong with that. IMO there is very little unbiased news reporting in America anymore, that includes the major networks. there is a difference between bias and propaganda, or being the mouthpiece to a party (as opposed to an ideology). what is wrong with fox news is how the feign outrage over the victimization from a historically ruling class because their entitlements are being called into question. It's all propaganda in my mind be on the right or left. What entitlements are we talking about? Link to comment
sd'sker Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 It's all propaganda in my mind be on the right or left. What entitlements are we talking about? propaganda is using misinformation and being a cheerleader for a party. fox news is a mouthpiece for the republican party. msnbc is in favor of the left's ideology. there is a huge difference. say what you will about msnbc, but it is consistent and will be critical of democrats. fox is extremely contradictory in that everything obama does is bad, even if it is something they praised george bush for. the entitlements that come with being the powerful class. for instances, there is no war on christmas and frankly no one owes christians preferential treatment. if someone says happy holidays to you, deal with it. Link to comment
Excel Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Twitter and reddit are by far the best source of news, as long as you're twitter/reddit-literate. Twitter is difficult for me. I try to avoid it if at all possible. Link to comment
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