Media Bias

[ZaraDurden]

No- Fox, Like most Americans, sees NK for what it is-Evil. Any leadership that's enslaves and murders their people IS a menace, i.e. Red Menace, Nazi Menace, etc. Most Americans would agree with this. Liberal thinking, which you seem to subscribe to, is lack of right and wrong. No good, no bad...So what if N.Korea has starved as much as 10% of it's population to death, then spends billions on Nukes? Who are we to judge? That NK is evil has already been established in everyone minds. Heck, even Clinton called NK a threat. We can either call a spade a spade or stick our head in the sand and pretend not to see...or we could always just send Jimmy Carter over there to sort everything out.
Because, you know, he did such a stellar job the first time.

BTW, was this on Fox NEWS or Hannity & Colmes? Just curious...

Why can't Americans come to their own conclusions about North Korea? They can, and they should be allowed to do so. Maybe you are right, maybe most will conclude that North Korea is 'bad'.

You classify liberal thinking as a lack of right and wrong, however its more accurately a lack of an absolute right and wrong. Issues are not black and white, they take critical consideration. If more Americans were willing to exercise some brain power rather than allowing their opinions to be formed for them, we'd all be a lot better off.

And btw, Clinton is far from a becon of liberalism...he was highly moderate.

The bigger issue you are avoiding with North Korea is whether they are a threat to the US or not, of which the answer is basically "No". Their nuclear programs are a deterrant, because they have much more to worry about in their immediately surronding neighbors than they have to worry about in the US. South Korea, thanks to us, has one of the best mechanized militaries in the world.

This is on Fox News, not Hannity...Hannity is really another issue all together.

 

[Scribbler]

Why can't Americans come to their own conclusions about North Korea? They can, and they should be allowed to do so. Maybe you are right, maybe most will conclude that North Korea is 'bad'.

And already have.

And btw, Clinton is far from a becon of liberalism...he was highly moderate.

Yes, he eventually came to the center, politically. in 1993, (when he made the comment about NK) he was squarely in the leftist camp. And he (rightly) saw NK as a threat. My point WAS, Fox calling NK a menace was in line with what average America consider's NK, a threat. Should a news organization lead in with or the "terrorist menace" or, heck, even "the obesity menace" (or the "Fox news menace" in your case), this is not making people's mind up for them. It's reporting on a menace...North Korea, in this case.

The bigger issue you are avoiding with North Korea is whether they are a threat to the US or not, of which the answer is basically "No". Their nuclear programs are a deterrant, because they have much more to worry about in their immediately surronding neighbors than they have to worry about in the US. South Korea, thanks to us, has one of the best mechanized militaries in the world.

Umm,..."avoiding"? Did you read my last post?

 

[ZaraDurden]

To simplify my point, that North Korea is a 'menace' is an opinion that not everyone agrees with... 'menace' is a strong word with a lot of connotations, and fully unnecessary in not just a story, but a repeating headline on any news concerning North Korea on Fox.

It's bias in reporting.

 

[Scribbler]

To simplify my point, that North Korea is a 'menace' is an opinion that not everyone agrees with... 'menace' is a strong word with a lot of connotations, and fully unnecessary in not just a story, but a repeating headline on any news concerning North Korea on Fox.

It's bias in reporting.

North Korea selling missles to rogue nations on the Black Market wouldn't constitute a threat? Huh?

 

[Scribbler]

men·ace ([font=verdana, sans-serif] P [/font]) Pronunciation Key (m

n

s)
n.

1. 1. <LI type=a>A possible danger; a threat: the menace of nuclear war.
   2. The act of threatening.
2. A troublesome or annoying person: a toddler who was a menace in a shop full of crystal.

From dictionary.com

 

[Fa'Head]

I never did receive a convincing explanation from Spawn as to how I cannot know bias from a news agency unless I know the names of it's anchors.

 

[TheBear]

I never did receive a convincing explanation from Spawn as to how I cannot know bias from a news agency unless I know the names of it's anchors.

Yeah.

It was a nice distraction from the issue.

 

[ZaraDurden]

North Korea selling missles to rogue nations on the Black Market wouldn't constitute a threat? Huh?

That they have done this is not a fact; nor is it a fact that North Korea is a menace.

 

[Spawn]

What would that accomplish? Do you think it would nullify my point?

Fox News says everything you like to hear. Get real, friend. Fox News is as biased as the rest. Accept the truth about it, or stay in denial.

How about NewsMax? Do you think they are neutral and unbiased too?

No Fox does not say everything I like to hear. There are times when I disagree with what they choose to cover and how they choose to cover it - but even then, they give BOTH SIDES a chance to be heard and that's more than any of the other networks do.

 

[Spawn]

How about NewsMax? Do you think they are neutral and unbiased too?

NewsMax? I don't usually read thier stuff. I prefer www.jewishworldreview.com www.townhall.com and Nealz Newz @ http://boortz.com/nuze/index.html.

 

[Spawn]

Id love to give an example of Fox News bias--take their coverage on North Korea. It is titled "North Korean Menace".

The problem? By including the word menace, Fox has made the judgement for the viewer about the situation with North Korea before they even hear the story. If reported unbiased, it is possible for the viewer to conclude that North Korea has the right to self defense and the right to develop nuclear weapons in the same way that the United States has these rights.

This is a valid conclusion, yet Fox News presupposes that this view is wrong in the very manner that they report a story--this is Right-leaning bias. There are other possibilites than the Manichean "we're good and they're bad" conclusion.

RIGHT - a mad man in charge of a rogue nation should NEVER be labled a menace . . . . Logical

 

[Spawn]

To simplify my point, that North Korea is a 'menace' is an opinion that not everyone agrees with... 'menace' is a strong word with a lot of connotations, and fully unnecessary in not just a story, but a repeating headline on any news concerning North Korea on Fox.

It's bias in reporting.

who does not see North Korea as a menace? Their closest ally (china) see them as a menace!

 

[ZaraDurden]

The number of people who see North Korea as a menace or not is not an issue. The issue is the difference between labeling your coverage 'North Korea' or 'North Korean Menace'. If you can't see the difference, well that's really part of the problem.

 

[Spawn]

The number of people who see North Korea as a menace or not is not an issue. The issue is the difference between labeling your coverage 'North Korea' or 'North Korean Menace'. If you can't see the difference, well that's really part of the problem.

MEN'ACE, v.t. [L. minor.]

1. To threaten; to express or show a disposition or determination to inflict punishment or other evil. The combined powers menaced France with war on every side.

2. To show or manifest the probability of future evil or danger to. The spirit of insubordination menaced Spain with the horrors of civil war.

3. To exhibit the appearance of any catastrophe to come; as, a hanging rock menaces a fall, or menaces the plain or the inhabitants below.

MEN'ACE, n. A threat or threatening; the declaration or show of a disposition or determination to inflict an evil; used of persons.

1. The show of a probable evil or catastrophe to come. North Korea IS a threat.

 

[Scribbler]

MEN'ACE, v.t. [L. minor.]

1. To threaten; to express or show a disposition or determination to inflict punishment or other evil. The combined powers menaced France with war on every side.

2. To show or manifest the probability of future evil or danger to. The spirit of insubordination menaced Spain with the horrors of civil war.

3. To exhibit the appearance of any catastrophe to come; as, a hanging rock menaces a fall, or menaces the plain or the inhabitants below.

MEN'ACE, n. A threat or threatening; the declaration or show of a disposition or determination to inflict an evil; used of persons.

1. The show of a probable evil or catastrophe to come. North Korea IS a threat.

All definitions seem to fit NK. I don't see what's to get your panties in a bunch about, Zara.

 

[ZaraDurden]

Thanks for letting me know that from the perspective of your previously held beliefs, North Korea can be accurately described as a 'menace'.

However, in reporting the news to a population of people with various and mixed opinions, it is the duty of the reporter to allow to viewers to make their own decision on the news they are reporting. It is not the duty of the reporter to influence the light in which the audience views the news.

You have successfully proved that Fox News does what it intends to do: appeal to a certain portion of people. But that should not be the role of the newsmedia, and it is not unbaised reporting.

 

[Scribbler]

That they have done this is not a fact;.

Say What?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/164488.stm
http://www.mccmedia.com/pipermail/brin-l/Week-of-Mon-20040503/003320.html
http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501030714-463132,00.html

nor is it a fact that North Korea is a menace.

Sure, and some people (Joe Kennedy among them) didn't consider Nazi Germany a threat. There was even, I'm sure, a smaller group who didn't consider them a menace even as our boys were going over to fight them. Fox accurately labeled NK a menace because they are just that- a menace to the rest of the world, and of their own people. Even Slick Willie said so. The menace of NK is conventional wisdom. Those, like yourself, who don't consider North Korea a menace are a small minority. Fox's lead-in reflected that. Period.

 

[ZaraDurden]

'North Korea' is a proper noun. 'Menace' is a descriptive term. The Bush Administration views North Korea as a menace. Many people do not. If the report was that Bush called NK a 'menace' in his speech today, thats fine, thats reporting the facts.

The only reason to include the word 'menace' in the title, though, is to influence the viewer's opinion. And why would the media want to influence your opinion one way or another? What does it have to gain or lose? There is no reason to include the word 'menace' other than to achieve a specific purpose, and that is to appeal to and influence a certain portion of the population.

 

[Scribbler]

Say What?
http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501030714-463132,00.html

From Time magazine. Note the use of the word "threat" in the headline. Is Time now a right-wing mouthpiece also?

 

[southernmissfan]

The problem here is that most people just want their opinion regurgitated in a news-like fashion.

When analyzing the media (specifically, the news networks), the best thing to do is to look at what's left out. For example, the recent fighting in Uzbekistan hardly got any media attention. Hundreds were killed by government troops, but very few know that. Even fewer know that Uzbekistan is our coalition partner in Operation Enduring Freedom, despite the fact that the Uzbek dictator has thousands of political prisoners who are routinely tortured, some even boiled to death.

While most Iraqis don't even have electricity, Fox will be doing a story on how Chirac doesn't pay his bills when he eats out, or some nonsense like that.