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Laxman

(2,419 posts)
30. On Air News "Personalities".....
Tue Feb 10, 2015, 10:36 AM
Feb 2015

are not exactly at the top of the intelligence charts. Their performances are graded on looks, their ability to read, memorize talking points and verbal delivery style. It's not their analytical abilities that are either on display or desired by their employers. What gets scary is when they start to believe they are intelligent-or worse, when their audience starts to believe it. They (both host and audience) begin to become convinced of their superiority and exceptional abilities. I mean if they're on T.V. they must be smart. These personalities become extraordinary propaganda tools because of their ability to be programmed and the audiences' predetermined bias towards believing them. Next thing you know the talking heads become convinced of their superiority and they begin to behave like real journalists-only they are just a poor imitation. So you end up with interviews that are like having your garbage man interview a neurosurgeon. (no disrespect meant to sanitation engineers!). It's part of a greater societal problem where we have abandoned critical thinking. So Fox is producing a product that suits the interests of both its audience and its owners with the on-air personality being merely the delivery mechanism. It's very disheartening how vulnerable we are to such manipulation.

YES. GeorgeGist Feb 2015 #1
It does not matter what matters is that fox viewers believe what they are spewing and trust them. ChosenUnWisely Feb 2015 #2
Good point. H2O Man Feb 2015 #16
There are both, idiot spokes-holes who believe their BS, and there are some who are just selling NightWatcher Feb 2015 #3
Right. H2O Man Feb 2015 #17
Do Republicans actually believe the things they say? nt antigop Feb 2015 #4
Fair question. H2O Man Feb 2015 #18
they mercuryblues Feb 2015 #5
Right. H2O Man Feb 2015 #32
My knowledge of theFox universe is slight, but Jackpine Radical Feb 2015 #6
Okay, now you've done it! H2O Man Feb 2015 #33
I have to admit I have never truly watched FOX except for the time it took Frustratedlady Feb 2015 #7
I really like your H2O Man Feb 2015 #34
Fox employees are plastic people living in their own plastic world notadmblnd Feb 2015 #8
Great answer! H2O Man Feb 2015 #35
I don't watch FoxNews, nor do most Americans. Personally I can count on DU to be right wing and Bluenorthwest Feb 2015 #9
There does seem to H2O Man Feb 2015 #38
Some do, some don't. jeff47 Feb 2015 #10
I agree with you on H2O Man Feb 2015 #39
Some are idiots, some are assholes, some JEB Feb 2015 #11
You nailed it! H2O Man Feb 2015 #40
my answer is different today than it would have been 15 years ago. salin Feb 2015 #12
Bravo. You got it! BlueJazz Feb 2015 #14
thanks. salin Feb 2015 #19
Very impressive! H2O Man Feb 2015 #41
I appreciate your question, and response salin Feb 2015 #55
I know that I, H2O Man Feb 2015 #56
I think some of them genuinely believe the lies and propaganda they spew malaise Feb 2015 #13
Right! H2O Man Feb 2015 #42
I don't expect them to change in my lifetime malaise Feb 2015 #45
Yep! H2O Man Feb 2015 #47
Yes. And, P.T. Barnum commented on the reason why. Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2015 #15
Short and sweet! H2O Man Feb 2015 #43
They have a unified slant and their presentation and body language etc are all Jefferson23 Feb 2015 #20
Good call. H2O Man Feb 2015 #44
Yep. Trained is a good word for it. lol Jefferson23 Feb 2015 #50
I think some believe their cause is a righteous one and the lies are warranted herding cats Feb 2015 #21
Solid answer. H2O Man Feb 2015 #49
Words coming out of their mouths doesn't mean they know what they are saying. Octafish Feb 2015 #22
Great point regarding H2O Man Feb 2015 #51
LOVE IT!!! Adolf Hitler quotes are simply stunning in their relevance. Creepy. Horrifying. But calimary Feb 2015 #54
Great answer! H2O Man Feb 2015 #59
Yes, they do, imo. Jamastiene Feb 2015 #23
Yep. H2O Man Feb 2015 #57
Seems unlikely. Paid shills, IMHO. Scuba Feb 2015 #24
Some definitely are. H2O Man Feb 2015 #58
I don't know. LWolf Feb 2015 #25
Very good! H2O Man Feb 2015 #60
No, whores tell Johns what they want to hear Tom Ripley Feb 2015 #26
Good answer! H2O Man Feb 2015 #61
Most don't believe in anything other than doing what is necessary to collect their paycheck. KittyWampus Feb 2015 #27
Wow! H2O Man Feb 2015 #62
Like you said: "I watch Fox News less than a half-hour per year" panader0 Feb 2015 #28
Right! H2O Man Feb 2015 #64
Yes. I think they believe the things they say. I work the polls each election in my corner of the livetohike Feb 2015 #29
My aunt lives H2O Man Feb 2015 #65
On Air News "Personalities"..... Laxman Feb 2015 #30
Outstanding. H2O Man Feb 2015 #66
It depends on the issue. el_bryanto Feb 2015 #31
yes Takket Feb 2015 #36
Nope, I saw Michael Savage debate Al Franken once, and he pretty much admitted that it's a persona.. bettyellen Feb 2015 #37
Having worked with Neil Boortz and other Wingnut Mouthpieces Tsiyu Feb 2015 #46
no. They say what they need to for ratings and job security Liberal_in_LA Feb 2015 #48
Faux Newz is a forum of Millionaire paid Talking Heads, telling the Billionaire's story, Only, bobalew Feb 2015 #52
I think that whether or not they are true believers is irrelevant Agnosticsherbet Feb 2015 #53
I'm sure some do. bigwillq Feb 2015 #63
Some of them are true believers, but I think most don't... Blue_Tires Feb 2015 #67
I think they believe in their mission Tom Rinaldo Feb 2015 #68
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