CNN/FOX: Biased?

[HemlockGrey]

I've heard lots of people on both sides of American politics claim that FOX and CNN have conservative and liberal biases, respectively. No, there is no question whatsoever that FOX show hosts are unabashedly conservative (Hannity, O'Reilly, whoever), but does FOX itself ever engage in factually slanted reporting, apart from its TV personalities?

Similarily, does CNN do this? Note that this extends to the websites of the two networks; I've been unable to spot any sort of bias in them, but I only sort of glanced over a couple of articles.

I'm asking this largely because, not having cable, I rarely get a chance to see either network (and when I do I usually watch Hannity and Colmes so I can make fun of Hannity).

[Sam Or I]

Lot of the bias in them is not in the actual reporting, but which stories they choose to report.

[Marksist]

In my senior year of high school (2002-2003), for my AP American Government class, we were discussing biases of various media outlets. During one class session, the teacher brought in home-recorded videos of 25 minutes of FOX news (not commentators like Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly, but just them reporting the news) and 25 minutes of CNN news coverage. We were supposed to write down any biases that you could see with their reporting for news coverage. And I remember the class did decide that FOX obviously had a conservative bias, and CNN a more liberal one. And that conclusion was decided based not on what the commentating was, but on what stories they choose to air on their networks.

[jegs2]

Similarily, does CNN do this? Note that this extends to the websites of the two networks; I've been unable to spot any sort of bias in them, but I only sort of glanced over a couple of articles.

It was either this morning or last night that I saw CNN doing a political story. One congressman spoke his opinion, and the congressman was a Democrat. I waited for the opposing point of view, but it never came. From what I've seen, Fox News allows both points of view.

[Sidious]

Similarily, does CNN do this? Note that this extends to the websites of the two networks; I've been unable to spot any sort of bias in them, but I only sort of glanced over a couple of articles.

Well this last week (that Ive noticed anyway) CNN.com has been running John Kerry ads on various pages of the website. Also seen a few Farenheit 9/11 promo's too.

Does that count?
[/quote]

[Plekhanov]

When I visited the US in the summer of 2002 I must say that I was shocked by the tone of the US news media in general, the channels I saw Fox especially seemed astonishingly uncritical of the administration especially on any story covering the military, Afghanistan or Iraq.

I really couldn’t say much about domestic politics but on foreign policy both CNN and Fox have in comparison to the British media a decided pro-war, militaristic feel to them.

BBC News 24 occasionally shows half an hour of ABC news and whilst I’ve no idea where ABC is on the US political scale in comparison to the BBC it take a much less sceptical approach to the British and US governments.

[Xenophobe3691]

It was either this morning or last night that I saw CNN doing a political story. One congressman spoke his opinion, and the congressman was a Democrat. I waited for the opposing point of view, but it never came. From what I've seen, Fox News allows both points of view.

And on the other side of the coin, I visited Israel last summer. The only real news channel in English I could watch was Fox News. They reported the little debacle at UCF (My Uni) where the Student Council wouldn't pay for flags for every classroom, and they delivered a quite scathing report on what the Student Council does spend money on (The two examples they gave were for a NORML conference, and I believe for Adventure Knights), yet pointed out that to put flags in all of the classrooms wouldn't cost a tenth as much. Of course, they left out enormous student indignation at the very idea of using SGA funds, but Fox is biased, as we all could tell. As was CNN.

[Master of Ossus]

Well, if you go by the belief that newscasters and reporters can recognize bias in different media outlets, about half of those polled recently said that FOX was an especially conservatively biased news outlet. Only about 2% picked CNN as being an especially liberally biased one, though almost 30% selected the New York Times as having a liberal bend.

[Joe]

I would say that Fox has tends to deliver news with a conservative bias. In my experience however I've noticed that Fox does not stifle opposing points of view, as jegs said.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

Judging by the conflicting comments of those in this thread, and a few people I've talked to about this very subject recently, I think that you see what you want to see. If you're looking for a liberal slant, you'll read a liberal slant on things that are really rather neutral. Same with conservative.

[Joe]

Oh, I disagree with that entirely. If you're conservative, chances are you'll see a liberal bias in the news; if you're liberal, chances are you'll see a conservative bias.

[Mitth`raw`nuruodo]

Oh, I disagree with that entirely. If you're conservative, chances are you'll see a liberal bias in the news; if you're liberal, chances are you'll see a conservative bias.

That's what I was trying to say, just in much simpler language. My grandparents, for example. Waayy on the conservative Christian side of things, they flip through channels sometimes, and every piece of news that doesn't come from a Christian channel is "lies put forth by the liberal media". A girl I sat next to in American Government this year did the same thing, on the opposite side of the spectrum. SHe would always be looking for something to point out as being conservative... just about anything that wasn't blatantly left-wing was right-wing. *rolls eyes*

[Master of Ossus]

I would also argue that responsible domestic journalism necessarily leads to a certain degree liberal-perspective, since it tells both sides of the story. In domestic affairs, this means that very small groups who are damaged by overwhelmingly positive policies get disproportionate amounts of time to air their grievances. For example, if I'm running a story about how a big movie-complex was built in a low-income neighborhood, and now provides jobs for everyone there, I'm also going to interview the little-old grandma who lives across the street and is tired of the noise and traffic.

[Mr Bean]

I would say more along the lines of CNN never even bothering to toss in the conservative viewpoint(Or right wing whatever) instead just reporting the "news" with comments by either anchormen/women or Democrate represenatives or senators(With a few notable exceptions like Crossfire which is more along the lines of a constant shouting match)

Meanwhile Fox tends to spin everything by default as if its aimed towards core Republicans BUT they do always have a Democrate or some Left Winger on their to "provide both points of view"
But normal the Fox casters either shout the person down or cut the person off(Or sometimes it seems) pick someone who could spend fourty minutes telling you what the weather is outside and you still not know if it was raining or not

So in that respect Fox news is "unbiased" as they at least get both sides of the aurgment on either if they shout/cut the other fellow off

(Also when reporting certian things)

A Tornade hits a town
CNN: Will grab that Countys Representive, a Community leader(Or Mayor) and maybe, just maybe some joe off the street)

Fox on the other hand
Will find themselves half a doezn common folks give them twenty seconds each and reused the clips of those folks for the next half hour plus a offical statement from some offical not to exceded ten seconds

[HemlockGrey]

Interesting.

Specifically, I noticed on Wong's main page that he disdain's CNN.com's bias and suggests Reuters, and I was wondering if anyone also thought CNN.com was biased.

[Vice Admiral]

CNN=Communist News Network

[Master of Ossus]

Interesting.

Specifically, I noticed on Wong's main page that he disdain's CNN.com's bias and suggests Reuters, and I was wondering if anyone also thought CNN.com was biased.

I don't necessarily think they're BIASED, but I do think that they can border on inept. For example, they believe in the "super-reporter" idea. Christiane Amanpour is in charge of everything from Egypt to India, and north into parts of Russia! There's no way one reporter can do a decent job of covering such a varied and vast geographical area.

[Mayabird]

CNN=Communist News Network

Would that make FOX the Fascist Network?

*rimshot*

[Aeolus]

Fox definately leans to the right but most of the other networks do lean towards the left. Fox is a little more shrill about it. I try to watch ABC, CNN, and Fox. Then maybe a little BBC-America

[Darth Wong]

I've heard lots of people on both sides of American politics claim that FOX and CNN have conservative and liberal biases, respectively. No, there is no question whatsoever that FOX show hosts are unabashedly conservative (Hannity, O'Reilly, whoever), but does FOX itself ever engage in factually slanted reporting, apart from its TV personalities?

Similarily, does CNN do this? Note that this extends to the websites of the two networks; I've been unable to spot any sort of bias in them, but I only sort of glanced over a couple of articles.

I'm asking this largely because, not having cable, I rarely get a chance to see either network (and when I do I usually watch Hannity and Colmes so I can make fun of Hannity).

Let me give you an example of why some might consider CNN biased. After one of the countless "incidents" in the Israeli occupied territories, CNN reported what happened, showed some grainy video, and interviewed some Israelis for more details. At the same time, CBC reported what happened, showed the same grainy video, and interviewed some Israelis and some Palestinians for more details. Seemingly small distinction, but it makes a pretty big difference.

I wouldn't say that CNN deliberately lies, but they seem to be "selective" about what they report. FOX is downright propagandistic. Phrases like "mile long column of steel" still stick in my mind as a shocking display of journalists throwing all semblance of impartiality to the wind.

[Plekhanov]

Let me give you an example of why some might consider CNN biased. After one of the countless "incidents" in the Israeli occupied territories, CNN reported what happened, showed some grainy video, and interviewed some Israelis for more details. At the same time, CBC reported what happened, showed the same grainy video, and interviewed some Israelis and some Palestinians for more details. Seemingly small distinction, but it makes a pretty big difference.

I wouldn't say that CNN deliberately lies, but they seem to be "selective" about what they report.

Just making sure, are you suggesting that if CNN is biased it’s leaning right?

[Darth Wong]

Let me give you an example of why some might consider CNN biased. After one of the countless "incidents" in the Israeli occupied territories, CNN reported what happened, showed some grainy video, and interviewed some Israelis for more details. At the same time, CBC reported what happened, showed the same grainy video, and interviewed some Israelis and some Palestinians for more details. Seemingly small distinction, but it makes a pretty big difference.

I wouldn't say that CNN deliberately lies, but they seem to be "selective" about what they report.

Just making sure, are you suggesting that if CNN is biased it’s leaning right?

Relative to the rest of the world? Yes, absolutely. Ask someone in Canada or Europe whether they feel that CNN leans left, and he'll laugh in your face. But they do dare to question whether the Bush Administration is infallible, so they're far to the left of FOX, for whatever that's worth.

[Plekhanov]

Relative to the rest of the world? Yes, absolutely. Ask someone in Canada or Europe whether they feel that CNN leans left, and he'll laugh in your face. But they do dare to question whether the Bush Administration is infallible, so they're far to the left of FOX, for whatever that's worth.

I agree, wouldn’t know about the Canadian media but in comparison to the continental European media I’ve had a little exposure to and British broadcast media I know very well, CNN and the other news channels are significantly to the right but then again so is US politics. As for Fox well they are off the European scale.

[Sarevok]

The people in muslim countries believe the opposite. They consider western news sources like CNN and BBC as rightwing western propaganda tools. Al-Jazeera is viewed as an objective and fair balanced news source.

[Pablo Sanchez]

Relative to the rest of the world? Yes, absolutely. Ask someone in Canada or Europe whether they feel that CNN leans left, and he'll laugh in your face. But they do dare to question whether the Bush Administration is infallible, so they're far to the left of FOX, for whatever that's worth.

America in general is very conservative compared to most of the industrialized world, so the slant of our news services is only natural.