Liberal
Like a FOX
October
9, 2003
By Memekiller
For once, I have to agree with the talking heads on the
right. CNN is the most liberal name in news. But when this
is so clearly the case, why is CNN's coverage to the right
of the majority of Americans?
Time and again polls show the public's priorities more in
line with the Democratic Party than the GOP, yet you wouldn't
know it to watch TV. Even "mainstream" outlets such
as MSNBC have started emulating the 24-hour White House press
office, FOX News. MSNBC's board is rumored to see Faux as
a "model" and has already started doing their part
to misinform the public with the addition of shows like "Scarborough
Country." In comparison, CNN is liberal only in that they
have to be badgered into following the Republican Party line
rather than leading the charge.
Nowhere can this be seen more clearly than in a recent survey
conducted by the Program
on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) and the polling
firm Knowledge Networks that analyzes prevalent misperceptions
the American public holds about the Iraq War. Anyone familiar
with FOX News's post war reports of underground nuclear research
facilities and chemical weapons stashes won't be surprised
to learn that 80 percent of FOX viewers are misinformed about
at least one basic fact about the War, such as whether or
not WMDs have already been discovered. What is more disturbing
is that 48 percent of those who watch the "liberal"
CNN have similar misimpressions about a Hussein/Al-Qaeda connection.
What to do about all this? I've heard suggestions that lefties
organize to create their own version of FOX News. I understand
the motivation. Not having our own vast left wing conspiracy
doesn't mean we won't be accused of wielding it in the Wilson
affair, so we might as well try to get some benefit out of
one.
The problem is spin doesn't sit as well with liberals as
with our conservative counterparts, even when it's spin in
their favor. But a liberal station wouldn't have to twist
stories to get an audience. Instead of distorting information,
a liberal outlet could assert its slant by presenting facts
you can't get anywhere else. Imagine our own version of "Talk
Soup" that highlights the most outrageous statements that
so often go unchallenged in Op-ed columns and on the airwaves
today. Even a few open minded Republicans who are tired of
being misled by other news channels might tune in to broaden
their worldview.
But could such a station be financially viable? Trust fund
babies will always be more willing to invest and donate their
fortunes in enterprises that convince the masses to abolish
their estate taxes, but seven interns armed with a Lexis/Nexis
account can correct a lot of myths. All it takes to debunk
a bogus multimillion dollar climate study put out by a petroleum
front group is one reporter who's allowed to do it. It remains
to be seen whether liberals would support this venture with
the same cultish passion as true believers on the right, but
people of all political persuasions would enjoy seeing one
station take Ann Coulter to task for one of her gross inaccuracies,
or O'Reilly brought down a peg. Not to mention the fact that
exposing Washington shenanigans can be quite entertaining.
The benefits would extend far beyond profits. Out of a sample
of nearly 10,000 in the PIPA survey, not a single Democrat
who got their news from PBS or NPR mistakenly believes there
is an Al-Qaeda connection. With a similarly responsible station
on cable, future PIPA surveys would show better informed viewers
across the board. Right now liberals complain so rarely that
CNN wears any criticism as a badge of honor – and they've
had to drift quite a ways to the right to earn what they've
gotten. Having a station that presented non-Republican views
would provide CNN cover when they dared to drift off the White
House script. Even FOX viewers would benefit once Brit Hume
became wary about spouting off once a watchdog is willing
to call him on it.
Thankfully, Al Gore has been rumored to be raising money
for a channel that balances out the rhetoric, but he's got
a long way to go. (One doubts the ruling class would provide
as many riders and tax breaks to a channel unwilling to give
them a free ride.) But one thing's for sure: a news station
that informed the public rather than forwarding the interests
of its CEOs and appeasing a tiny minority of rabid ideologues
wouldn't face much competition.
Memekiller is a freelance writer and journalist.
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