Local Posts #14 (Part Two)

2009-5-14 05:31:00

[Compiler's Note:  The "Local Posts" series of articles found here in "The Archives" are a collection of exchanges between JJ Dewey and others participating on a local online newspaper blog, and were subsequently re-posted by JJ Dewey on The Keys Of Knowledge discussion group. Because of the length of the original post, the archived version of this post was broken up into multiple parts. This is Part Two. Links to the remaining parts can be found at the end of this article.]

  

April 18, 2009 -- Post Number One

JJ:

I checked through all the posts that were under review by the Statesman on the tea party march and surprise, they were all written by the Right. The Left even escapes review when they call others names like "racist," "idiotic," "moron," "misfits," etc.

There are at least at least a half dozen of my own under review from one day of posting.

I am curious as to why so many of my posts and others on the Right are under review for no apparent reason.

I have already written the Idaho Statesman (newspaper) and received no response.

  

April 18, 2009 -- Post Number Two

JJ:

It s true that the Internet has made it a challenge for newspapers to survive. Everyone realizes this, but there is another factor, just as important, that is often overlooked. The Newspapers as well as other media have been ignoring, dismissing or fighting against half their constituents -- the conservatives.

Notice that the newspapers in trouble are mostly far left such as The New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle PI, Rocky Mountain News, etc. The more balanced newspapers as a whole are doing better.

Network TV news is declining for the same reason and guess who is having unprecedented success?

Fox News.

Here is a cable ratings comparison for April 16th:

FOX -- O'Reilly:  3,897,000
FOX -- Hannity: 3,138,000
FOX -- Greta:  2,639,000
FOX -- Beck:  2,233,000
FOX -- Shep:  1,979,000
FOX -- Baier:  1,866,000
CNN -- Cooper:  1,277,000
CNN -- King:  1,260,000
MSNBC -- Olbermann:  1,229,000
CNNHN -- Grace:  1,172,000
MSNBC -- Maddow:  1,052,000

The media would be well advised to at least attempt to be fair and balanced.

  

April 18, 2009 -- Post Number Three

"Claret" says Fox loses to ABC CBD & ABC with 23 million viewers.

JJ:

I didn't forget at all. I clearly stated I was talking about "cable" which is in a different category from network news. The comparable news coverage on Fox is done by Shepard Smith, a Democrat, which means that hard news on Fox, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC are all done by Democrats.

Where Fox is creaming the other comparable media is not through Smith, but their commentators which are in a different category from hard news.

And, I wouldn't brag about the 23 million viewership of the major media.

Consider this:

Over the past 25 years, the audience has fallen about 1 million per year, while the U.S. population has grown an average of 2.8 million a year. In 1980 the total viewership of the network news programs was 52.1 million, household ratings were 42.3, and the share was 75. Since then, nightly network news viewership has fallen 53%, ratings have fallen 61%, and share fallen 64% below 1980 ratings.

  

April 18, 2009 -- Post Number Four

"Badnana" wrote:

"You really think Beck or Hannity is 'fair and balanced,' really."

JJ:

You need to argue with what I say, not with what I do not say.

Fox is much more than just two people. Contrary to accusations from the Left, Fox is the most fair and balanced network and that is why it is creaming the competition.

Here are some of the Democratic regulars on the Fox network:

Alan Colmes, Ellis Henican, Geraldo Rivera, Greta Van Susteren, Geraldine Ferraro, Katrina vanden Heuvel, David Corn, Eric Alterman, Juan Williams, Mara Liasson, Mort Kondracke, Flavia Colgan, Susan Estrich, Ellen Rattner, Eleanor Clift, Jane Hall, Judith Miller, Shepard Smith -- and as many Democrat legislators as are willing to appear.

O'Rielly had to almost corner Michael Moore to get him to appear, but the other media runs scared from his counterpart -- Ann Coulter.

People want to hear both sides. That is the reason for the success of Fox.

Pew's annual survey (Oct 2008) of cable news audiences now shows:

-- FNC:  39% Republican, 33% Democratic, 22% Independent
-- CNN:  18% Republican, 51% Democratic, 23% Independent
-- MSNBC:  18% Republican, 45% Democratic, 27% Independent

This shows that Fox is living up to its motto of "fair and balanced." It has a much more balanced audience than its competition.

What is interesting is Pew's findings about the actual average number of Democrats and Independents watching the cable media:

-- FNC:  725,000 Democrats
-- CNN:  684,000 Democrats
-- MSNBC:  390,000 Democrats

-- FNC:  484,000 Independents
-- CNN:  309,000 Independents
-- MSNBC:  234,000 Independents

Source:  Pew Research Report at:

http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/444.pdf

If the liberal media want to survive they must walk in Fox's shoes (who is not afraid of the Far Left) and invite controversial conservatives on their shows and into their news pages.

  

-- End Of Part Two --

  

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