I love how lately the press is all up in arms about FOX News and it's "fair and balanced" claim. I, too, think they should drop it. They should use a motto that reflects their spin, but takes a dig at their counterparts. "FOX ... an NPR elixir!" On the other hand, it's really tacky for the other major media (ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR) to act like they have none, or perhaps just a little. They can quote facts in such a way that isn't lying but so blatantly reflects their opinions.
When Clinton came into office, he used his first day to sign some executive orders that overturned some abortion restrictions put in place by Reagan and Bush Sr. When the current President Bush came into office, his first day was also spent putting earlier restrictions back in place, reversing Clinton's policy. Compare the coverage by the major media:
Peter Jennings, ABC News, 1993: "President Clinton kept a promise (emphasis added) today on the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. Mr. Clinton signed presidential memoranda rolling back many of the restrictions imposed by his predecessors."
Peter Jennings, ABC News, 2001: "One of the president's first actions was designed to appeal to anti-abortion conservatives (emphasis added). The president signed an order reinstating a Reagan-era policy ... "
Tom Brokaw, NBC News, 1993: "Today, President Clinton kept a campaign promise (emphasis added), and it came on the 20th anniversary of Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion."
Tom Brokaw, NBC News, 2001: "We'll begin with the new president's very active day, which started on a controversial note (emphasis added)."
Dan Rather, CBS News, 1993: "Today, with the stroke of a pen, President Clinton delivered on his campaign promise (emphasis added) to cancel several anti-abortion regulations of the Reagan-Bush years."
Dan Rather, CBS News, 2001: "This was President Bush's first day at the office, and he did something to quickly please the right flank (emphasis added) in his party: He reinstituted an anti-abortion policy ... "
Factual reporting, yes, but pullease! Clinton is 'keeping a promise' whereas Bush is merely satiating his far right wing base. Gag! After years of this kind of reporting, some of us who lean a little to the right just find FOX a refreshing antidote. Do I think FOX is biased? Yes, but no worse than it's mainstream counterparts who claim impartial, unbiased reporting. Hearing the mainstream press worry about the FOX'ification of news starts to ring hollow after decades of their bias.
For more examples read this article that was in the WSJ about 2 weeks ago. The author examines his local newspaper,the Asheville (N.C.) Citizen-Times, for just one day.