A few general conclusions can be drawn from this ratings list:
1. People love 'advocacy journalism' (term recently made famous by Lou Dobbs, the former CNN anchor). Viewers do not just want 'news' and 'reporting', they want opinion. Just about everyone now has access to news via the internet, so when they watch television, they want to know what people (journalists, pundits, 'anchors') think about these news pieces.
2. The implications of FOX News dominating are many. Does it mean that Americans are getting more conservative? Does it mean more conservatives watch TV? What about the level of education / age demographic that watch FOX News? Does it mean that FOX has better quality news programs?
3. Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity have on numerous occasions accused the mainstream media of being liberal-biased. And there they are, with shows attracting bigger audiences than any other 'liberal' news program. Perhaps now, with the apparent dominance of FOX news, we would be discussing whether or not there is a conservative bias in the mainstream media.
4. I still think John King is awesome. As are Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer. I think by labeling itself as an 'impartial' channel for many years, CNN has given these anchors somewhat of a mystique, causing many to wonder what their personal views are. Imagine King and Cooper being all fired up and opinionated about the issues they're discussing!
5. Rachel Maddow is on the rise, fast. She and Keith Olbermann are outshining their colleagues Ed Schultz and Chris Mathews by a mile. Maddow's sharp, crisp commentary will only help her garner more viewers. The sky's the limit for Rachel!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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