Despite Americans voting overwhelmingly for the most liberal President since Roosevelt, they watch Fox News, a living, breathing Daily Mail with even fewer ethical worries. Despite dumping their own polling data in favour of one which looked worse for the Democrats, despite using library footage to make a rightwing march look better-supported, despite actually sponsoring neo-fascist rallies, calling Obama a racist and 'accidentally' repeatedly labelling Obama 'Osama' and despite hiring Sarah Palin, its motto is Fair and Balanced: and the US public believes it: a recent poll found that Fox is the US's most trusted network.
American readers: perhaps you can enlighten us. Is it the language? The certainty? How are they doing it? Even members of its owner's family hate Fox!
2 comments:
Outside of New England and California, the US is a scary place full of scared people. The right has done a good job labelling Obama a Socialist, and there's nothing our American friends detest more than a red under the bed. I watch the Daily Show for my US politics - Fox fears Jon Stewart and would do anything to get him on side (look on Youtube for Bill O'Reilly's interview with him.)
Vole, I can't understand it myself, although the phenomenon of Faux News' popularity is a strong argument against evolution.
One possible explanation is the American public's vast intellectual laziness. If Fox says it's "fair and balanced," then it must be so -- no need to look further!
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