This morning, as most mornings, I flip on FoxNews, make a pot of coffee and go downstairs to get my “LA TIMES.” I used to place that paper in the middle of my desk so that I could get to it as soon as my coffee was ready, but now I just drop it on a stack of papers to the side of the desk. On most days, it sits there untouched until I take it out to recycle at the end of the day.
As I was beginning the day, Fox was airing live the news conference of Michael Schiavo’s attorney (hardly a conservative he). I flipped the TV off as one of Fox’s commentators was about to question a supporter of Mr. Schiavo. Although I was interested in his opinion, I needed to get to work.
Later, in the day, it occurred to me that despite the liberal canard that Fox presents only a slanted conservative view on the news, I realized that, like this morning, that supposedly right-wing network often invites thoughtful, articulate liberals to present their opinions on a variety of issues. Liberal Alan Colmes more cogently presents his point of view than does his conservative colleague Sean Hannity. (And more often than not I agree with Hannity.) New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, one of the smartest Democratic elected officials, is a frequent guest on Fox programs. Before U.S. troops liberated Iraq from Saddam’s tyranny, Mike Farrell made an intelligent case on FoxNews against the war in Iraq.
For all the liberal bellyaching about Fox, the reality is that while, yes, it does have a conservative slant, it also gives fair hearing to liberal points of view. More often it seems than the “big three” networks (NBC, ABC and CBS) give to conservative points of view. And more often than my now-usually-untouched “LOS ANGELES TIMES” gives to right-of-center viewpoints. Just like Roger Simon, “with the Internet beckoning, most mornings my copy of the LAT sits on my doorstep, only to be taken in as an afterthought, if at all.” Only in my case, I do remove it from the doorstep, only to have it sit unread on top of a stack of papers until it comes time to recycle. Well, that is, unless I need to find out what movies are playing at the multiplexes and art houses near me.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com