The Fox News Worldview

Fox News, like any news medium, reports the world's news from a particular slant and those who feast on a steady diet of Fox News tend to hold the same worldview.  To be fair, I tend to have a MSNBC worldview.  I lean about as far left as Fox leans right. So then, what's the difference? The difference  is the entire population of northwest Georgia  is not forced to watch MSNBC all the time. Around here if you're in a hospital waiting area, more than likely you're going to be watching Fox News.  If you're in a doctor's office or a medical clinic, you will not be able to escape Fox News.  The breakfast diner in Rossville, Georgia--Fox News.  The pizza place in Cartersville, Georgia--ESPN and Fox News.  The tire store in Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia--Fox News. Meat and three in Dalton, Georgia--Fox News. If a business around here has a television and it's not on sports, it's probably on Fox News. If you've never noticed that, it's probably because you enjoy watching Fox News.

The assumption from businesses around here seems to be "I subscribe to the Fox News worldview.  I agree with the way Fox News sees the world and reports what they see, therefore I'm quite sure that you agree too. I'm quite sure you are enjoying Fox News as much as I am. If you're not, you should be!"

I do not enjoy watching Fox News.  But I don't enjoy watching any news.  The news thrives on sensationalism and fear. The reporters search the world looking for death, destruction and human degradation. If they find all three in the same story, they have discovered the mother lode. News broadcasts, like any commercial television, exist  to garner ratings. Those ratings then are used to sell  advertising and to produce a profit. Many local and national news outlets claim unbiased reporting.  There is no unbiased reporting.  Each news organization, either print or broadcast, has its particular slant, its particular worldview. If that news is  all you read or watch, then  that particular bias is all you get. And you can't help but be influenced by that partisanship.

I never watch the news unless  I'm captive and have little choice.    99% of the time when I'm captive, I'm watching Fox News. I do read the news.  That way I can decide which headlines I find interesting or somewhat pertinent to me and only read those articles.  I read articles from USA Today, CNN and ABC News nearly every day. I do not claim to "know what's going on in the world," but I do think I have a much better idea than those who only watch one station.

I am as biased as the next person.  Just like you, I have a filter that everything flows through to get to my consciousness and things flow from me to the world through that same filter. I have spun that filter from a lifetime of watching, listening, reading and experiencing.  But I like to think that my filter is substantially larger than the person who gets their worldview from only one place  If you only watch Fox News, or any one broadcast for that matter, how do you stand a chance  of  forming a  broad understanding of any particular subject or event?  Even if Fox News is your favorite television, every so often come up for air and watch something else. You might be surprised what you can learn about  politics, religion and the world around you from another source, including "the liberal media." There is more than one point of view on anything.

I have watched MSNBC only a few times since the last presidential election.  But silly season is upon us and I can't think of a better place to be entertained.  But ask me anything about  Fox News and I can probably tell you.