-By Warner Todd Huston
On August 16 the Associated Press published a story on the growing ratings success that Fox News is enjoying in this age of Obama. While all the facts that the AP reported are completely accurate, one key aspect of the Fox News ratings story was left out and it is an aspect that can materially affect the reader’s understanding of the story.
The headline sets the tone for the slight misinformation that can easily mislead: “With Obama in office, Fox News finds its stride.” The piece goes on to reveal that Fox is having a “strong year” in the ratings and quotes a former Fox News host as saying, “Fox is much more firmly established than it has ever been.”
Throughout the article, though, the AP continually pegs Fox’s ratings to Obama and healthcare and if one weren’t well informed of the history of Fox News one could easily get the impression that the cable newser was only having success because of opposition to Obama.
Nowhere in the story does the AP’s David Bauder mention the fact that Fox News has been number one in the cable news ratings for years and years. There is no sudden Fox rise due to Obama’s presidency as this story might lead one to believe. In truth, Fox has been number one for a long, long time with Bill O’Reilly at the top of the cable heap almost since the day his show first aired. Fox was number one throughout the Bush years, as well.
It is a bit disingenuous of the AP to present Fox’s success as if it is all a result of Obama’s election as opposed to the cable news station simply achieving new heights among years of being top dog.
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as NewsBusters.org, RightWingNews.com, StoptheACLU.com, TheRealityCheck.org, RedState.com, Human Events Magazine, AmericanDailyReview.com, and the New Media Journal, among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events and is currently the co-host of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Conservatism” heard on BlogTalkRadio. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of PubliusForum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston
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