Why do we have a phrase "Liberal media" but not a phrase "Conservative media"? I'm sure Faux news would like to carry that mantra to the delight of their sheep viewers but in my opinion a news organization is automatically disqualified from being a news organization when it actively seeks to sit on one side of the fence or the other. Real news organizations don't take a stand on one side or the other (unless they're taking a stand on principle), they report news, they don't slant news, regardless of what direction they want to slant it.
MSNBC is actually more pathetic for trying to be the counter-balance to Fox. I guess it's fitting that they're on the left side since the left side of politics has turned mostly into a "I'll just do the opposite of what you guys do on the right" and haven't really given the people that vote them in any real representation.
ABC tries hard to set itself apart, but when you cancel an appearance of a gay singer on your morning show the day after he performed an on air kiss with another man, it's obvious to spot CEO Mickey's got a little homophobia and is trying to tote the Disney-conservative line.
I'm not sure where CBS stands, but I think after the whole Dan Rather debacle, it gives them an excuse to be conservative in their news reporting. They seem to have lost some credibility, although I must admit that 60 Minutes appears to be trying to bring back actual investigative reporting where other news shows like Dateline are still trying to catch predators and shady A/C repairmen in hopes of ratings. 60 Minutes does appear to remember what it was like being a reporter, shining light into the dark dealings of the world regardless of what sponsors would think.
CNN, I really wanted to like them, but they remind me of that one desperate date that wants to try to dazzle you, is trying to convince you that they're different, and with that give off a real stench of desperation. All the gimmicky graphs demonstrating trends, and polls aren't really necessary. Just report the news without making it look like I'm playing a video game.
I've caught PBS on a few occasions, granted it tends to come on a little later than the other news and it does seem relatively simple and to the point. Report the events as they happen. Don't report that Obama didn't use "Merry Christmas" on his Christmas card and thus is clearly a Muslim (even though many presidents in the past have the generic Seasons Greetings during their administration). Don't report that actor Morgan Freeman is doing well from his trip in Europe after a nasty bout with food poisoning, who coincidentally is narrating your new series on Nova that takes a closer look at how polar bears live.
One of the saddest things about this country's media is how they've decided that promoting programming has somehow become a news event. "This week on Dancing with the Stars...", "Last night Blank McBlank was voted off of American Idol", it's not NEWS, it's called promotion. What's it going to be like in a few years, an infomercial running with news scrolled at the bottom via a news ticker?
One news organization that has me somewhat intrigued is Al Jazeera. I've heard some people say that they're a raw organization, don't really offer any reporting that favors one side nor the other, isn't really concerned with American pop culture, and to be quite honest doesn't have much if any American flavor/propaganda. I know some people will automatically disqualify them as a legitimate news agency because they aren't American and don't really tote an American policy with their reporting, but I think actively seeking out only information that we're comfortable with or news that only reinforces our own beliefs and stereotypes of the world is pretty much the difference in being ignorant and isolated vs being enlightened and diverse.