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if i were having this discussion with you alone opie i'm sure this would've taken a slightly different tack. because it doesn't apply to you perfectly doesn't make it a strawman.
i think it's unfair to draw so many parallels from pop culture to news organizations. they aren't completely distinct enterprises, but they are certainly held to different standards of accuracy and content. of course a large following doesn't necessitate truthful reality in pop culture, but i think it does have a more strict adherence among news outlets.
when talking about the merits of different news organizations, i think we lose sight of the fact that political neutrality doesn't guarantee truthful reporting. if we believe that one viewpoint has a more effective way of achieving a goal... then it stands to reason that one political party may have a majority of the most effective policies on its platform at a certain point in time. thus, editorial partiality could be given to one side of the debate while still remaing completely honest and effective in shedding light on current issues.
of course we all have different viewpoints on what the most effective course of action is and the most effective method is seldom proven empirically. i'm just pointing out that leaning right or left doesn't preclude an news outlet from promoting, in an editorial sense, what is best for our democratic system.
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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
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