Editor,
I am pleased to see that over 50 percent of the people who have voted so far in this week’s online poll recognize Fox News as nothing more than a mouthpiece for conservative-based propaganda. Also, about 25 percent more people at least felt that the arguments presented by Fox News were rather one-sided. That makes over 75 percent of our current pollees who can see right through them.
However, I am still concerned about the other 25 percent who believe Fox News is a legitimate news source. I will tell you now: Fox News is a joke. I knew this when, during this last election, Bill O’Reilly was trying to shame a magazine editor for being unfair because there was some eight front covers with Barack Obama, Michelle Obama or Joe Biden on them, and only five with John McCain or Sarah Palin. I knew this when, on practically every show, none of their hosts could grasp the concept that it just might be possible to be friends with people without necessarily condoning certain actions they have done in the past or conforming to every last one of their ideologies.
I knew this when, on practically every “O’Reilly Factor” show, they’d bring in Dick Morris, the man who wrote a book called something like “How Barack Obama is going to destroy our country, our future, our great American way, kill our children and share their souls with the demonic socialist leaders of Europe atop our ruined cities.” On the show, he’d always be explaining what Barack Obama was doing wrong — which was just about everything — and the “conservative” way to do it right.
Folks, there’s something simple you have to understand here. It’s good, unbiased journalism when you present nothing but the facts. This is what we could call “news.” When you start including opinions, it is no longer news, and I don’t believe it matters if you present one side of opinions and then present another side to be fair. Furthermore, when you start spinning the facts, leaving out certain details and completely ignoring other facts, it’s not fair anymore, and then when you only present one side to the issues, it isn’t even balanced. Thus, when Fox News claims to have “fair and balanced news coverage,” you should instantly realize that it’s a load of crap and false advertisement.
If Fox News were to get their claws on this opinion column, they would most likely lambaste it, calling me a far-left lunatic with no justification for my accusations, and try to drag the Daily Lobo down with it. But in reality, it doesn’t really matter if I am “conservative” or “liberal.” The reason I formulate these opinions is because I’m not an idiot and can see right through them. For you Fox News enthusiasts, I recommend you check out The Young Turks. I didn’t get my opinions from them, but I certainly agree. I am certain you would find some good reasons to be suspicious of Fox News after seeing a few of their videos.
Chris Cuellar
UNM student
