Fast n' Loose with Facts.

**SmokenScion** · 01-17-13, 03:10 PM

**Opinion Alert**
Journalistic Integrity? Nah, Cash Money!
Bad journalism: it isn’t just a Manti Te’o thing. Remember Columbine? | Scholars and Rogues

Where does it end? One of our largest “news” outlets (guess which one?) went to court and argued that it’s okay for them to lie. And they won.

Fox argued from the first, and failed on three separate occasions, in front of three different judges, to have the case tossed out on the grounds there is no hard, fast, and written rule against deliberate distortion of the news.

The attorneys for Fox, owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch, argued the First Amendment gives broadcasters the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on the public airwaves.

While FOX is the most egregious offender, they’re hardly alone in conducting “journalism” that plays fast and loose with the facts. And there’s no reason to expect that things will improve anytime soon. The problem is that our media is now driven by powerful economic incentives that render truth more or less irrelevant.

Hmmm.

**CivilWars** · 01-17-13, 03:14 PM

I am shocked.

See, I can be a journalist too.

**Alundil** · 01-17-13, 06:29 PM

Not that I can stand Fox, because I can't (or much of any other media for that matter), buuuuuut sadly (or not depending on your perspective I guess) the First Amendment allows and protects false speech so long as it doesn't fall under libel or slander.

Them's the breaks. They suck, but there they are.

**Red_Lizard2** · 01-17-13, 06:38 PM

In other news, a couple years ago Fox, owned by Rupert Murdoch, fought a valiant effort in court to protect the the freedoms in reporting of this great country. They debated and argued through out the days and in the end the mighty Fox Machine won, ensuring that no new agency has to put up with the oppressive forces of Government.

-Reporting for I'll make it up later.

**dex71** · 01-18-13, 04:40 AM

Originally Posted by Red_Lizard2

-Reporting for I'll make it up later.

If you are good at making shit up, you may have a spot waiting for you at CBS. FOX is the most common offender, but CBS was by far the worst. They made shit up in the final days of a Presidential election, and Dan Blather was at the heart of it. They fabricated the news....there were no facts to play either fast or loose with.

Eff 'em all.

**ATEXANnHISGUN** · 01-18-13, 04:56 AM

This is why I pray for an asteroid....

**Xavsnipe** · 01-18-13, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by dex71

If you are good at making shit up, you may have a spot waiting for you at CBS. FOX is the most common offender, but CBS was by far the worst. They made shit up in the final days of a Presidential election, and Dan Blather was at the heart of it. They fabricated the news....there were no facts to play either fast or loose with.

SACRILEGE! YOU TAKE THAT BACK AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

**AetheLove** · 01-18-13, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by Alundil

Not that I can stand Fox, because I can't (or much of any other media for that matter), buuuuuut sadly (or not depending on your perspective I guess) the First Amendment allows and protects false speech so long as it doesn't fall under libel or slander.

Them's the breaks. They suck, but there they are.

In my fantasy world of justice, it would be interesting for someone to go after them for breaking the warranty of merchantability (part of the Uniform Commercial Code).

... not that they'd lose the case - but they'd be forced to explicitly disclaim the fitness of their product, add language that was the rough equivalent of "As Is", and specifically say that any mention of the words "Fair" or "Balanced" were not in reference to (nor a description of) any News Products that might be a part of their for-profit programming.

That, or change their name to Fox Neuse.

Cheers,

AetheLove

**Warflagon** · 01-18-13, 04:33 PM

Cracked.com gives more references for it's comedy pieces than the supposed "news" networks do for real events.
The 5 Most Badass Things Ever Done in the Name of Research | Cracked.com.
I'll concede their sources are not, perhaps, of scholarly merit, but at least they make an attempt at sourcing their materiel.

Do yourselves a favor and stop watching that crap on tv/cable.

**Ranger10** · 01-18-13, 04:44 PM

The harm all news organizations in this country do far and away exceeds that of guns, welfare programs, immigration, forced healthcare, corruption, pork barrel spending, and government waste combined. Obviously this is a subjective comment so please try and refrain an attempt to provide your "evidence" to the contrary.

People don't tune in to get the news anymore, they turn to it to form an opinion. People are told WHAT to think, not given the news in order to make up their own mind. Every news organization does this, not just Fox. They are all propaganda networks, who take a tiny amount of truth and spin it to fit their own ideology. When you think about it, that means much of the popular opinion in this country comes from the minds of a handful of people.

Where's that asteroid again?