DISQUS

J. Adams · 2 years ago

This is a bunch of crap. Excuse my wording. Do you actually think that Fox News was able to influence all those people to vote Republican and not Democrat? C'mon, I have my own political views and they are not going to be changed by watching one news station or the other.
Also, is it not a good thing that more people voted. Even if they did vote Republican which, I believe, is not the political party of the study authors.
What about the other news organizations? CNN, MSNBC, CBS and the others all have a liberal view to them. What was their impact on voters. And lets not forget that you can always turn Fox News off.
If the Black Caucus does not want to do any debates on Fox News, it is their loss. Isn't it always good to get your view point to those on the other side of the issue. That will make them a more informed voter. Just my thought.
One more thing, this is just another way the liberals are trying to show their hate for anything that has a remote hint of anything conservative. Don't be jealous that Fox News is the number one rated TV News organization. You will probably call it brainwashing, but they must have something that the people like to watch.

Steve · 2 years ago

This common belief among right-wingers that" all networks besides Fox are liberal" is completely misguided and untrue. Let step outside the box for a minute and look at European TV (BBC, etc.) newscasts. Are they liberal too? I'll venture to guess you'll say "yes". If so, then perhaps it's Fox News themselves who are the extreme-wing channel, just by law of averages. Excluding editorial programs (which there are not many), CNN, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, BBC, etc., aim to present news objectively. Fox News never has such an aim. Even in their regular newscast shows, they politicize what should be objective news - but here's the genius part - present it as fact. That's what people have a problem with.

But get off this "every other network has a liberal bias" train, because you're only preaching to the wing-nut choir.

Alex Parker · 2 years ago

I also disagree that Fox News persaudes people to vote the other way. I do not regularly vote for either side and do not believe that an "D" or "R" makes anyone a more qualified candidate for office. But I regularly watch both CNN and Fox News because I am always interested to see how each station covers news events. I equally say that's crap for both stations, and equally find myself noding my head. It is obvious that Fox News is right of center the same way it is obvious that CNN is left of center. The get out the vote campaign for Republicans was a NATIONAL, GOP strategy, it was nothing exclusive to Fox News. ALL the networks talked about how if Republicans stayed at home in the elections, then President Bush would loss. I'm sure the registered Republicans got tons of literature about getting out the vote. In the end, lets be honest, the Democrats lost because John Kerry was not a strong candidate! His explanation of the war of Iraq, TERRIBLE! And if he cannot explain a simple Senate vote, then he does not deserve to be President. Not to say I think Bush is the greatest, but better the devil you know than the devil you do not.

I agree with Adams, everything conservative is not bad. You will not win over votes by whining about Fox News, that only makes people want to watch it to see what the issue is. Black people should engage in debates with Fox News, without always calling everyone racists (even if they are). It only lends credibility to their arguments.

Richard Porter · 2 years ago

I have to say that I am saddened that people will not engage Fox News in debate, but think CNN and other stations are all glitter and gold. I personally like Fox News, because you see what individuals really think about minorities and issues. There is no sugarcoating. I think networks like CNN are worse. The paternalist attitude of CNN make me sick to my stomach. They hold the hands of black people and make them sit in the corner while they go and battle the mean Fox News man. Because Mister knows best for us after all. We as a people are our own worse enemy. We hate to acknowledge that there is a problem within our community. Everytime someone brings up wedlock births, or Hip Hop music stereotypical viewpoints of black women and men, we are like that's racist! It is not racist it is the true, acknowledge it, embrace it, and more importantly FIND A SOLUTION to it. To disregard it, makes you lose creditability.

I recently was in a personal debate about affirmative action. The guy said to me, well 4/5 black women have children out of wedlock. A statistic which I was sure is inaccurate, but instead of arguing about wedlock births, I said to him. Well I guess you meet the 1/5 that does not, and turned the debate back to affirmative action. In the end, he lost creditability with our friends who had mixed feeling about the subject matter, and I gained points. At no time did I say that's pretty racist Bob, (even though those were the thoughts going through my head).

One of the lessons of the Civil Rights Movement taught us anything, it is that you do not win the battle of ideas, without acknowledging your flaws or engaging the other side. Making ourselves exclusively available to only one point of view, allows black men like Bennett to get on TV and give justification to Fox's New viewpoint. Fox keeps you honest if you disagree with them, more black leaders should go on Fox News and debate them. In the end it will only help us, not hurt us.