The Pew Research Center conducted a study to measure how the major cable news networks covered the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare) as compared to other breaking news like the typhoon in the Philippines. The difference between Fox News and their competitors was striking.
The Pew study monitored broadcasts that included an hour of midday programming and three hours of prime-time each day, from November 11-15. Both MSNBC and CNN programmed a fair amount of reporting for both stories, with CNN giving a little more time to the typhoon and MSNBC giving more time to ObamaCare. But Fox News was alone in devoting almost no time to the typhoon while blanketing their air with ObamaCare.
For those who would argue that, unlike Typhoon Haiyan, ObamaCare is an issue that affects the American people, they should note that the United States is committing significant financial, military, and human resources to the recovery efforts in the Philippines. And any international tragedy on the scale of this typhoon, with estimates of as many as 10,000 fatalities and hundreds of thousands dislocated, is a story that requires coverage and has ramifications that impact the rest of the world, including the U.S.
The Pew study also included another angle that affirms the strident bias of Fox News. The substance of the coverage that Fox gave to ObamaCare was almost entirely dominated by opinion. The study reported that “when it came to commentary and opinion versus reporting or fact-based statements,” Fox News coverage was 97% opinion. It may be safe to assume that the other 3% was reporters identifying themselves and asking the audience to stay tuned for more “after a word from our sponsors.”
Not surprising that as a xenophobic network FOX would all but ignore any story beyond the reach of our borders.
There is blood in the water – so let the feeding frenzy begin. Since they are politically driven, what else would you expect? It’s easy too – lots of bad news for the ACA makes the news easy if it’s what you want. Are you mad that people and the media just keep attacking the ACA and BHO? 37% approval probably answers that question.
I wonder how much time Fox has reported on their friend, George Zimmerman’s, recent legal troubles? I would think Sean and Bill would have him on so he can explain his side of the story in the domestic violence case and the related charges he was arrested for.
Zimmerman voted for and supported Obama. He’s a democrat. What’s your point?
Fox did report on zimmerman’s latest encounter with the law.
His “girlfriend” also shopped around for payment from media outlets prior to the 911 call she staged.
That’s right. Zimmerman’s still a hero. So what if he threatened his girlfriend? He’s a hero.
Obamacare is an actual man-made “typhoon” right here in our own lives, hitting as we speak. The Philippines encountered a terrible natural disaster.
If CNN has it handled, why do folks begrudge Fox for having an eye primarily on the disaster that is Obamacare?
You always have the free choice to not watch.
He’s mad at Fox because they (and in this case many others) shine the light on his master Barack Obama’s screw ups – and this is a big one that’s hard to deny, even with Fox news bias. I think he must be getting paid for his work supporting this administration given his rabid support for all things Obama.
how soon do you think before mark starts to call this a made up controversy like the others that came before it?
Barack Obama lied to the american people over and over again on this specific issue and there is no denying it – I think he is just having a hard time with it – can’t spin it any other way. The 37% approval rating is his other frustration – and he can’t blame that on Fox News.
He hasn’t denied the “mistakes” as you claim them, not at all, in another article he certainly and unambiguously states them as mistakes in the rollout. Obama himself has admitted to such mistakes and apologized for them, what good would it do for him to “cover up” something his “master” has already publicly announced and apologized for?
It’s typical of a rabid hater like you to completely miss the point of the article since you’re always looking at how to “attack libs”, the same as any other right wing troll I’ve ever had the displeasure to meet. The article is talking about the “fair and balanced” issue of Fox…and stating it is hardly that despite continuing to use that slogan. It’s not just coverage time for Haiyan versus the ACA. They also provided favorable coverage for the right over the shutdown, trying to mitigate its effects while SIMULTANEOUSLY saying that the Democrats are the ones at fault (yeah they are to blame…but actually the shutdown isn’t as bad….kinda makes you wonder if they can’t make up their minds over which narrative to use), not only is it demonstratively false for both claims, they did not focus on the most crucial point of the shutdown, why did the Republicans go about engineering it by adding demands for limiting the ACA to the budget bill and whether it would all be worth it to them or to America in the end (we know the answer to that now, it wasn’t, 24 billion wasted by their “fiscally responsible” efforts).
But yeah all this doesn’t register with you of course. Hating the left and lambasting them is all that matters to you.
A “fair and balanced network” doesn’t devote its time to one piece of news over another especially when both pieces deserve at least equal attention.
You can argue about why Haiyan is worth less network time than the ACA if you like, but right now you are making the case that Fox is no such balanced network