Over the past year or two, I've noticed that CNN was trying subtlely to "out-FOX" FOX.
Funny thing is that MSNBC did much better trying to do just that. The only difference is that MSNBC didn't even try to be subtle about it. Keith Olbermann is their "liberal Rush."
Ten -- CNN still holds an advantage (in the US) in that the product is sold for a lot less money than is FNC. So, some cable companies still don't carry it. I notice a lot of hotels don't carry FNC but will carry CNN, too.
You are exactly right about MSNBC, but they will never catch FNC for one reason: MSNBC is not even TRYING to be unbiased. In their convoluted reasoning, they saw FNC as ultra-right wing news, saw how successful it is, and thought, "Well, we can just be ultra-left wing and we'll have a great audience". WRONG!
FNC is NOT ultra-right -- while they do tilt marginally to the right, it is nowhere nearly so far right as every one of the other news organizations is to the left. But more importantly, the demeanor of right-wing media people, e.g., Rush, OReilly, Hannity, and others -- is not mean-spirited whereas the left-wing personalities are.
This is why AAR failed. When it first came on I listened to the Franken show for a while and it was the most pathetic thing I'd ever heard. Rush doesn't make shit up. He uses sarcasm, for example, but he doesn't lie in a mean spirited fashion. But Franken, that's all his show was. Now, they have Maddow and the woman in the afternoon, and it is just pathetic. Not entertaining the least.
What I cannot stand about FNC is (a) too many commercials, and (b) they can be awfully sensational at times. But you can pretty much take their news coverage to the bank. But they ARE entertaining. OReilly, while arrogant, is the fairest commentator on all the news services IMO (Glenn Beck is up there, too).
CNN's coverage of the elections has been terrible (I haven't watched MSNBC really). After the debates, they have their entire lineup, which is ALL liberal except for a couple of token republicans, but other than Wm. Bennett, the conservatives they have on are weak. Even Bennett seems to me to temper his responses sometimes, although that isn't consistent with his character (perhaps it is environmental;)
I would love to see Obama defeated for many reasons, but I must say that seeing the liberal media choke on it is way up on my list... |
