4 ms·

This false equivalency is a huge part of the problem.

by madgar 10y ago

marcoperaza 10y ago
False equivalency? The only reason why you see one or the other as more or less biased is because you believe a larger portion of the narrative they spin. I will admit that Fox is a bit more blatant about it, but CNN and MSNBC are wholly political outfits themselves.
- madgar 10y ago
  Bias isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the false equivalency between the the politics of the left and the right. Pretending that the subject matter itself is equivalent, and that the mental gymnastics taken to defend the subject matter are equivalent.
  - marcoperaza 10y ago
    I too would love a world where the gender pay-inequality myth and anti-nuclear pseudoscience are put to rest by a media that looks into the actual facts.
- sjwright 10y ago
  The question of bias is a red herring. Everyone has bias whether they admit it or not. The issue most people should have with Fox News is that their opinion leaders frequently prosecute their agendas with deeply misleading and often hypocritical slants on their opponents and their views. For example, look at the way Jon Stewart chose to skewer Sean Hannity recently. Say what you will about tone and bias, but the meat of it was a legitimate question of hypocrisy backed up with citations. (Tellingly, Hannity's response was exclusively ad hominem and ignored the central charge.)
  - marcoperaza 10y ago
    As opposed to commentators on the other side? The ones who just call conservatives sexist and racist at the sign of any disagreement.
    - sjwright 10y ago
      If they do so without reasonable evidence or to distract from an unrelated topic of discussion, then I would agree. And I'm sure it happens, but it would be interesting (and potentially enlightening) if you could provide a recent citation from an influential left-wing commentator. (What I won't accept, however, is a technical wiggling between "he's a racist person" versus "he has made racist statements". I agree that this distinction sometimes matters, but generally it does not. For example, I don't think Trump is a racist person at heart, but he does make statements that legitimize the charge of being racist. When the latter is true, the former is irrelevant.)

This false equivalency is a huge part of the problem.

by madgar 10y ago

This false equivalency is a huge part of the problem.

False equivalency? The only reason why you see one or the other as more or less biased is because you believe a larger portion of the narrative they spin. I will admit that Fox is a bit more blatant about it, but CNN and MSNBC are wholly political outfits themselves.

madgar 10y ago
Bias isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the false equivalency between the the politics of the left and the right. Pretending that the subject matter itself is equivalent, and that the mental gymnastics taken to defend the subject matter are equivalent.
- marcoperaza 10y ago
  I too would love a world where the gender pay-inequality myth and anti-nuclear pseudoscience are put to rest by a media that looks into the actual facts.
sjwright 10y ago
The question of bias is a red herring. Everyone has bias whether they admit it or not. The issue most people should have with Fox News is that their opinion leaders frequently prosecute their agendas with deeply misleading and often hypocritical slants on their opponents and their views. For example, look at the way Jon Stewart chose to skewer Sean Hannity recently. Say what you will about tone and bias, but the meat of it was a legitimate question of hypocrisy backed up with citations. (Tellingly, Hannity's response was exclusively ad hominem and ignored the central charge.)
- marcoperaza 10y ago
  As opposed to commentators on the other side? The ones who just call conservatives sexist and racist at the sign of any disagreement.
  - sjwright 10y ago
    If they do so without reasonable evidence or to distract from an unrelated topic of discussion, then I would agree. And I'm sure it happens, but it would be interesting (and potentially enlightening) if you could provide a recent citation from an influential left-wing commentator. (What I won't accept, however, is a technical wiggling between "he's a racist person" versus "he has made racist statements". I agree that this distinction sometimes matters, but generally it does not. For example, I don't think Trump is a racist person at heart, but he does make statements that legitimize the charge of being racist. When the latter is true, the former is irrelevant.)