Fair and Balanced TV Shows?

[Crash]

Yeah, I know it's a cliche.

In August Recyclerz posted a link to an article from the Atlantic on the Iran nuclear crisis. I was impressed by it and said so in the thread. It laid out facts and had an opinion without seeming to be biased to any one side.

It got me wondering. Aside from maybe the Sunday morning news programs, is there ANY show on TV today that gives a balanced assessment of ANY issue, foreign or domestic?

I can immediately rule out Fox and MSNBC because their agendas are so obvious - they actually wear them like badges now. I've checked out CNN in the evening, but between Larry King interviewing Celine Dion and Anderson Cooper doing what seems to be a tabloid show, doesn't seem to be a lot there.

Admittedly, I'm interested in foreign policy. But even a show that deals with national issues in a balanced way would be interesting. Am I just an ass for thinking some show like this does or should exist on a daily basis?

[Dudeman]

try the newshour with jim lehrer. they actually go into some detail about the issues without repeating political slogans and talking points.

charlie rose might be another possibility, esp for an interview show. he is most likely liberal, but when people from the right are there, they have good conversations and calls everyone out when they resort to talking points. he also has non-politicians that actually know subjects in better detail.

(i don't know, maybe the right wing hates that news show too.... but reality does have a well known liberal bias.)

[StanUpshaw]

You can't trust a human to be unbiased. You need to just go to the source (http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN/).

[keithy_19]

The Fox Report with Shep Smith is a pretty balanced show (as people have pointed out about Shep in the past).

[zentraed]

I love C-SPAN, especially their daily morning show Washington Journal. I don't mind opinion shows, as long as they get their facts straight. Even when guests on Washington Journal are spouting some ideological nonsense, the host will read a newspaper article about it or a caller will chime in, so you get a pretty solid understanding. Greta's days are my favorite.

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/10/11/PH2007101100892.jpg

[A.J.]

Al-Jazeera. During the Gaza attacks, I saw shit I never would have seen on any American channel.

Any foreign channel is great for a different view of foreign policy: BBC, Sky News, Euro News.

[epo]

The Fox Report with Shep Smith is a pretty balanced show (as people have pointed out about Shep in the past).

No its not.

Smith has moments of balance, but he is hardly a regular source of fairness.

[Crispy123]

Al-Jazeera. During the Gaza attacks, I saw shit I never would have seen on any American channel.

Any foreign channel is great for a different view of foreign policy: BBC, Sky News, Euro News.

yup. I watch BBC America. Its the best international news source and has to be near the top for reporting (as opposed to editorializing) on American shit too.

[WRESTLINGFAN]

McLaughlin Group

[Barnaby Jones]

Television news is the absolute worst way to get news! If you have to go with it then try Meet the Press and BBC World News!

[Misteriosa]

Al-Jazeera. During the Gaza attacks, I saw shit I never would have seen on any American channel.

Any foreign channel is great for a different view of foreign policy: BBC, Sky News, Euro News.

i WISH i could get al-jazeera. when i watch the foreign news programs on pbs (especially the news program for americans living in germany; im so sad i cant remember the name), they will have clips of al jazeera reporters delivering excellent coverage of events.

edit: i think the show is dw-world news

[WRESTLINGFAN]

i WISH i could get al-jazeera. when i watch the foreign news programs on pbs (especially the news program for americans living in germany; im so sad i cant remember the name), they will have clips of al jazeera reporters delivering excellent coverage of events.

edit: i think the show is dw-world news

DirecTV ch 348 FREE SPEECH TV shows Al Jazeera in English at 9pm EST

[Misteriosa]

i have cablevision. :o

[CountryBob]

Why dont they have a news channel that gives multiple biased opinions? Like have a political news show that will always give right and left views as they are reporting?

[foodcourtdruide]

Why dont they have a news channel that gives multiple biased opinions? Like have a political news show that will always give right and left views as they are reporting?

I think CNN does this and in the end you really don't learn anything. I don't think that hearing two incorrect versions of a story will lead you to a correct version.

[WRESTLINGFAN]

Why dont they have a news channel that gives multiple biased opinions? Like have a political news show that will always give right and left views as they are reporting?

They can bring back a version of Crossfire once Comcast takes over and hopefully boots the kool aid drinkers presently at 30 rock now.

Maybe have a political version of PTI

[CountryBob]

I like the Political PTI - great idea! :thumbup:

[StanUpshaw]

Wasn't PTI just a sports version of Hannity & Colmes to begin with?

[Crash]

Al-Jazeera. During the Gaza attacks, I saw shit I never would have seen on any American channel.

Any foreign channel is great for a different view of foreign policy: BBC, Sky News, Euro News.

Isn't Sky TV owned by Rupert Murdoch? If so, I have a hard time believing it's not a Brit version of Fox News. I might be wrong about that though. I'm wrong about lots of things. Most things in fact.

Surprised to hear about Al-Jazeera. I would have thought that they would be OFF-THE-MOTHER-FUCKING-WALL biased. But again, that whole wrong-lots-things thing.

[KC2OSO]

http://www.njmikec.com/images/form your own opinion.jpg


heh LEOPOLD VILLE.

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[KnoxHarrington]

I like the Political PTI - great idea! :thumbup:

This works if you've got two people with different political views who nevertheless respect each other and are working towards a mutual interpretation of the news. Not if it's a right-wing douche screeching at a left-wing douche.

[A.J.]

I like the Political PTI - great idea! :thumbup:

Miss the Fastest Hour in Radio on WJFK. :glurps:

[Zorro]

To paraphrase Cass Sunstein it's not so much they're biased as much as it is the human nature to seek the echo of what you already think.

[hanso]

This works if you've got two people with different political views who nevertheless respect each other and are working towards a mutual interpretation of the news. Not if it's a right-wing douche screeching at a left-wing douche.

I bet he had four bloggers in mind that would fill the panel.

[Ogre]

Miss the Fastest Hour in Radio on WJFK. :glurps:

That was some of the best RNF. Moved along, topical, Fez was engaged and Ron's poignant analysis was always spot on.

good times good times

[SatCam]

Talk of the nation on npr. fuck tv

[Crispy123]

Talk of the nation on npr. fuck tv

Tell that to Juan.

[hanso]

The FactZone with Brooke Alvarez.

[Crash]

The FactZone with Brooke Alvarez.

http://207.199.174.56/img/wpfZFOyVdf_i-saw-what-you-did-there-4.jpg