Fair and Balanced?

It seems to me that all the mainstream national news organizations have pretty much given up balanced news coverage for advertising dollars. Newscasts are full of fluff pieces and, when it comes to real news, they appear to slant their coverage to appeal to the majority according to the latest opinion polls so they won't piss anyone off. Unlike the other major U.S. networks, Fox News doesn't even try to appear objective. Their "news" comes across more like a right-wing radio talk show than an objective newscast.

Ben Mack wrote an article that analyzes their practices, comparing them to magic stage shows:

"If Fox News can compel an audience to set aside their disbelief and flow with the experience for as long as it lasts, it is an act of magic. Clay Ramsay, research director at the Program on International Policy (PIPA) at the University of Maryland, conducted a survey among viewers of television news. The survey found that "regular viewers of Fox News held more misperceptions about the invasion of Iraq than regular viewers of any other networks." The survey goes on to find that regular viewers of Fox News were more confident of their knowledge than regular viewers of any other network. Fox News audiences are enchanted."
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