Murphy’s Logic: Fox News should not be banned
Fox News has a well-earned reputation for one-sided story telling and commentary that usually promotes conservative politics and causes. It was the favoured television network of Donald Trump before and during his presidency, just as he was Fox’s favourite.
Fair-minded viewers see Fox News for what it often is - a propaganda machine for the Republican party, science skepticism, conspiracy theories and Trumpian fairy tales. Its content is not really news, which is - by definition - fair, accurate and balanced.
Fox News was created as owner Rupert Murdoch’s antidote to what he sees as the predominantly left leaning news media. Ironically, news channels like MSNBC have moved even further left in response.
While there is often a tilt to the left in much legitimate news, there is not usually the sort of deliberately twisted editorial content and sometimes hurtful disinformation proffered by Fox’s so-called newscasts and many of its commentators.
I know this only because I am able to watch Fox and compare its perspective, tone and coverage to that of other news sources.
Which is why I oppose the idea of banning the Fox News channel from Canadian cable systems, something being considered by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
It’s not necessary.
The only people who get the channel are those who opt to pay for it and choose to watch it. It’s completely voluntary. Most Canadians choose not to pay.
It might be wise to require that the Fox News channel be bundled with other services that offer more balanced viewpoints, so that more viewers can compare.
But cutting off those who subscribe to Fox won’t prevent Fox‘s odious content from seeping into the country through social media.
The best way to make sure people are properly wary of what Fox News does, is to allow viewers to see it for what it is.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.