Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Does Fox News Know What Media Bias Is?

By Bill Maher

If there's one drum the right wing likes to bang it's the one about the "liberal media", which, by law, must appear in every right-wing editorial or come out of the mouths of every Fox News and radio show pundit at least four times a day or Rupert Murdoch strips you of your wingnut accreditation.

Claiming "liberal bias" is like a tick. If you make up a scandal and it doesn't get reported to your satisfaction, it's not because the whole Solyndra thing was a great big nothingburger, it's because the liberal media is protecting the president. If Sarah Palin says something stupid and it gets reported, it's not because Sarah Palin said something stupid. It's because the liberal media has it out for strong conservative women who quit their jobs and do nothing for years.

And to this end, Fox News' website now has this thing called "BIAS ALERT." And each day, in bright red letters, they post some example of what they think is "liberal bias."

Except there's only one small problem: it's almost never an example of media bias. What they seem to have uncovered is that ...grab hold of something ...not everyone is a Republican.

Take this effort about Andrew Sullivan:

"BIAS ALERT: Pundit Warns Of Romney's 'Global War'"

Daily Beast columnist Andrew Sullivan warns that Romney will launch 'new global war' if elected

...Yes, Andrew Sullivan is not a fan of Mitt Romney. But how is this evidence of media bias? Andrew Sullivan is not a reporter. He's a blogger and columnist. He's not held to some standard where he's not allowed to be partisan, or to express his personal views. That's what he does. It's like saying Charles Krauthammer is biased. The bit might as well be called "PEOPLE WHO SAY THINGS WE DON'T LIKE."

Other recent recipients of Fox’s "BIAS ALERT" include David Letterman, whose monologues are apparently bound by the standards of fair journalism, and Mother Jones, the liberal magazine that busted Romney on his 47% comments. How dare they not agree with Mitt Romney on everything, and then say so?

This is almost sort of refreshing. Because it means that 95% of the time we have to sit through some wingnut screeching about liberal media bias, they don't actually understand who is actually bound to a standard of journalism (journalists) and who isn't (everyone else). They're just upset that people exist outside their bubble and they don't believe the same things they do.

So to recap: reality is now evidence of media bias. And so are people with opinions.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

It's un-fucking-real how much FAUXNEWS is whining and frothing at the mouth right now about how 'the MSM was so unfair to Mittens, boo hoo' and 'now that pot's legal in two states, it's the end of the fucking world,' and 'now that gays can legally marry in two states, it's the end of the fucking world,' and 'now that Oblackman is reelected, it's the end of the fucking world.'

Dude....nutcase doomsayers, here's a hint; if you don't like it so much, FUCK OFF n' move away, and take the rest of your shit eating, redneck, inbred, uninformed, piece of shit, asshat, fucktarded, dimwitted, bible thumping, ignorant cultists the fuck with you.

Anonymous said...

Hey Overfiendly it's people like you that make people vote for Republicans. It's not so much their support of the Republican candidate as much as it's their disgust for people like you. The conservatives of today are not the conservatives of yester-year you DUMBFUCK! See I can call names too. Today's young conservatives aren't against the legalization of pot, they aren't against gay marriage, they may still have some conservative outlooks on some issues, but not the examples you mentioned you out of touch FUCK! Todays conservatives aren't even in the same ball park as their conservative parents and grandparents, so catch up, update your brain you narrow minded DUMBFUCK! I know it's not cool, hip,and trendy to be a conservative and think for yourself because if you are everyone tries to label you as, in your words; "nutcase doomsayers, shit eating, redneck, inbred, uninformed, piece of shit, asshat, fucktarded, dimwitted, bible thumping, ignorant cultists." The thing is, if something catastrophic did happen in which survival depended on individuals that are hard working, individuals with strong common sense, ingenuity, self reliance, self sufficiant, the majority of those people I believe would be Republicans, "conservatives", then you would be relying on them to help you because I guarantee a dumbfuck like you would be lost without a fucking tv set, computer, GPS or a fast food restaurant. So shut the fuck up and download another app.

Anonymous said...

Title: The nextel time your ride a bike or turn on the electricty or even use artifficial intelligence,or(ai) you could be an hypocryt to your belief ,so you bunch of ignorants slaves to your ezquisofrenic and imaginary friends dellusions,if you are using atheist inventions such as bycicle you could been violated by an atheist so stop using the internet if you think that you are possesed by evil forces stop using our inventions,and go fucking live who knows were the fuck with your imaginary friend telling that you became an atheist the next time you open the fridge and guess what icemachines were invented by an atheist,do you a favor dont waste ink and read Darwin,I preffer to be an evolve animal rather than a degenerated son of Adan.remember when we ask you and your respond became a stealth from ours inventions you will be fucking judge by your ezquisofrenic mind why i can be so hypocrit to my self the nex time we use (ai) i thought i was using atheist intelligence.

Paul AI said...

Title: The nextel time your ride a bike or turn on the electricty or even use artifficial intelligence,or(ai) you could be an hypocryt to your belief ,so you bunch of ignorants slaves to your ezquisofrenic and imaginary friends dellusions,if you are using atheist inventions such as bycicle you could been violated by an atheist so stop using the internet if you think that you are possesed by evil forces stop using our inventions,and go fucking live who knows were the fuck with your imaginary friend telling that you became an atheist the next time you open the fridge and guess what icemachines were invented by an atheist,do you a favor dont waste ink and read Darwin,I preffer to be an evolve animal rather than a degenerated son of Adan.remember when we ask you and your respond became a stealth from ours inventions you will be fucking judge by your ezquisofrenic mind why i can be so hypocrit to my self the nex time we use (ai) i thought i was using atheist intelligence.

Anonymous said...

There should never be another fiasco like the 2012 election. Fixing government has to start with how we elect those who govern.

That's why I created a petition to The Washington State House, The Washington State Senate, Governor Christine Gregoire, The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Barack Obama, which says:

"Corporations are not people and money is not speech. Media must be reformed to keep the electorate informed. News should not have commercials all candidates and issues should get 60 minutes of prime time free. "

Will you sign my petition? Click here to add your name:

http://signon.org/sign/fix-the-vote?source=c.fwd&r_by=463713

Thanks!

Unknown said...

Hey, anonymous fuckwit that didn't apparently have the mental wherewithal to post his name with his blind rant that completely missed the point: die in a fire. If you'd actually had the capacity to stroll your greasy, fat, naive fingers across the keyboard long enough to read what fox had posted mere hours after the election, you'd have noticed that each point I'd put across was indeed something pulled directly from their page. Also, newfag, I never was bashing the republicans in general, I was bashing blind followers of fox news and very much the channel itself. So, get a fucking grip, smoke a fucking joint, and shut the fuck up.

Anonymous said...

Overfiend, I read a little of your shit for brains blog and seen where you wrote;

"Freedom comes from lack of bonds to others.

Lack of employment."

That says it all you lazy fuck. Telling me to die in a fire. If karma is real....

Anonymous said...

Overfiendly, also you wrote "If you'd actually had the capacity to stroll your greasy, fat, naive fingers across the keyboard long enough.." I really feel you were describing yourself after reading your blog about how you love to eat, eat, eat and that you're over weight (maybe you've lost some weight since then). So good try, but I'm not you. Check this out though, you are correct about one thing, it's true you did not specifically attack conservatives or republicans. I see how it could be argued that the name calling and hateful remarks were directed at FoxNews, but when you write it as you did, I quote; "Dude....nutcase doomsayers, here's a hint; if you don't like it so much, FUCK OFF n' move away, and take the rest of your shit eating, redneck, inbred, uninformed, piece of shit, asshat, fucktarded, dimwitted, bible thumping, ignorant cultists the fuck with you." It sounded like it was directed at not only Foxnews, but also at the audience in which they tailor their news for. I apologize for being defensive. I also read in your blog that you feel alot of people are full of hate, full of pain and repulsion, it sounds as if you are no exception. You had a good blog going, I hope to get back to it and update it. Sorry about getting riled up. No need for it. Peace.

An American said...

i think karl rove has got some balls, what he called voter suppression was the same exact thing he did in 2000 to john McCain who should have been president instead of "the bush" . karl rove attacked McCains character and family, a man who has served his country and is a hero, the complete opposite of karl who is the lowest of the low, complete sleaze ball. Karl helped steal away McCains chance. Maybe if we had Mcain as president on 9/11 , it may have never happened because he would have been smart enough to read briefings that said "bin laden planning to attack in the US" , and not hanging out on a ranch in texas for the first six months of his presidency.

Wayne said...

A Canadian I used to watch Fox news occasionally for a laugh, but their shrill hatred of Obama and lack of respect over the last few years was/is truly nauseating. At least CNN attempts to provide an opposing view.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever noticed that whenever you go into a Dunkin Donuts, Fox News is on? I finally asked a manager and was told that corporate HQ only lets them show Fox News on their in-store TVs. They are serving up Americans a daily dose of Coffee and Right wing Crap. I think its time we all stopped going there...