Fox News Experiment

[megalicious]

I'm fairly a newbie around here (although I am silver on TN/TB), so let me just say, I'm pretty far to the left. Mostly I consider myself progressive and enjoy HuffPo as a primary source of news.

So here's my experiment: One week of news ONLY from Fox News. Not even any NPR on my way to work. I'm just curious if it will change my perspective at all. Anyone care to join me?

[IIOY]

I don't think one week of exposure will make a difference because you have an established POV that is contrary to what you are likely to hear/see on FOX.

I doubt one week of exclusive exposure to any particular news organization would change my mind because I'd spend the entire time picking the arguments apart in my brain. If anything, doing this might further entrench my own opinions.

[rugbywife]

I can't watch FOX news for that long because I genuinely don't understand the viewpoints of the GOP. Or rather, I 'understand' them, I just don't think they right. I don't believe on a world view that believes in success for a few at the expense of many. No amount of media exposure is going to convince me otherwise.

[GailGoldie]

perhaps you'll realize that the GOP does not actually believe in "the success of a few at the expense of many"... and maybe you'll realize that much of the Dem programs designed to help the poor actually keep them down.... But yeah- i don't think Fox will "teach" you that... esp when you are not open at all to believing that other's beliefs might not be WRONG, but just differ from yours.

I watch Fox, MSNBC, CNN, etc - maybe that's why I'm so middle of the road, lol... but when i hear bullshit from super left-leaning journalists who are supposed to be non-biased, all it does is piss me off. Same with the fox "journalists" who are so obvious with their bias... though, much of what is on those networks = opinionion shows, which I'm OK with b/c it's obvious what you will get.... it's just the regular "news" programs that piss me off on both sides.

[megalicious]

Sept 9, 2012 8:22:04 GMT -5 IIOY said:

I don't think one week of exposure will make a difference because you have an established POV that is contrary to what you are likely to hear/see on FOX.

I doubt one week of exclusive exposure to any particular news organization would change my mind because I'd spend the entire time picking the arguments apart in my brain. If anything, doing this might further entrench my own opinions.

Yeah, I don't expect it to change my mind. Maybe at least help me understand the other side's perspective a little better. You're right though, watching O'Reilly infuriates me.

[heyjude]

What "dem" programs actually keep people down and how do they do this?

[tlkdhk]

I doubt it will do much. I listen to NPR fairly regularly and read HuffPo and it doesn't make me change my viewpoint more left. I think it also depends on what you listen to. Are you talking about listening to Hannity or Shepherd Smith (who is certainly not right leaning LOL!).

[megalicious]

Sept 9, 2012 8:49:22 GMT -5 tlkdhk said:

I doubt it will do much. I listen to NPR fairly regularly and read HuffPo and it doesn't make me change my viewpoint more left. I think it also depends on what you listen to. Are you talking about listening to Hannity or Shepherd Smith (who is certainly not right leaning LOL!).

Well, we don't' actually have cable TV, so I get nearly all my news online. I'm watching videos on foxnews.com right now. But yeah, maybe I'll even throw in a little Limbaugh or Glen Beck.

[mominatrix]

Sept 9, 2012 8:47:53 GMT -5 heyjude said:

What "dem" programs actually keep people down and how do they do this?

I so want to answer this in a snippy way... but I think the theory is that "social" programs, particularly social welfare programs, don't really do what D's say they do (provide a social safety net), but, instead, create a culture of dependence that keeps people from attaining their best.

[megalicious]

Sept 9, 2012 9:05:31 GMT -5 mominatrix said:

Sept 9, 2012 8:47:53 GMT -5 heyjude said:

What "dem" programs actually keep people down and how do they do this?

I so want to answer this in a snippy way... but I think the theory is that "social" programs, particularly social welfare programs, don't really do what D's say they do (provide a social safety net), but, instead, create a culture of dependence that keeps people from attaining their best.

That's how I understand it too. If you take away the social safety net, people will have to "pick themselves up by their boot straps" and become productive members of society.

[heyjude]

Dem programs include access to good education. Glad to know Rs think access to education keep people down.

[ttt]

I've done this involuntarily when visiting my grandparents because they would literally have Fox News on 24 hours a day (I would get up in the middle of the night and turn it off at 3 am and they would get upset). All it will do is raise your blood pressure, trust me.

[megalicious]

Sept 9, 2012 11:23:52 GMT -5 ttt said:

I've done this involuntarily when visiting my grandparents because they would literally have Fox News on 24 hours a day (I would get up in the middle of the night and turn it off at 3 am and they would get upset). All it will do is raise your blood pressure, trust me.

That's actually a little of what started it. I was visiting my parents during the RNC and my dad and I kept getting into arguments. (Compared with my extended family, my parents are fairly liberal even though they've NEVER voted democrat.) I want to see what it is they're hearing every day because I have a hard time understanding how/why people could think Mitt is a good thing. Honestly, I feel like I'm already learning something!

[ttt]

Sept 9, 2012 12:02:52 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Sept 9, 2012 9:07:36 GMT -5 megalicious said:

That's how I understand it too. If you take away the social safety net, people will have to "pick themselves up by their boot straps" and become productive members of society.

Haven't we tested this theory and it didn't work?

I think it worked pretty awesome in Somalia.

[lys]

Last I knew, Obama was/ is a Democrat. He ended the voucher program for children in Washington DC that would allow a good education in private schools - something not available to most DC public schools.

[heightsyankee]

Sept 9, 2012 13:36:34 GMT -5 lys said:

Last I knew, Obama was/ is a Democrat. He ended the voucher program for children in Washington DC that would allow a good education in private schools - something not available to most DC public schools.

There are many who question the Constitutionality of vouchers. It is disputable that vouchers help poor children at all, so doing away with them can be seen as a way to improve education for kids by preventing the undermining of the public system for kids whose parents don't want to participate in a voucher program for any number of reasons. Sounds pretty Liberal to me.

[ttt]

Sept 9, 2012 13:58:49 GMT -5 @mx said:

3) I suggest that you stop lying through your teeth about topics you don't know a thing about.

I suggest you go back and see who you're responding to. You may as well suggest to Fox News anchors that they stop bleaching their hair.

[NitaX]

HELL AND NO.

Are you trying to give me a stroke and heart attack?

[teamc]

Lmao. When im overseas for work all that is available is CNN, so I've run that experiment in reverse. One week wont change your perspective, it'll just make you want to stop watching news altogether. I'm a firm believer in watching a variety of news sources, so I usually spend time on FOX and NBC. Id recommend integrating FOX into regular watching to see what stories they cover that others don't, and see their bent on similar stories. I think you'll find that your own primary news source is pretty biased as well.

[basilosaurus]

Sept 9, 2012 11:23:52 GMT -5 ttt said:

I've done this involuntarily when visiting my grandparents because they would literally have Fox News on 24 hours a day (I would get up in the middle of the night and turn it off at 3 am and they would get upset). All it will do is raise your blood pressure, trust me.

I agree. I get stuck watching it anytime I'm waiting at the clinic on base, and they wonder why my bp is high whenever I'm there.

Trust, it won't change your mind, it won't even help you understand another viewpoint. All it will do is enrage you at how ridiculous they are.

[Deleted]

I listen to conservative talk radio. All it does is make me angry and giving me good points to stir the pot over here.

Back to Vouchers. A $5k voucher won't do jack for you when the best private schools in town cost $20k. All it will do is cause a bunch of low quality/exclusionary schools to pop up that mimic the public schools without the resources of either public schools (especially for SpEd kids) or the resources of the private schools (arts, theater, music, drama, foreign languages, sports, facilities, etc)

[ttt]

Sept 9, 2012 14:58:19 GMT -5 teamc said:

Lmao. When im overseas for work all that is available is CNN, so I've run that experiment in reverse. One week wont change your perspective, it'll just make you want to stop watching news altogether. I'm a firm believer in watching a variety of news sources, so I usually spend time on FOX and NBC. Id recommend integrating FOX into regular watching to see what stories they cover that others don't, and see their bent on similar stories. I think you'll find that your own primary news source is pretty biased as well.

I don't think CNN has a liberal bias. I think CNN has a sensationalistic crap journalism bias.

[basilosaurus]

CNN overseas is much better than the American version. I haven't watched it much, but I did have access to it on super tuesday back in 2008, and I remember coverage being quite reasonable.

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Sept 9, 2012 15:10:57 GMT -5 ttt said:

Sept 9, 2012 14:58:19 GMT -5 teamc said:

Lmao. When im overseas for work all that is available is CNN, so I've run that experiment in reverse. One week wont change your perspective, it'll just make you want to stop watching news altogether. I'm a firm believer in watching a variety of news sources, so I usually spend time on FOX and NBC. Id recommend integrating FOX into regular watching to see what stories they cover that others don't, and see their bent on similar stories. I think you'll find that your own primary news source is pretty biased as well.

I don't think CNN has a liberal bias. I think CNN has a sensationalistic crap journalism bias.

:Y: