LA Times - "CNN does it right in Haiti, but Fox drops the ball"

[TomCADem]

Why listen to news, when you can get 24/7 political propaganda from Fox News? This is why the notion of Republican "grass roots" is entirely suspect with Fox News having several Republican politicians and political operatives on its payroll that essentially act as an out-sourced political hench man for the RNC.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/latinamerica/la-et-onthemedia15-2010jan15,0,7766503,print.column

CNN's determination to stick with the news stands in stark contrast to its competitors, particularly Fox News, that in prime time have increasingly been committed to building their brands with political commentary over straight reporting.

When critics accuse Fox of being a tool of the conservative political movement, the company's executives counter that they deliver serious news during much of the day.

But its prime-time headliners expose the values of the entire operation, and this week they've given abysmally short shrift to the biggest crisis in the world.

Why dwell on one of our closest hemispheric neighbors in its hour of dire need, when -- like both Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck -- you can conduct prolonged, frothy promotional interviews with Fox's newest contributor, Sarah Palin?

Why focus on all that misery, if, like Hannity on Wednesday, you can engage conservative virago Michelle Malkin in a soaring conversation about the Obama administration's "culture of corruption."

Bill O'Reilly played his no-Haiti card too, managing a gripping discussion Wednesday with Bo Derek about the threat to the West's wild horses. Not to mention those whales being hunted by the Japanese in the Southern Ocean.

[virgogal]

1. The O'Reilly/Bo Derek thing actually made me LOL. Unbelievable!

[aquart]

5. I fearfully hesitate to ask, but WHY was Bo Derek on?

[roguevalley]

6. say what you will, bo derek is against horse slaughter in the west

and has been for years.

[aquart]

9. I wasn't saying anything. Just asking.

The way the op was phrased, it sounded like she was making political commentary.

[roguevalley]

10. ah. Sorry. :)

[nolabear]

2. Because they're EN-TER-TAIN-MENT.

They're not GOOD entertainment, but then neither are Limbaugh and Palin, much as they believe themselves to be news also too.

[MadMaddie]

3. We need more articles and reporting on this very topic.

Faux is in existance to push it's far right agenda. They prove it every day.

[Jennicut]

4. CNN has shown they are better at on the ground coverage then MSNBC and Faux

But Faux simply is heartless and could care less. MSNBC probably has less resources and good on the ground reporters.
Evan Watson of CNN has just been fantastic.

[JI7]

7. are these CNN reporters regular on CNN international ?

i notice there are a lot of reporters we see during these type of news reporting that involves other countries. remember Sara Sidner during the india terrorist attack last year? they seem to always have people to report on things going around the world. and they do a very good job.

but after these stories fade and we get into regular mostly American political coverage we don't see these people that much anymore. and we start getting the idiot pundits.

[KharmaTrain]

8. NBC Had The Resources

I've watched mostly MSNBC with some CNN...and thing both networks have done well considering how difficult it is to get inland and the lack of electricity and telephones. CNN's constant self promotion get grating after a while.

MSNBC is spearheading NBC's coverage, but it's a news organization downsized and hard-pressed. News is not a very profitable business and in these days of downsizing and "lean and mean" this has meant cutting back on foreign bureaus. Most of their Latin American and Carribbean operations used to be based out of Miami but now comes from Washington and New York. The other networks have downsized similarly...call it a race to the bottom and a major reason why international coverage on domestic American television is horrid.

Faux doesn't care...they know their audience and focuses on it like a lazer. Most of their racist viewers could care less about a bunch of suffering "negroes" who talk funny. Their obsession is the destruction of this Administration and anything "librul"...anything else just doesn't exist. The pisser is they don't care because their ratings are as strong as ever...only bleeding hearts get upset about poor people dying..."real men" oogle over Mooselini.