|
The Fox News phenomenon
Fox News is powerful. It's no secret they approach the news differently than any other major TV network. It's no secret that that approach is more conservative than the rest of the major media's. It's no secret they're the most popular, most watched, highest profile, most scrutinized cable news network. Other than perhaps the New York Times, I'm not sure there is a single more influential news source in the country.
Why do you think this is? Bashing Fox News is a matter of course for many posters and is accepted by many more. But, as evidenced by their popularity, their reporting and analysis has a HUGE following among the American public. If Fox News does in fact garner the biggest television audience for political commentary... does that discount it from being an extreme-right news organization as some love to proclaim? That is to say...
1. If we define mainstream as a general trend followed by a large segment of the population.
2. Realize that Fox News often has the biggest audience for it's type of news source (which is a dominant genre of news reporting)
can we conclude that Fox News is now mainstream? If so... then if a person's views are radically different than Fox News, does that make them the extremist (because they would radically differ from the mainstream.)?
No matter your thoughts or response to this, you must concede that Fox News is has brought about a dramatic shift in the way television news is covered. In it's decade or so of existence it has made quite a bit of headway into the public's consciousness.
__________________
If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
~ Winston Churchill
|