What is journalism?

[Regan MacNeil]

With the Dominion lawsuit filings becoming public, it's a fair question to ask. Can what Fox News does in any way be considered journalism? Does this even rise to the level of yellow journalism, since they appear to know they were intentionally reporting incorrect information? Thread:



I'm making this about Fox News and Fox News only. No other sites of any political bent. You think I should have mentioned CNN or MSNBC or Newsmax? Cool. This is about Fox News.

 

[wicked]

She said "facts" — I think she meant to say "alternative facts"

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

Well, it's not quite journalism, and it's not quite yellow (laughs)...so to answer your question, I don't know.

 

[WriteThinking]

They knew what they were doing.

Fox News hosts didn't believe 2020 election fraud claims, $1.6 billion Dominion defamation suit asserts

See also the link I posted from Washington Post on the Biden/Election thread

 

[Liut]

Paddy Chayefsky is absolutely shocked Fox News would stoop so low just to get ratings.

 

[FileNotFound]

Does the average Fox News viewer care whether it’s journalism? Or is the typical Fox News viewer simply looking for the dopamine hit from having beliefs validated?

 

[WriteThinking]

Does the average Fox News viewer care whether it’s journalism? Or is the typical Fox News viewer simply looking for the dopamine hit from having beliefs validated?

I think they do care, and they think its providing it, even if just another/their view of it. But that's the danger -- that people legitimately believe what's on there, and don't question it. They should, but they don't.

 

[DanOregon]

Fox "News" is the surimi of news.
I've been fascinated watching the conservative news "wars" - used to be Limbaugh was king - now its a free for all as everyone is looking for their piece of the conservative news pie. There have always been conservative leaning news outlets, but they typically drew conservative conclusions from facts - these days they don't let facts get in the way of their conservative conclusions. But I do think the next couple of years will provide a "breaking point" as news torgs have to pretty much choose to support DeSantis or Trump - it will be a big bet. Shoot, even Kari Lake has ditched DeSantis. This is Bernie/Hillary for the Republicans.

 

[Azrael]

I think they do care, and they think its providing it, even if just another/their view of it. But that's the danger -- that people legitimately believe what's on there, and don't question it. They should, but they don't.

But their willingness - their eagerness - to believe it is what makes them suckers. That, and their ignorance of their own ignorance.

Which is how any con(fidence) game works.

Fox News isn't journalism. It's Three-card Monte.

 

[The Big Ragu]

I think the question can be boiled down to: Is journalism simply the act of producing and distributing reports. ... or does there need to be some degree of accuracy (and then, how do you measure accuracy?) for those reports to qualify as journalism.

 

[WriteThinking]

But their willingness - their eagerness - to believe it is what makes them suckers. That, and their ignorance of their own ignorance.

Which is how any con(fidence) game works.

Fow News isn't journalism. It's Three-card Monte.

The ignorance of their own ignorance is the danger, and that is largely because Fox News does not attempt to correct it, or even put things out there in a more balanced, two-(or more-) sided way so that people might realize at all that more consideration may even be needed. To combat ignorance is a big part of the role of good, real journalism, and this is where Fox News truly goes wrong.

 

[FileNotFound]

“The world is a complex place that requires careful thought and deep study and even then the answer may not be readily apparent” doesn’t fit on a bumper sticker or a Fox chryon.

 

[Azrael]

I think the question can be boiled down to: Is journalism simply the act of producing and distributing reports. ... or does there need to be some degree of accuracy (and then, how do you measure accuracy?) for those reports to qualify as journalism.

Certainly 'journalism' and 'propaganda' are not interchangeable.

An argument can be made that when Ailes built FoxNews, he was doing so as a corrective to a lefty press. I disagree with that argument.

Because the mainstream press in this country has never been leftist, or even very 'liberal.'

Fox News may or may not be a newsgathering operation, but in prime time it has only ever been a right wing / Republican opinion megaphone.

So another question here is this: Is 'opinion journalism' really journalism?

When labeled as such, sure. That's why there's an OpEd page in the paper.

But presenting opinion as news - as straight reporting - is deception. Propaganda.

Very much on the order of excusing Limbaugh or Alex Jones - or Father Coughlin - as an 'entertainer.'

 

[Azrael]

The ignorance of their own ignorance is the danger, and that is largely because Fox News does not attempt to correct it, or even put things out there in a more balanced, two-(or more-) sided way so that people might realize at all that more consideration may even be needed. To combat ignorance is a big part of the role of good, real journalism, and this is where Fox News truly goes wrong.

But it's why FoxNews was founded.

FoxNews is working exactly as it was designed to work.

It's important to remember that.

 

[DanOregon]

What I've found interesting about the revelations in the last couple of days is that Fox News doesn't "guide" conservative thought, but follows whatever talking points will hold on to its viewers, true or not.

 

[WriteThinking]

Just wanted to post this, although there are similar stories on this and other threads.

'Huge blow': Analyst says new Dominion ruling is a game changer in 'potential blockbuster' Fox News trial

 

[Azrael]

I've posted about this story on the Politics board.

Whatever Bari Weiss is doing, it's not journalism. It's advocacy masquerading as journalism.

Like Taibbi (and Weiss) and Shellenberger at the so-called Twitter Files.

Same for her Free Press, and for the "University of Austin" - whatever and wherever that is.


Gender Fluid Teen Pushes Back Against 'False' Viral Story Their Mom Gave to Conservative Outlet

 

[Alma]

Whatever Bari Weiss is doing, it's not journalism. It's advocacy masquerading as journalism.

A lot of of that around these days, though, isn't there?

 

[Azrael]

A lot of of that around these days, though, isn't there?

That being the case, we certainly don't need more of it from Bari Weiss.

 

[Alma]

That being the case, we certainly don't need more of it from Bari Weiss.

I'm not real hip to Weiss' current work, though I did read the first Wash U. story from the person who worked there.

And I've liked Taibbi's work quite a bit at times...but I find the last 2-3 months of stuff pretty impenetrable.