The media

TCF has some good observations on the media and I suggest you head over their and read the entire post. He has one statistic I found interesting:

... in February, CNN lost 21% percent of its viewership compared to the previous year, while MSNBC lost 18% percent of its viewer base. In stark contrast, Fox picked up 15% percent in the same period. I proudly attributed these results as the frustration of the Kerry Minority voters abandoning the complicit cable news networks for more substantive pastures - the Internet. And, I soon found confirmation of my theory.


Every Monday, the New York Times' Business Section publishes a Media & Advertising roundup of the previous weeks charts, such as the Billboard music charts, Nielsen cable programming ratings, movie box office receipts, etc. This past week, the chart tracking visitor hits to the websites of the cable news networks told a very different, off-air story. CNN.com placed first, with 17 million hits for the week, and MSNBC.com placed second, with 15 million hits.

Fox News.com was not even in the Top 5.

It would appear that CNN and NBC have the ability to report the news, they just don't do it on the air. You may recall I have been referring to them as the Cable Tabloid Networks for some time now. On the air CNN and MSNBC are trying to out fox FOX and failing.

TCF ends the post with a bit of optimism that I am tempted to share.

Yet, as the Schiavo tragedy may have illuminated, there may be a difference between what they will 'watch', and what they will 'believe'. TCF finds it hard to accept as true that with the distortions of the Republicans, the pro-Life Conservatives and their media co-conspirators, an overwhelming majority of Americans stood fast to their opposition to such intrusions into personal, private matters.

It's almost enough to restore one's faith in the American people.

Indeed, the first sign that Americans don't always drink the kool-aide.