[DanaC]

It's popular because it is populist :p Whatever my gripes with Fox's biased and (imo) irresponsible reporting style, it led the way in making news 'fun' to watch instead of just informative.

They've used that to peddle lies and hatred, but they've done it with lots of splash and colour. They have been one of the biggest factors in the polarisation of the American political scene in recent years and have successfully sold the lie that the rest of the media is a liberal haunt. Sold it to people like Merc. Who've swallowed the line. So, now many people who are not liberal feel like it's the only mainstream news they can possibly watch. And automatically discount anything said on any other news channel as 'liberal bias', regardless of the quality, or lack thereof, of the reporting. They are the televisual equivalent of the British tabloid press.


They have no journalistic integrity. Their 'Newswatch' programme has steadfastly refused to cover the Murdoch/News International/News Corp issue. Despite it being the biggest story in the news industry at the moment. There's a clip on youtube of them talking whilst off-air during a break: they joke about the story they aren't talking about.