Tangential to the conversation but... Do you think right wing media does better when there is a DEM in office? I would wager that they do. I often wonder if Murdoch doesn't see Obama as a much better vehicle by which to sell copy. So long as he is in office, I'm guessing FOX and the like are far more appealing to watch. Same with MSNBC, when Bush was in office my guess is that they were watched more, peoples passions are inflamed when the other is in office, not when your guy is.What they have now that they didn't have then is a giant, international media machine on their side.
It makes sense, but I'm not sure the numbers support it. FOX had their peak during Bush's second term, I believe. Their ratings have been dropping recently. I don't know the reason, but I like to think that some of their audience are getting wise and some are dying of old age and type II diabetes.
I'm just guessing here, but perhaps they're cannibalizing their own audience? There is so much conservative radio etc these days.
Nicer than saying they're dying of old age and type II diabetes? I kid the Fox news viewers. But really, I'll never understand why anyone willingly subjects themselves to that level of propaganda. Maybe there's no such thing as unbiased reporting, but they're on a plain all by themselves.
No. You couldn't pay me to watch MSNBC. Well educated has nothing to do with it. My gf loves Rachel Maddow and she always says, "She's a Rhodes scholar." To which I say, "Who gives a shit? O'Reilly went to the Kennedy School, so its a wash." Neither cares about 'truth', which is what interests me, even if I can't really define it myself.
MSNBC has a strong ideological bent. Fox News is straight up laughable with their level of ridiculousness. For example, you would never see an MSNBC reporter literally reading Democratic talking points on air. Plus MSNBC is a small fish compared to Fox so they aren't that dangerous to begin with. Edit: And admittedly I'm exposed to a lot more of Fox ridiculousness because I watch Jon Stewart and Colbert.