I think the problem with FOX is that it generally leans to right and when it does, it's often quite blatent about it.

From what i've seen, every news station in the world has its left-leaners and right-leaners and it very much depends on what you're watching as to what slant you'll receive. But I think it has to be admitted that usually FOX is on the whole biased to the right, while others such as MSNBC/CNN lean a bit to the left.

I find it odd in America that, generally, everything is so stuck to each of the two parties. In most countries I find that media shifts alignment from election to election (especially BBC which supports Labour when Labour's in power and Conservatives when Conservatives are in power - because it's the government in power which decide upon their funding!) whereas in the media I think it's almost always divided down the same line, unless you get two centre-ground politicians.

That's just a subjective view, though, as is any idea of 'bias' or 'unbalance' because in reality everything is biased to some extent in a direction.

But whenever I watch FOX I get a feeling that Republicans are great, warm, friendly people, and whenever I watch CNN I get the feeling that Obama is the messiah and I must vote for him because he'll change the world and make a difference!

A slight tongue in cheek moment (for those that don't pick up on those things) but hopefully highlights my point, it's also interesting as to what stories each channel runs. Often the idea of bias diminishes in a documentary covering both candidates because it's quite hard to intentionally spin the story either way, since that would be very obvious. But you could easily edit a couple of stories out - or in. I noticed that some news channels ran the Palin 'scandals' a good couple of days before FOX did, and even then FOX reported it as idiot bloggers, while others debated whether they were true and what this meant for voters (well, clearly nothing).

Only problem I have with that is those news channels (& newspapers) ran those stories not as news they had checked out, simply regurgitating the blog BS, while holding themselves up as 'journalists', pretending it was the blogs that were the news, not the content.  It's Dan Rather Redux* and it's because many media outlets, for a whole host of reasons, take the easy way out in a misguided effort to be 'first' or whatever (except, of course, the Edwards story, or the Ayers story, or the Wright story, or the...).

*It's not the truth that matters, it's the issues raised.

See?  Now that's a reason I can respect!  If only everyone thought like you, then we wouldn't have all of these hate ridden blogs and news stories.  Thanks.

It just gets me how many people complain about bias in the media, yet they continue to watch and complain.  If you don't like it, change the channel as the saying goes, right?  I've always thought that an intelligent person can tell which news programs and reporters are reporting the actual facts and which are just supporting the ramblings/opinions of lunatics.  Unfortunately, the leaning tendencies of the media will not stop and will probably worsen over time.  Daiwa points out a great fact though, that there is actual reporting that goes on in every news network that is fair and without bias or judgment.  It's these shows like O'Reilly, Beck, Grace...all that junk where they provide their opinions on top of presenting the current affairs.  Too bad people eat that crap up.

What people forget is, there are news shows and there are commentary shows.  The commentary shows on Fox are as right wing as they want to be, but the news shows are usually pretty "fair and balanced"... of course, there are times when anyone let's their real feelings show.

But when news anchors call the Democrat party the "progressive party" and the Republican party the "reactionary party"... or the reporters don't challenge a blatant lie from Obama or Hillary, but will go after the mere hint of a negative story about Palin... the bias shows through loud and clear.

Kurtin:

That is happening.  The incompetent press is losing readership, viewership, circulation and advertizing dollars in record numbers.  Back when Walter Kronkite lied to the world and said the Tet Offensive showed that the war was unwinnable, the US listened because he was about the only game in town.  Now that there is real competition, the incompetent press is losing because of their own arrogance.

Dont watch - read - then the feeling is greatly reduced.  But still there (when CNN goes out of its way to label a representative "conservative republican", but if the party of an indicted politician is not mentioned, googling it will show you EVERY time they are a democrat).

Fox news gives Obama lots of slack and good positive exposure. Fox commentators can be tougher, but usually have left wing guests on to make their point. I've never seen anyone on Fox cream their pants over McCain like I've seen other networks do over Obama. I think most Fox critics never watch it for themselves.

Time to revisit this notion.

I still feel there is a lot about BO that is unaccounted for and elusive.  All we can do is wait & see what he intends to do in specific.  So far, the appointment of what is shaping up to be the 3rd Clinton Administration is less than reassuring to me.

There are a few issues that I believe will speak directly to whether he intends to deliver on the rhetoric to 'bring us together as one':

The Fairness Doctrine - If he pushes that, it'll show that he & the left can't accept that they have, for the moment anyway, won the 'battle of ideas,' if only by matter of 2-3% of voters.  BO's victory and the increase in Democratic dominance of Congress are powerful evidence that the so-called Fairness Doctrine is unnecessary.  Any attempt at stifling opposing opinion will trigger even greater opposition and they would be smart to embrace the notion of continued free and unfettered commerce in ideas - after all, at least for now that unfettered commerce has worked in their favor.  It's even arguable that it is the absence of the FD that has allowed the traditional mainstream media to abandon fairness and become their PR firm.  Pushing for it will appear to be chickenshit cowardice and evidence of their insecurity.

Card Check -  If he pushes for termination of secret balloting, he'll confirm his belief that unions can only succeed when allowed to employ coercion and intimidation and that freedom of choice in the workplace is not important to him.

There are other individual issues which I may comment on in later replies, but enough for now.

I doubt we will really know all the details. When you have "journalists" like Chris Mathews saying they will do "anything" to make this presidency work (does that include lying and cover ups?). But at least Mathews made his agenda known so people can gage his credibility, but what about those that feel the same and haven't made their announcement of fealty public?

I don't think Chris has held himself out to be any more of a journalist than Hannity or Olberman, so he gets a pass from me.  I don't consider MSNBC to be 'stream' let alone 'mainstream.'

I have never heard Hannity pass himself off as a journalist, and I dont listen to olberman, so I do not equate those 2 with Chris.  He tries to pass himself off as one (at least at times), and as always, fails all those times.

His suit is looking emptier & emptier as things play out, I'm afraid.  Have to continue to wait & see.