Why do liberals and self-styled moderates have such a beef with the Fox News Channel? Are they in the thrall of some delusion that certain other broadcast and cable outlets are more balanced or objective? The most common quip a Dumbocrat can make is some vague dismissal of FNC as a legitimate source for journalism. But it's all crap.
Fox News has been beating CNN and MSNBC in the ratings game for probably two years now. Which means that Fox is more popular and ideologically acceptable than the others. (Sorry to burden you with the capitalist view of things.) If it weren't, it would be lagging behind. (Of course, all three of the aforementioned networks still have pretty puny viewership compared to the Big Three broadcast news organizations, but that's changing by the day, thanks in large part to FNC's influence.)
In any event, the notion of non-ideological and purely objective news reporting is an unattainable and untenable thing. It's some sort of an ideal that we are probably taught at some point early on in our intellectual development, but it has no real value in a society which actually has (contrary to the claims of lunatics and assholes) a free press along with a market-driven media. That is to say (and how much easier it is to say now on the Internet!), you can find out pretty much anything you want and hear any kind of opinion you want if you are willing to seek it out. Because if you're getting your news and forming your beliefs on the basis of what Peter Jennings and Katie Couric have to say, then, you need to be rounded up and gassed, anyway.
Don't be a dope is what I'm saying. All of the major media outlets (TV, newspaper, magazines, the Internet, etc.) are biased and ideologically driven mouthpieces. I don't mind because I keep that in mind.
As for FNC, they make at least as much of an effort as any other organization to bring you, as they say, "fair and balanced" reporting. Don't like the fact that they do a little cheerleading? Tough. This is an American news channel (run by an Americophile Aussie); do you expect a lot of pro-towelhead sentiment? Think Bill O'Reilly's an asshole? So do I, mostly. But he's got balls. And he'll even give a liberal his or her props if they stand up enough to him. Think Sean Hannity's an asshole? Yeah. So do I. Always. But, no news channel is perfect.
The bottom line is that FNC doesn't avoid reporting on issues that negatively impact conservatives and they don't muzzle liberals who have a point to make. Compare them to CNN. Those bastards won't even use the word foreigner they're so sophisticated.