Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Conservapedia

2009-02-26T03:30:54Z

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'''Conservapedia''', launched on November 21, 2006, is afun place to just chill out and relax, y'know? why so seroius brah? Take a hit. [[conservative]], [[family-friendly]] [[Wiki]] [[encyclopedia]]. It was founded by [[teacher]] and [[attorney]] [[Andrew Schlafly]] with the help of several students from his fall 2006 World History class.

When a student handed in her paper using the date-markers “[[BCE]]” and "CE” from [[Wikipedia]], Schlafly realized that Wikipedia, despite its claim of neutrality, contained bias against the achievements of [[Christianity]] and conservatism. Other occasions of [[liberal bias]], including the reversion of factual edits about an [[evolution]] case, led to the creation and launch of Conservapedia.

Though Conservapedia originally contained mostly [[history]] articles, it has grown over two years to be a general reference, with information about history, [[math]], [[science]], [[politics]], [[religion]] and other topics. It also contains [[Conservapedia:Debate Topics|debates]], [[essays]] and [[Conservapedia:Index|educational resources]].

In March 2007 it was picked up by the media, and faced a barrage of [[vandalism]] (See [[Essay:Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"|Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"]]) Ever since then, it has continued to grow, and now has [[Special:Statistics|tens of millions of page views]], and enjoys prominence on search engines.

==Leadership==

Unlike Wikipedia, which bills itself as a [[democratic]] system and ends up as a [[mobocracy]], Conservapedia employs a [[Meritocracy|merit system]] and a hierarchy.

Andrew Schlafly is the chief administrator and is the most prolific editor, followed by bureaucrats, [[sysop]]s, and regular editors. Editors who contribute substantial content may be promoted to sysop and bureaucrat, or gain extra user rights such as blocking power and uploading images.

==Differences with Wikipedia==

Conservapedia strives to keep its articles concise, informative, family-friendly, and true to the [[fact]]s, which often back up conservative ideas more than liberal ones. Rather than claim a neutral point of view and then insert bias, Conservapedia is clear that it seeks to give due credit to conservatism and Christianity.

Wikipedia articles may contain [[trivia]], [[gossip]], profanity, and even [[Pornography|pornographic]]/sexually explicit images. The latter three are prohibited on Conservapedia and trivia is largely discouraged.

The administrative hierarchy prevents Conservapedia from being hijacked by a faction, and thus preserves it from mobocracy, as mentioned above.

==Influential editors and users==
*[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] is the username of the aforementioned founder of Conservapedia, Andrew Schlafly. He has contributed massively to Conservapedia since the beginning, authored many articles including the [[World History Lectures|student lectures]], and is the final authority on article content and user conduct.

*[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]], active at Conservapedia for over a year, and at Wikipedia for seven years, was the first elected bureaucrat at Wikipedia and has been extremely influential at both sites. At Conservapedia, he has primarily aimed at accuracy, rationality, and user cooperation.

*[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] has contributed the majority of content to the extremely popular [[atheism]], [[evolution]], and [[homosexuality]] articles. The first two were articles of the year at Conservapedia.

*[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] has contributed a large amount of content about the [[art]]s, such as pages on [[literature]], [[sculpture]], and [[painting]]. He created the [[Painting Masterpieces|galleries of artwork]] which are featured on Conservapedia's [[Main_Page|Main page]] as the "masterpiece of the week". His work has helped beautify the encyclopedia.

*[[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] is best known for defending and explaining [[Creationist]] beliefs on Conservapedia. He is also often in conversations in an effort to improve the project.

*[[User:TK|TK]] has made many substantive contributions since April 9, 2007, and is known for his vigilance against vandals.

*[[User:DeanS|DeanS]] helped found the Conservapedia news project, and he is its main contributor. He has also worked on articles related to [[Mormonism]].

*[[User:SharonS|SharonS]] has been an editor since the very beginning of Conservapedia, and was interviewed and quoted in a newspaper article to explain and defend the project.

*[[User:BethanyS|BethanyS]] has been active since December 2006. She has been influential in the project and has contributed many articles, especially about [[American]] ships (such as [[USS Abraham (1858)]]) and [[legal]] topics. For a more complete list, see [http://www.conservapedia.com/User_talk:AddisonDM#BethanyS_Contribs]

*[[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] watches over maintenance work, and in addition to neutral contributions has created the popular article [[Essay:Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"|Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"]], as well as the Conservapedia article itself.

*[[user:Iduan|Iduan]] (first edit April 2007) has written many articles about universities, edited articles for consistency, and improved and created dozens of templates.

*[[User:RobSmith|RobSmith]] Created some of Conservapedia's most acclaimed articles, and was a tireless vandal fighter and researcher on the [[Socialist]] and [[Communist]] agendas.

==Testimonies and Impact==

Conservapedia has been praised and ridiculed in the [[media]], on [[blog]]s, and on rival sites. Critics claim that it contains fringe viewpoints, and supporters note that it simply provides another viewpoint and an alternative to liberal bias.

*Conservapedia provides information about the [[American]] people that liberal critics would rather hide: for example, nearly 50 percent of Americans reject evolution and embrace [[creationism]], and even more want creationism taught alongside evolution in school. <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml</ref> Another example is the fact that atheists- often claiming to be more equipped to help their fellow men than religious people- actually give less to charity than believers, even when church giving is excluded. <ref>http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=272</ref> <ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3647/is_200310/ai_n9340592/Religious</ref>

*Search results for controversial subjects such as homosexuality and evolution contain Conservapedia links within a few searches and often on the first page.<ref>http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geu5abSHtJKrEAHU9XNyoA?p=homosexuality&fr=ush-news</ref>

*Many biographical articles contain religious references and information about the person’s religion, much more so than Wikipedia. Editor and college student Tasha Jones, ([[User:Taj|Taj]]) said of this aspect, “It gives me a better understanding of how people feel religion relates to our lives.” <ref>http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/19/nation/na-schlafly19</ref>

*Conservapedia is active in political advocacy. For example, it [[charter]]ed a bus for the 2009 [[March for Life]].

==Educational atmosphere==

Due to the existence of essays and debates on Conservapedia, and conventions such as the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|"90/10 rule"]] and the use of real names, Conservapedia successfully fosters an [[education]]al environment. Because liberal bias is not allowed, much information that would be elsewhere censored can be found on Conservapedia; often it is one of the only places to find such information in one place.

Many pages tagged as essays are really more like projects, or are otherwise thought-provoking, giving Conservapedia some characteristics of a [[think tank]]. See [[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Best New Conservative Words]], [[Essay:The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America|The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America]], [[Essay:Top Causes of Rejecting Conservativism|Top Causes of Rejecting Conservativism]], [[Mystery:Why Do Non-Conservatives Exist?|Why Do Non-Conservatives Exist?]], [[Disputed Biblical Translations]], and [[Linguistic Analysis of Candidates]].

==See Also==

*[[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]]
*[[Conservapedia:About|About Conservapedia]]
*[[Special:ListUsers/Siteadmin|List of Site Admins]]
*[[Conservative Links]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Conservapedia]][[Category:Conservative]][[Category:Websites]][[Category:Wikis]]

Conservative

2009-02-26T03:29:27Z

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A '''conservative''' is one who adheres to principlesto ideals form a 2000 year old book, and a blurry pastiche of cliches from 1950's tv shows of limited government, personal responsibility and moral values. A conservative would likely agree with the statement in [[George Washington]]'s [[Farewell Address]] that "religion and morality are indispensable supports" to political prosperity.<ref>[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm United States Department of State] George Washington, farewell address, 1796</ref> Conservatism arose in the 19th century as a response to [[liberalism]], particularly as manifested in the [[French Revolution]].<ref>In addition, Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary has the following definition of conservative: "tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : TRADITIONAL"[http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/conservative] Therefore, a conservative Christian would be one that tends to adhere to the doctrines of the early Christianity and [[Judeo-Christian]] values.</ref>
[[Image:Aaag.jpg|thumb|Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, is the epitome of American conservatism.]]

== Conservatives in the United States ==

In the United States, conservatives are generally characterized by adherence to limited government, public morality and free enterprise. Specifically, conservatives tend to adhere to the following principles:

* Return of prayer in school
* Prohibition of abortion
* Opposition to same-sex marriage licenses and homosexuals
* Support of laws against pornography
* Support of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms
* Economic allocative efficiency (as opposed to popular equity)
* Stronger law enforcement and anti-crime laws, including the death penalty
* Parental control of education
* Private medical care and retirement plans
* Weakening or canceling failed social support programs
* Generally opposed to the United Nations
* Support enforcement of current laws regarding immigration
* Support tightening of border security
* Respect for our military... past and present
* Literal interpretation of the [[Bible]] and rejection of [[evolutionism]]
* Low taxes, especially for families
* Opening foreign markets to U.S. products
* Less power for the federal government and more for local and state governments
* A strong national defense

Every so often a conservative has been elected president of the United States. All presidents combine some liberal and some conservative elements, as well as some policies that do not fit into categories.

In the last 125 years the most prominent conservative presidents include:

*[[Grover Cleveland]] (1885-1889, 1893-1897)
*[[William McKinley]] (1897-1901)
*[[William Howard Taft]] (1909-1913)
*[[Warren G. Harding]] (1921-1923)
*[[Calvin Coolidge]] (1923-1929)
*[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] (1953-1961)
*[[Ronald Reagan]] (1981-1989)

Other influential figures in the conservative ideology and movement within the past 125 years include:

*[[Barry Goldwater]] - 1964 Republican candidate, lost to [[Lyndon Johnson]]
*[[Russell Kirk]] - Theorist & intellectual
*[[Irving Kristol|Irving]] and [[William Kristol]] - Notable [[neoconservatives]]
*[[Pat Buchanan]] - Popular [[paleoconservative]] figure and occasional presidential candidate
*[[Margaret Thatcher]] - [[British]] prime minister between 1979 and 1990, held similar views as Ronald Reagan
*[[Milton Friedman]] - Chicago-school [[libertarian]] [[economist]], influential during Reagan administration
*[[Arthur Laffer]] - Reagan [[supply-side]] economist (after which the [[Laffer curve]] is named)

In America, most conservatives tend to align with the [[Republican Party]], but not exclusively so. In the 2008 election, 35% of the voters identified themselves as conservatives. Of them, 78% voted for McCain and 20% for Obama, with the 20% accounting for Obama's margin of victory. Only 22% of the voters were liberal; they favored Obama 89%-10%. In the middle were 44% who called themselves moderates. They split for Obama by 60%-39%. (Minor candidates won 2% of the vote.)<ref> See [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#USP00p1 Presidential 2008 Exit Poll]</ref>

== Conservative news organizations ==
Some of the more notable news organizations which tend to be more conservative are [[Fox News]], [[NewsMax]], and [[WorldNetDaily]].

== Conservative magazines and blogs ==
Well known conservative magazines in the United States include ''[[National Review]]'', ''[[Policy Review]]'', ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'' and others.

Some notable [[Conservative blogs|conservative political blogs]] include the [[Heritage Foundation]]'s Policy Weblog, ''[[Human Events]]'', [[Michelle Malkin]], Newsbusters, Townhall.com and others.

== Neoconservatives ==

American commentators who ally themselves with the conservative movement but reject its religious or moral underpinnings are generally known as [[neoconservatives]].<ref>Jonah Goldberg, [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZWMxNWNiNDJkY2JmNTExY2E1MzdkYWU3MWU1MTBiOGU= "What Is a 'Conservative'?"], [[National Review|National Review Online]], 11 May 2005</ref>

In the United States, conservatives are generally characterized by the following beliefs:

# Support of limited government.
# A preference for freedom of opportunity over equality of result.
# Patriotism, nationalism, and support of a strong defense.
# Support of the institution of marriage.
# Emphasis on social values, like prayer and pro-life principles.

However, neoconservatives generally support bigger government and globalism, and tend to downplay the significance of social values.

== Paleoconservatives ==

[[Paleoconservatives]] are conservatives who are more focused on opposing [[multiculturalism]], and suspicious of both big government and big business. They also lean more towards isolating America from the problems of other continents. Neoconservatives might criticize this as "isolationism", as they believe we can promote [[democracy]] worldwide.

Among paleoconservatives was Democratic Congressman from Georgia, [[Larry McDonald]]. He was also second Chairman of the [[John Birch Society]], and President of Western Goals. McDonald was aboard [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] when it was shot down by the Soviets in 1983.

== Personal conservatism ==
Because Conservatives often have strong political views, there can be a tendency to see conservatism as a purely political ideology. However, there is also a strong personal side to conservatism - being a conservative is as much about applying conservative values to one's everyday life as it is about campaigning and voting for conservative candidates. In general, conservatives can be characterised by a strong sense of personal [[morality]], a willingness to observe their culture's traditions and customs, and a desire to be respectable and to show due respect to other members of the community.

==Conservatives in the United Kingdom==

In the United Kingdom the present parliamentary opposition party since 1997 is the [[Conservative Party]]. Its current leader is [[David Cameron]].<ref>[http://www.conservatives.com Conservative party UK]</ref>

Up until the mid-19th century, the forerunners of the Conservatives were known as [[Tory|Tories]], and the name has persisted as a common nickname both for the political party and those believed to be in agreement with it. Since the mid-to-late 1970s, British conservatives have been defined by an advocacy of [[laissez-faire]] economics, privatization and lower taxation. In recent years the Conservative Party has moved away from the social conservatism which once characterised it, and the current party policy includes, for example, support for abortion on demand and gay civil partnership and the Kyoto Treaty and to oppose capital punishment (although it should be noted that such policies have little support amongst the party's grassroots membership) <ref>John Charmley, ''A History of Conservative Politics Since 1830'', (2nd ed. 2008) </ref>

Levels of prayer and worship are much lower in England and Wales than in the U.S., and religious issues thereby play less of a role in public discourse. However, religious issues remain a significant factor in [[Northern Ireland]] and in 2008 religious issues were significant during a special election in [[Scotland]].

In common with conservatives in many other countries, British Conservatives tend towards a patriotic rather than internationalist outlook, and are traditionally skeptical of the [[European Union]].

The broadcast media (dominated by the [[BBC]]) is almost exclusively liberal in tone. The print media is different with pro-Conservative newspapers like the ''Daily Mail'' , ''Daily Express'' and ''Daily Telegraph'' selling more copies than their rivals.<ref>[http://www.mediauk.com/the_knowledge/i.muk/An_introduction_to_newspapers_in_the_UK Media UK; Introduction to newspapers in the UK]</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Previous Breaking News/Conservatives|Articles about '''Conservatives''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[More News/Conservatives|Articles about '''Conservatives''' from "More News"]]
*[[Conservative Links]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/conservatives/ What Liberals Say - Category: Conservatives], [[Accuracy In Media]]

[[Category:Conservative]]
[[Category:Taxation]]

{{Conservatism}}

Conservative

2009-02-26T03:28:38Z

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A '''conservative''' is one who adheres to principlesto ideals form a 200 year old book, and a blurry pastiche of cliches from 1950's tv shows of limited government, personal responsibility and moral values. A conservative would likely agree with the statement in [[George Washington]]'s [[Farewell Address]] that "religion and morality are indispensable supports" to political prosperity.<ref>[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm United States Department of State] George Washington, farewell address, 1796</ref> Conservatism arose in the 19th century as a response to [[liberalism]], particularly as manifested in the [[French Revolution]].<ref>In addition, Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary has the following definition of conservative: "tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : TRADITIONAL"[http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/conservative] Therefore, a conservative Christian would be one that tends to adhere to the doctrines of the early Christianity and [[Judeo-Christian]] values.</ref>
[[Image:Aaag.jpg|thumb|Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, is the epitome of American conservatism.]]

== Conservatives in the United States ==

In the United States, conservatives are generally characterized by adherence to limited government, public morality and free enterprise. Specifically, conservatives tend to adhere to the following principles:

* Return of prayer in school
* Prohibition of abortion
* Opposition to same-sex marriage licenses and homosexuals
* Support of laws against pornography
* Support of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms
* Economic allocative efficiency (as opposed to popular equity)
* Stronger law enforcement and anti-crime laws, including the death penalty
* Parental control of education
* Private medical care and retirement plans
* Weakening or canceling failed social support programs
* Generally opposed to the United Nations
* Support enforcement of current laws regarding immigration
* Support tightening of border security
* Respect for our military... past and present
* Literal interpretation of the [[Bible]] and rejection of [[evolutionism]]
* Low taxes, especially for families
* Opening foreign markets to U.S. products
* Less power for the federal government and more for local and state governments
* A strong national defense

Every so often a conservative has been elected president of the United States. All presidents combine some liberal and some conservative elements, as well as some policies that do not fit into categories.

In the last 125 years the most prominent conservative presidents include:

*[[Grover Cleveland]] (1885-1889, 1893-1897)
*[[William McKinley]] (1897-1901)
*[[William Howard Taft]] (1909-1913)
*[[Warren G. Harding]] (1921-1923)
*[[Calvin Coolidge]] (1923-1929)
*[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] (1953-1961)
*[[Ronald Reagan]] (1981-1989)

Other influential figures in the conservative ideology and movement within the past 125 years include:

*[[Barry Goldwater]] - 1964 Republican candidate, lost to [[Lyndon Johnson]]
*[[Russell Kirk]] - Theorist & intellectual
*[[Irving Kristol|Irving]] and [[William Kristol]] - Notable [[neoconservatives]]
*[[Pat Buchanan]] - Popular [[paleoconservative]] figure and occasional presidential candidate
*[[Margaret Thatcher]] - [[British]] prime minister between 1979 and 1990, held similar views as Ronald Reagan
*[[Milton Friedman]] - Chicago-school [[libertarian]] [[economist]], influential during Reagan administration
*[[Arthur Laffer]] - Reagan [[supply-side]] economist (after which the [[Laffer curve]] is named)

In America, most conservatives tend to align with the [[Republican Party]], but not exclusively so. In the 2008 election, 35% of the voters identified themselves as conservatives. Of them, 78% voted for McCain and 20% for Obama, with the 20% accounting for Obama's margin of victory. Only 22% of the voters were liberal; they favored Obama 89%-10%. In the middle were 44% who called themselves moderates. They split for Obama by 60%-39%. (Minor candidates won 2% of the vote.)<ref> See [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#USP00p1 Presidential 2008 Exit Poll]</ref>

== Conservative news organizations ==
Some of the more notable news organizations which tend to be more conservative are [[Fox News]], [[NewsMax]], and [[WorldNetDaily]].

== Conservative magazines and blogs ==
Well known conservative magazines in the United States include ''[[National Review]]'', ''[[Policy Review]]'', ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'' and others.

Some notable [[Conservative blogs|conservative political blogs]] include the [[Heritage Foundation]]'s Policy Weblog, ''[[Human Events]]'', [[Michelle Malkin]], Newsbusters, Townhall.com and others.

== Neoconservatives ==

American commentators who ally themselves with the conservative movement but reject its religious or moral underpinnings are generally known as [[neoconservatives]].<ref>Jonah Goldberg, [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZWMxNWNiNDJkY2JmNTExY2E1MzdkYWU3MWU1MTBiOGU= "What Is a 'Conservative'?"], [[National Review|National Review Online]], 11 May 2005</ref>

In the United States, conservatives are generally characterized by the following beliefs:

# Support of limited government.
# A preference for freedom of opportunity over equality of result.
# Patriotism, nationalism, and support of a strong defense.
# Support of the institution of marriage.
# Emphasis on social values, like prayer and pro-life principles.

However, neoconservatives generally support bigger government and globalism, and tend to downplay the significance of social values.

== Paleoconservatives ==

[[Paleoconservatives]] are conservatives who are more focused on opposing [[multiculturalism]], and suspicious of both big government and big business. They also lean more towards isolating America from the problems of other continents. Neoconservatives might criticize this as "isolationism", as they believe we can promote [[democracy]] worldwide.

Among paleoconservatives was Democratic Congressman from Georgia, [[Larry McDonald]]. He was also second Chairman of the [[John Birch Society]], and President of Western Goals. McDonald was aboard [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] when it was shot down by the Soviets in 1983.

== Personal conservatism ==
Because Conservatives often have strong political views, there can be a tendency to see conservatism as a purely political ideology. However, there is also a strong personal side to conservatism - being a conservative is as much about applying conservative values to one's everyday life as it is about campaigning and voting for conservative candidates. In general, conservatives can be characterised by a strong sense of personal [[morality]], a willingness to observe their culture's traditions and customs, and a desire to be respectable and to show due respect to other members of the community.

==Conservatives in the United Kingdom==

In the United Kingdom the present parliamentary opposition party since 1997 is the [[Conservative Party]]. Its current leader is [[David Cameron]].<ref>[http://www.conservatives.com Conservative party UK]</ref>

Up until the mid-19th century, the forerunners of the Conservatives were known as [[Tory|Tories]], and the name has persisted as a common nickname both for the political party and those believed to be in agreement with it. Since the mid-to-late 1970s, British conservatives have been defined by an advocacy of [[laissez-faire]] economics, privatization and lower taxation. In recent years the Conservative Party has moved away from the social conservatism which once characterised it, and the current party policy includes, for example, support for abortion on demand and gay civil partnership and the Kyoto Treaty and to oppose capital punishment (although it should be noted that such policies have little support amongst the party's grassroots membership) <ref>John Charmley, ''A History of Conservative Politics Since 1830'', (2nd ed. 2008) </ref>

Levels of prayer and worship are much lower in England and Wales than in the U.S., and religious issues thereby play less of a role in public discourse. However, religious issues remain a significant factor in [[Northern Ireland]] and in 2008 religious issues were significant during a special election in [[Scotland]].

In common with conservatives in many other countries, British Conservatives tend towards a patriotic rather than internationalist outlook, and are traditionally skeptical of the [[European Union]].

The broadcast media (dominated by the [[BBC]]) is almost exclusively liberal in tone. The print media is different with pro-Conservative newspapers like the ''Daily Mail'' , ''Daily Express'' and ''Daily Telegraph'' selling more copies than their rivals.<ref>[http://www.mediauk.com/the_knowledge/i.muk/An_introduction_to_newspapers_in_the_UK Media UK; Introduction to newspapers in the UK]</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Previous Breaking News/Conservatives|Articles about '''Conservatives''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[More News/Conservatives|Articles about '''Conservatives''' from "More News"]]
*[[Conservative Links]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/conservatives/ What Liberals Say - Category: Conservatives], [[Accuracy In Media]]

[[Category:Conservative]]
[[Category:Taxation]]

{{Conservatism}}

Censorship

2009-02-26T03:27:28Z

Venice: Replacing page with 'does not exist. Return to you're duties citizen. That is all.'

does not exist. Return to you're duties citizen. That is all.

Fox News Channel

2009-02-26T03:17:01Z

Venice: corrected quote

[[Image:FNC logo.jpg|thumb|right|Fox News Logo]]

The '''Fox News Channel''' is not as conservative as it pretends to be, although it does cover some stories that liberal news sources ignore or [[censor]] (see [[news spiking]]).
It is part of the Fox Television Stations Group, a subsidiary of Australian-born media mogul [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s [[News Corporation]]. [[Roger Ailes]] was named Chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group on August 15, 2005.

==Founding==

Fox News was started in 1996 by [[Murdoch]] and Roger Ailes. The two of them perceived a need for a news organization that offered more balanced reporting, one where the facts from all sides would be presented. Main-stream media "[[Political Correctness]]" was banished, with the news [[anchor]]s calling [[terrorist]]s what they were, (terrorists), instead of referring to them as "militants." As of February, 2007, polls show that over 20% of [[Americans]] say their main source of news is the Fox News Channel.

Fox News uses the slogan "Fair & Balanced," carries bipartisan shows like [[Hannity and Colmes]], and daily guest pundits from all sides of the [[political spectrum]]. Fox News also is non-hostile to conservative and [[Christian]] values, viewpoints, spokesmen, and ideas. Fox News has gained the reputation for reporting the news in an unbiased manner and then allowing the viewer to decide; "We Report, You Decide" is another of their on-air slogans.

Fox News has dominated the [[ratings]] of other cable news outlets.<ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-anderson4oct04,0,2195035.story?coll=la-opinion-center</ref> Launched by media [[tycoon]] Rupert Murdoch and former political consultant Roger Ailes as a refuge for viewers fed up with real or perceived liberal bias everywhere in the so-called "[[mainstream media]]", Fox is the undisputed ratings champion of cable news. It's been trouncing [[CNN]], [[MSNBC]] and [[CNBC]] for years, and it quite often draws a much larger audience share than all competitors, combined.

==Fair and Balanced==
[[Image:Fair_balanced.jpg‎ |thumb|left|Fair And Balanced Logo]]
[[Leftist]] critics have been known to complain about the "Fair & Balanced" slogan. Former President [[Bill Clinton]] exploded at ''Fox News Sunday'' anchor [[Chris Wallace]] in September of 2006, accusing him of "a nice little conservative hit job" after being lightly pressed by Wallace about his record on fighting [[Al Qaeda]]. [[Democratic]] politicians and advocates have relentlessly attacked the cable network, sometimes accusing it of being a Republican [[propaganda mill]]. Ex Vice-President and notorious environmentalist [[Al Gore]] has likened Fox to a right-wing "[[fifth column]]." Groups, such as [[MoveOn.org]], funded a classic [[schlockumentary]] entitled ''[[Outfoxed]]'', which purports to expose the channel's nefarious [[Republican]] agenda. Some have referred to FOX News as "the propaganda arm of the [[Republican Party]]." In a grandstanding gesture of [[political theatre]] the group unsuccessfully petitioned the [[Federal Trade Commission]] to stop Fox's from using its slogan as "deceptive advertising".

A recent comprehensive study by [[UCLA]] political scientist Tim Groseclose and [[University of Missouri-Columbia]] economics professor Jeffrey Milyo found [[Brit Hume]]'s ''Special Report'' — Fox's most straightforward news show — more centrist than any of the three major networks' evening newscasts, all of which are left leaning. <ref>[http://rcp.missouri.edu/articles/milyo_media.html]</ref> The program is a model of smart news television.

And although it's true that the Fox's opinion shows (as opposed to its news shows) are, as they're supposed to be, frequently bombastic and opinionated, it's equally true that Fox's biggest super-star, [[Bill O'Reilly]] is not a mainstream Republican, but a registered [[Independent]] who sides with conservatives. He regularly charges the oil companies with [[price-gouging]] and attacks big business for quashing the little guy. Who can say what host [[Greta Van Susteren]]'s politics are? She mostly covers the [[crime]]-of-the-day stories. [[Geraldo Rivera]] has always been liberal on most issues, with the exception of being a strong supporter of the military and stiff penalties for [[sex offender]]s.

Liberal commentators go in and out of the Fox studios all over America, every day — some of them, like host [[Alan Colmes]] and news analyst [[Marvin Kalb]], and [[Eleanor Clift]] affiliated with the channel. There's no doubt, of course, that Fox News is closer to mainstream America than [[CBS]], [[ABC]], [[NBC]] or [[CNN]]. But, after all, that was its founding mission.

Conservatives have criticism for Fox. Their 'Fair and Balanced' motto allows [[liberal]] [[propaganda]] and half-truths to gain an audience. In reality, Fox was judged to actually provide a more "fair and balanced" coverage in the 2008 Presidential race than all three MSM networks, who had a decidedly pro-Obama tilt, a study by the ''Center for Media and Public Affairs''. <ref>[http://www.cmpa.com/pdf/08summer.pdf Center for Media and Public Affairs: ''How TV News Has Covered McCain, Obama and Hillary'']</ref>

== Anti-elitist ==

Conservatives argue that Fox's real ethos is not Republican but anti-[[elitist]] — a major reason it connects with so many Americans and annoys so many [[coastal elite]]s. "There's a whole country that elitists will never acknowledge," Ailes once observed. "What people resent deeply out there are those in the 'blue states' thinking they're smarter." This anti-elitism shows itself in Fox's pro-U.S. stance in covering the [[Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq war]]s and its broadcasters' use of terms such as "terrorist" instead of the politcally correct "militant" to refer to … well, terrorists. Since the [[Vietnam War]] era, mainstream [[journalist]]s have tended to see such blunt language and side-taking as unsophisticated, a betrayal of[[ journalistic]] [[objectivity]], or perhaps their own ingrained biases against [[government]] in general.

Another aspect of Fox's anti-elitism: [[evangelical]] and [[fundamentalist Christian]]s, far from being seen as lunatics or extremists — as too often is the case in the [[mainstream media]] — are treated with great respect. "We regularly have on the [[Rev. Franklin Graham]], [[Dr. James Dobson]] and other religious leaders, just as we put on [[Pat Ireland]] and Eleanor Clift," Ailes said, continuing, ''"Most Americans believe in God and have that as their foundation in life. So why shouldn't we have as guests people that they like, respect and want to hear from? Because it offends some [[liberal]] organization somewhere, whining about ''[[objectivity]]''? This is a free country. " '' Ailes said he didn't get "too worked up" by a [[Pew Foundation]] study that showed that Fox has more Republican viewers than CNN, CNBC or MSNBC and that his reporters and anchors insert their opinions into stories far more than competitors do. Numbers might have something to do with it: Fox is beating the combined audience of the other three. But Ailes dismissed Pew as a "liberal [[lobbyist|lobbying]] organization." He said, "Most polls today are not taken to provide information to the public but to get press for the organization taking the polls. I took a poll of Pew, and 98% of my organization found that they were biased", Ailes said with a wink. <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

In response, Project director Tom Rosenstiel said the study "was not a poll. It was a content analysis designed by a four-university research team and executed at the [[University of Alabama]]." ''One plus for Fox, he said, was that researchers found Fox News stories were more forthcoming about sourcing than their cable rivals.'' <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

==Fox News Channel and Homosexuality ==
In regards to the issue of [[homosexuality]], the Fox News Channel and Bill O'Reilly [[Homosexuality and the Media|have acted in a way which is not reflective of conservative views (for example, the Fox News Channel donated money to the Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association)]].

== Fox vs fringe views ==

"What really frustrates liberals about Fox, though, is simply that, along with [[talk radio]] and the conservative [[blogosphere]], it has helped shatter the left's near-monopoly on news and information. Fox's opinion-driven programming gives conservatives and liberals a chance to get a fair hearing for their ideas. But Democratic politicians and activists who go on Fox also must defend their views, often against tough questioning, something that happens less often on the networks, where most journalists are left-of-center, survey after survey has shown", said columnist [[Brian Anderson]]. "Even more significant, Fox came on the scene a decade ago as a professional news organization that could define and report news as something different from what the elite consensus says it is. To take one of many examples, the corruption of the [[United Nations]]' [[oil-for-food]] initiative in [[Iraq]], initially downplayed by the mainstream media because of their sympathy for internationalism, was uncovered — deemed newsworthy — on Fox."

All this wouldn't matter if Fox News wasn't so influential. But it is. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 20% of Americans now claim to get news from it, and lots of them (37%) are Democrats or independents. The network's success has also sparked a "Fox effect," leading some competitors to become more open to right-of-center opinions: MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," hosted by former Republican congressman [[Joe Scarborough]], is a prime example. Until a few years ago, Democrats never had to deal with all these mediatized conservatives. <ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-anderson4oct04,0,2195035.story?coll=la-opinion-center</ref>

Ailes said Fox News has no agenda. His charge to his reporters and anchors is simple: "If you make a mistake, get on the air as fast as you can and admit it. ... Do your homework. Make sure you reach out to a point of view you don't agree with to be sure you have some balance in your piece, because journalists, despite the public perception, are not empty-headed fools. They actually come to the job with some ideas and biases." When asked whether the media have a "conscious bias," Ailes said: "I don't know whether it's conscious or not. I think people who are biased to the left and right are by and large honest people who bring their life experience to whatever their beliefs are. I don't think there's some conspiracy of bias to the left, ''but I do think that [[New York]] and [[Los Angeles]] have different views than many people that I know from other parts of the country."'' <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

== Roger Ailes ==
[[Image:Rogerailes_1.jpg‎ |thumb|right|300px|Roger Ailes, Fox News CEO]]
[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205966,00.html This is a transcript] of Ailes speaking to the Television Critics Association, which will be enlightening to readers digging into the Fox take on reporting and its reaction to controversy about its mission.

On November 20, 2008, [[Roger Ailes]], who now holds the titles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, FOX News and Chairman of FOX Television Stations, signed a new five year contract with News Corporation, it was announced by Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. <ref>[http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/roger_ailes_signs_new_5year_deal_with_news_corp_101312.asp Ailes Inks 5 Year Deal With NewsCorp]</ref>

During Ailes' time with [[News Corporation|News Corp]], [[FNC]] passed [[CNN]] in ratings in all day parts in 2002 to become the number one news network in the country, nearing full distribution with more than 90 million subscribers. In 2007, he launched the [[Fox Business News]] which currently reaches more than 40 million homes and served as the biggest launch in cable television history. Throughout Mr. Ailes' tenure, FOX Television Stations has increased its market share each of the last three years with all time record shares in the last two years. In addition, Fox Television Stations has expanded its local news presence by nearly 100 hours a week in a challenging economic climate.

== Tony Snow ==

In April, 2006 the [[White House]] selected [[Tony Snow]], Fox News Anchorman, to be the new White House Press Secretary. "Snow, who in his roles as a [[pundit]] on Fox News and elsewhere has rapped Bush on several occasions, joined the White House only after extracting a promise that he would become an adviser to the president on day-to-day strategy...the former columnist will be the first outsider to become part of Bush's revamped inner circle.", said the [[Washington Post]]. <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042600558.html</ref>

Snow, 50, worked most recently as host for ''Fox News Sunday, with Tony Snow'' and as host of his own radio talk show. He was a director of speech-writing for President [[George H.W. Bush]] and has worked as a [[USA Today]] columnist, Editorial Page Editor of the [[Washington Times]], deputy editorial page editor of the [[Detroit News]] and frequent substitute for radio host [[Rush Limbaugh]]. <ref>http://whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060426.html</ref>

==Bill O'Reilly==

The [[O'Reilly Factor]] has been the most popular cable news segment for eight years. [[Bill O'Reilly]] has interviewed Barack Obama and other high profile guests on his show. Bill O'Reilly is a registered independent, but sides with Republicans on most issues, excluding several Christian causes. Bill O'Reilly wrote the best seller "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity."

==External Links==
*[http://www.foxnews.com/ Fox News]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Cable TV Networks]]

Fox News Channel

2009-02-26T03:13:22Z

Venice: added links

[[Image:FNC logo.jpg|thumb|right|Fox News Logo]]

The '''Fox News Channel''' is not as conservative as it pretends to be, although it does cover some stories that liberal news sources ignore or [[censor]] (see [[news spiking]]).
It is part of the Fox Television Stations Group, a subsidiary of Australian-born media mogul [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s [[News Corporation]]. [[Roger Ailes]] was named Chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group on August 15, 2005.

==Founding==

Fox News was started in 1996 by [[Murdoch]] and Roger Ailes. The two of them perceived a need for a news organization that offered more balanced reporting, one where the facts from all sides would be presented. Main-stream media "[[Political Correctness]]" was banished, with the news [[anchor]]s calling [[terrorist]]s what they were, (terrorists), instead of referring to them as "militants." As of February, 2007, polls show that over 20% of [[Americans]] say their main source of news is the Fox News Channel.

Fox News uses the slogan "Fair & Balanced," carries bipartisan shows like [[Hannity and Colmes]], and daily guest pundits from all sides of the [[political spectrum]]. Fox News also is non-hostile to conservative and [[Christian]] values, viewpoints, spokesmen, and ideas. Fox News has gained the reputation for reporting the news in an unbiased manner and then allowing the viewer to decide; "We Report, You Decide" is another of their on-air slogans.

Fox News has dominated the [[ratings]] of other cable news outlets.<ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-anderson4oct04,0,2195035.story?coll=la-opinion-center</ref> Launched by media [[tycoon]] Rupert Murdoch and former political consultant Roger Ailes as a refuge for viewers fed up with real or perceived liberal bias everywhere in the so-called "[[mainstream media]]", Fox is the undisputed ratings champion of cable news. It's been trouncing [[CNN]], [[MSNBC]] and [[CNBC]] for years, and it quite often draws a much larger audience share than all competitors, combined.

==Fair and Balanced==
[[Image:Fair_balanced.jpg‎ |thumb|left|Fair And Balanced Logo]]
[[Leftist]] critics have been known to complain about the "Fair & Balanced" slogan. Former President [[Bill Clinton]] exploded at ''Fox News Sunday'' anchor [[Chris Wallace]] in September of 2006, accusing him of "a nice little conservative hit job" after being lightly pressed by Wallace about his record on fighting [[Al Qaeda]]. [[Democratic]] politicians and advocates have relentlessly attacked the cable network, sometimes accusing it of being a Republican [[propaganda mill]]. Ex Vice-President and notorious environmentalist [[Al Gore]] has likened Fox to a right-wing "[[fifth column]]." Groups, such as [[MoveOn.org]], funded a classic [[schlockumentary]] entitled ''[[Outfoxed]]'', which purports to expose the channel's nefarious [[Republican]] agenda. Some have referred to FOX News as "the propaganda arm of the [[Republican Party]]." In a grandstanding gesture of [[political theatre]] the group unsuccessfully petitioned the [[Federal Trade Commission]] to stop Fox's from using its slogan as "deceptive advertising".

A recent comprehensive study by [[UCLA]] political scientist Tim Groseclose and [[University of Missouri-Columbia]] economics professor Jeffrey Milyo found [[Brit Hume]]'s ''Special Report'' — Fox's most straightforward news show — more centrist than any of the three major networks' evening newscasts, all of which are left leaning. <ref>[http://rcp.missouri.edu/articles/milyo_media.html]</ref> The program is a model of smart news television.

And although it's true that the Fox's opinion shows (as opposed to its news shows) are, as they're supposed to be, frequently bombastic and opinionated, it's equally true that Fox's biggest super-star, [[Bill O'Reilly]] is not a mainstream Republican, but a registered [[Independent]] who sides with conservatives. He regularly charges the oil companies with [[price-gouging]] and attacks big business for quashing the little guy. Who can say what host [[Greta Van Susteren]]'s politics are? She mostly covers the [[crime]]-of-the-day stories. [[Geraldo Rivera]] has always been liberal on most issues, with the exception of being a strong supporter of the military and stiff penalties for [[sex offender]]s.

Liberal commentators go in and out of the Fox studios all over America, every day — some of them, like host [[Alan Colmes]] and news analyst [[Marvin Kalb]], and [[Eleanor Clift]] affiliated with the channel. There's no doubt, of course, that Fox News is closer to mainstream America than [[CBS]], [[ABC]], [[NBC]] or [[CNN]]. But, after all, that was its founding mission.

Conservatives have criticism for Fox. Their 'Fair and Balanced' motto allows [[liberal]] [[propaganda]] and half-truths to gain an audience. In reality, Fox was judged to actually provide a more "fair and balanced" coverage in the 2008 Presidential race than all three MSM networks, who had a decidedly pro-Obama tilt, a study by the ''Center for Media and Public Affairs''. <ref>[http://www.cmpa.com/pdf/08summer.pdf Center for Media and Public Affairs: ''How TV News Has Covered McCain, Obama and Hillary'']</ref>

== Anti-elitist ==

Conservatives argue that Fox's real ethos is not Republican but anti-[[elitist]] — a major reason it connects with so many Americans and annoys so many [[coastal elite]]s. "There's a whole country that elitists will never acknowledge," Ailes once observed. "What people resent deeply out there are those in the 'blue states' thinking they're smarter." This anti-elitism shows itself in Fox's pro-U.S. stance in covering the [[Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq war]]s and its broadcasters' use of terms such as "terrorist" instead of the politcally correct "militant" to refer to … well, terrorists. Since the [[Vietnam War]] era, mainstream [[journalist]]s have tended to see such blunt language and side-taking as unsophisticated, a betrayal of journalistic [[objectivity]], or perhaps their own ingrained biases against government in general.

Another aspect of Fox's anti-elitism: [[evangelical]] and [[fundamentalist Christian]]s, far from being seen as lunatics or extremists — as too often is the case in the mainstream media — are treated with great respect. "We regularly have on the [[Rev. Franklin Graham]], [[Dr. James Dobson]] and other religious leaders, just as we put on [[Pat Ireland]] and Eleanor Clift," Ailes said, continuing, ''"Most Americans believe in God and have that as their foundation in life. So why shouldn't we have as guests people that they like, respect and want to hear from?" '' Ailes said he didn't get "too worked up" by a [[Pew Foundation]] study that showed that Fox has more Republican viewers than CNN, CNBC or MSNBC and that his reporters and anchors insert their opinions into stories far more than competitors do. Numbers might have something to do with it: Fox is beating the combined audience of the other three. But Ailes dismissed Pew as a "liberal [[lobbyist|lobbying]] organization." He said, "Most polls today are not taken to provide information to the public but to get press for the organization taking the polls. I took a poll of Pew, and 98% of my organization found that they were biased", Ailes said with a wink. <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

In response, Project director Tom Rosenstiel said the study "was not a poll. It was a content analysis designed by a four-university research team and executed at the [[University of Alabama]]." ''One plus for Fox, he said, was that researchers found Fox News stories were more forthcoming about sourcing than their cable rivals.'' <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

==Fox News Channel and Homosexuality ==
In regards to the issue of [[homosexuality]], the Fox News Channel and Bill O'Reilly [[Homosexuality and the Media|have acted in a way which is not reflective of conservative views (for example, the Fox News Channel donated money to the Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association)]].

== Fox vs fringe views ==

"What really frustrates liberals about Fox, though, is simply that, along with [[talk radio]] and the conservative [[blogosphere]], it has helped shatter the left's near-monopoly on news and information. Fox's opinion-driven programming gives conservatives and liberals a chance to get a fair hearing for their ideas. But Democratic politicians and activists who go on Fox also must defend their views, often against tough questioning, something that happens less often on the networks, where most journalists are left-of-center, survey after survey has shown", said columnist [[Brian Anderson]]. "Even more significant, Fox came on the scene a decade ago as a professional news organization that could define and report news as something different from what the elite consensus says it is. To take one of many examples, the corruption of the [[United Nations]]' [[oil-for-food]] initiative in [[Iraq]], initially downplayed by the mainstream media because of their sympathy for internationalism, was uncovered — deemed newsworthy — on Fox."

All this wouldn't matter if Fox News wasn't so influential. But it is. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 20% of Americans now claim to get news from it, and lots of them (37%) are Democrats or independents. The network's success has also sparked a "Fox effect," leading some competitors to become more open to right-of-center opinions: MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," hosted by former Republican congressman [[Joe Scarborough]], is a prime example. Until a few years ago, Democrats never had to deal with all these mediatized conservatives. <ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-anderson4oct04,0,2195035.story?coll=la-opinion-center</ref>

Ailes said Fox News has no agenda. His charge to his reporters and anchors is simple: "If you make a mistake, get on the air as fast as you can and admit it. ... Do your homework. Make sure you reach out to a point of view you don't agree with to be sure you have some balance in your piece, because journalists, despite the public perception, are not empty-headed fools. They actually come to the job with some ideas and biases." When asked whether the media have a "conscious bias," Ailes said: "I don't know whether it's conscious or not. I think people who are biased to the left and right are by and large honest people who bring their life experience to whatever their beliefs are. I don't think there's some conspiracy of bias to the left, ''but I do think that [[New York]] and [[Los Angeles]] have different views than many people that I know from other parts of the country."'' <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

== Roger Ailes ==
[[Image:Rogerailes_1.jpg‎ |thumb|right|300px|Roger Ailes, Fox News CEO]]
[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205966,00.html This is a transcript] of Ailes speaking to the Television Critics Association, which will be enlightening to readers digging into the Fox take on reporting and its reaction to controversy about its mission.

On November 20, 2008, [[Roger Ailes]], who now holds the titles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, FOX News and Chairman of FOX Television Stations, signed a new five year contract with News Corporation, it was announced by Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. <ref>[http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/roger_ailes_signs_new_5year_deal_with_news_corp_101312.asp Ailes Inks 5 Year Deal With NewsCorp]</ref>

During Ailes' time with [[News Corporation|News Corp]], [[FNC]] passed [[CNN]] in ratings in all day parts in 2002 to become the number one news network in the country, nearing full distribution with more than 90 million subscribers. In 2007, he launched the [[Fox Business News]] which currently reaches more than 40 million homes and served as the biggest launch in cable television history. Throughout Mr. Ailes' tenure, FOX Television Stations has increased its market share each of the last three years with all time record shares in the last two years. In addition, Fox Television Stations has expanded its local news presence by nearly 100 hours a week in a challenging economic climate.

== Tony Snow ==

In April, 2006 the [[White House]] selected [[Tony Snow]], Fox News Anchorman, to be the new White House Press Secretary. "Snow, who in his roles as a [[pundit]] on Fox News and elsewhere has rapped Bush on several occasions, joined the White House only after extracting a promise that he would become an adviser to the president on day-to-day strategy...the former columnist will be the first outsider to become part of Bush's revamped inner circle.", said the [[Washington Post]]. <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042600558.html</ref>

Snow, 50, worked most recently as host for ''Fox News Sunday, with Tony Snow'' and as host of his own radio talk show. He was a director of speech-writing for President [[George H.W. Bush]] and has worked as a [[USA Today]] columnist, Editorial Page Editor of the [[Washington Times]], deputy editorial page editor of the [[Detroit News]] and frequent substitute for radio host [[Rush Limbaugh]]. <ref>http://whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060426.html</ref>

==Bill O'Reilly==

The [[O'Reilly Factor]] has been the most popular cable news segment for eight years. [[Bill O'Reilly]] has interviewed Barack Obama and other high profile guests on his show. Bill O'Reilly is a registered independent, but sides with Republicans on most issues, excluding several Christian causes. Bill O'Reilly wrote the best seller "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity."

==External Links==
*[http://www.foxnews.com/ Fox News]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Cable TV Networks]]

Fox News Channel

2009-02-26T03:12:29Z

Venice:

[[Image:FNC logo.jpg|thumb|right|Fox News Logo]]

The '''Fox News Channel''' is not as conservative as it pretends to be, although it does cover some stories that liberal news sources ignore or [[censor]] (see [[news spiking]]).
It is part of the Fox Television Stations Group, a subsidiary of Australian-born media mogul [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s [[News Corporation]]. [[Roger Ailes]] was named Chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group on August 15, 2005.

==Founding==

Fox News was started in 1996 by Murdoch and Roger Ailes. The two of them perceived a need for a news organization that offered more balanced reporting, one where the facts from all sides would be presented. Main-stream media "Political Correctness" was banished, with the news [[anchor]]s calling [[terrorist]]s what they were, (terrorists), instead of referring to them as "militants." As of February, 2007, polls show that over 20% of Americans say their main source of news is the Fox News Channel.

Fox News uses the slogan "Fair & Balanced," carries bipartisan shows like [[Hannity and Colmes]], and daily guest pundits from all sides of the [[political spectrum]]. Fox News also is non-hostile to conservative and [[Christian]] values, viewpoints, spokesmen, and ideas. Fox News has gained the reputation for reporting the news in an unbiased manner and then allowing the viewer to decide; "We Report, You Decide" is another of their on-air slogans.

Fox News has dominated the [[ratings]] of other cable news outlets.<ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-anderson4oct04,0,2195035.story?coll=la-opinion-center</ref> Launched by media [[tycoon]] Rupert Murdoch and former political consultant Roger Ailes as a refuge for viewers fed up with real or perceived liberal bias everywhere in the so-called "[[mainstream media]]", Fox is the undisputed ratings champion of cable news. It's been trouncing [[CNN]], [[MSNBC]] and [[CNBC]] for years, and it quite often draws a much larger audience share than all competitors, combined.

==Fair and Balanced==
[[Image:Fair_balanced.jpg‎ |thumb|left|Fair And Balanced Logo]]
[[Leftist]] critics have been known to complain about the "Fair & Balanced" slogan. Former President [[Bill Clinton]] exploded at ''Fox News Sunday'' anchor [[Chris Wallace]] in September of 2006, accusing him of "a nice little conservative hit job" after being lightly pressed by Wallace about his record on fighting [[Al Qaeda]]. [[Democratic]] politicians and advocates have relentlessly attacked the cable network, sometimes accusing it of being a Republican [[propaganda mill]]. Ex Vice-President and notorious environmentalist [[Al Gore]] has likened Fox to a right-wing "[[fifth column]]." Groups, such as [[MoveOn.org]], funded a classic [[schlockumentary]] entitled ''[[Outfoxed]]'', which purports to expose the channel's nefarious [[Republican]] agenda. Some have referred to FOX News as "the propaganda arm of the [[Republican Party]]." In a grandstanding gesture of [[political theatre]] the group unsuccessfully petitioned the [[Federal Trade Commission]] to stop Fox's from using its slogan as "deceptive advertising".

A recent comprehensive study by [[UCLA]] political scientist Tim Groseclose and [[University of Missouri-Columbia]] economics professor Jeffrey Milyo found [[Brit Hume]]'s ''Special Report'' — Fox's most straightforward news show — more centrist than any of the three major networks' evening newscasts, all of which are left leaning. <ref>[http://rcp.missouri.edu/articles/milyo_media.html]</ref> The program is a model of smart news television.

And although it's true that the Fox's opinion shows (as opposed to its news shows) are, as they're supposed to be, frequently bombastic and opinionated, it's equally true that Fox's biggest super-star, [[Bill O'Reilly]] is not a mainstream Republican, but a registered [[Independent]] who sides with conservatives. He regularly charges the oil companies with [[price-gouging]] and attacks big business for quashing the little guy. Who can say what host [[Greta Van Susteren]]'s politics are? She mostly covers the [[crime]]-of-the-day stories. [[Geraldo Rivera]] has always been liberal on most issues, with the exception of being a strong supporter of the military and stiff penalties for [[sex offender]]s.

Liberal commentators go in and out of the Fox studios all over America, every day — some of them, like host [[Alan Colmes]] and news analyst [[Marvin Kalb]], and [[Eleanor Clift]] affiliated with the channel. There's no doubt, of course, that Fox News is closer to mainstream America than [[CBS]], [[ABC]], [[NBC]] or [[CNN]]. But, after all, that was its founding mission.

Conservatives have criticism for Fox. Their 'Fair and Balanced' motto allows [[liberal]] [[propaganda]] and half-truths to gain an audience. In reality, Fox was judged to actually provide a more "fair and balanced" coverage in the 2008 Presidential race than all three MSM networks, who had a decidedly pro-Obama tilt, a study by the ''Center for Media and Public Affairs''. <ref>[http://www.cmpa.com/pdf/08summer.pdf Center for Media and Public Affairs: ''How TV News Has Covered McCain, Obama and Hillary'']</ref>

== Anti-elitist ==

Conservatives argue that Fox's real ethos is not Republican but anti-[[elitist]] — a major reason it connects with so many Americans and annoys so many [[coastal elite]]s. "There's a whole country that elitists will never acknowledge," Ailes once observed. "What people resent deeply out there are those in the 'blue states' thinking they're smarter." This anti-elitism shows itself in Fox's pro-U.S. stance in covering the [[Afghanistan]] and [[Iraq war]]s and its broadcasters' use of terms such as "terrorist" instead of the politcally correct "militant" to refer to … well, terrorists. Since the [[Vietnam War]] era, mainstream [[journalist]]s have tended to see such blunt language and side-taking as unsophisticated, a betrayal of journalistic [[objectivity]], or perhaps their own ingrained biases against government in general.

Another aspect of Fox's anti-elitism: [[evangelical]] and [[fundamentalist Christian]]s, far from being seen as lunatics or extremists — as too often is the case in the mainstream media — are treated with great respect. "We regularly have on the [[Rev. Franklin Graham]], [[Dr. James Dobson]] and other religious leaders, just as we put on [[Pat Ireland]] and Eleanor Clift," Ailes said, continuing, ''"Most Americans believe in God and have that as their foundation in life. So why shouldn't we have as guests people that they like, respect and want to hear from?" '' Ailes said he didn't get "too worked up" by a [[Pew Foundation]] study that showed that Fox has more Republican viewers than CNN, CNBC or MSNBC and that his reporters and anchors insert their opinions into stories far more than competitors do. Numbers might have something to do with it: Fox is beating the combined audience of the other three. But Ailes dismissed Pew as a "liberal [[lobbyist|lobbying]] organization." He said, "Most polls today are not taken to provide information to the public but to get press for the organization taking the polls. I took a poll of Pew, and 98% of my organization found that they were biased", Ailes said with a wink. <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

In response, Project director Tom Rosenstiel said the study "was not a poll. It was a content analysis designed by a four-university research team and executed at the [[University of Alabama]]." ''One plus for Fox, he said, was that researchers found Fox News stories were more forthcoming about sourcing than their cable rivals.'' <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

==Fox News Channel and Homosexuality ==
In regards to the issue of [[homosexuality]], the Fox News Channel and Bill O'Reilly [[Homosexuality and the Media|have acted in a way which is not reflective of conservative views (for example, the Fox News Channel donated money to the Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association)]].

== Fox vs fringe views ==

"What really frustrates liberals about Fox, though, is simply that, along with [[talk radio]] and the conservative [[blogosphere]], it has helped shatter the left's near-monopoly on news and information. Fox's opinion-driven programming gives conservatives and liberals a chance to get a fair hearing for their ideas. But Democratic politicians and activists who go on Fox also must defend their views, often against tough questioning, something that happens less often on the networks, where most journalists are left-of-center, survey after survey has shown", said columnist [[Brian Anderson]]. "Even more significant, Fox came on the scene a decade ago as a professional news organization that could define and report news as something different from what the elite consensus says it is. To take one of many examples, the corruption of the [[United Nations]]' [[oil-for-food]] initiative in [[Iraq]], initially downplayed by the mainstream media because of their sympathy for internationalism, was uncovered — deemed newsworthy — on Fox."

All this wouldn't matter if Fox News wasn't so influential. But it is. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 20% of Americans now claim to get news from it, and lots of them (37%) are Democrats or independents. The network's success has also sparked a "Fox effect," leading some competitors to become more open to right-of-center opinions: MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," hosted by former Republican congressman [[Joe Scarborough]], is a prime example. Until a few years ago, Democrats never had to deal with all these mediatized conservatives. <ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-anderson4oct04,0,2195035.story?coll=la-opinion-center</ref>

Ailes said Fox News has no agenda. His charge to his reporters and anchors is simple: "If you make a mistake, get on the air as fast as you can and admit it. ... Do your homework. Make sure you reach out to a point of view you don't agree with to be sure you have some balance in your piece, because journalists, despite the public perception, are not empty-headed fools. They actually come to the job with some ideas and biases." When asked whether the media have a "conscious bias," Ailes said: "I don't know whether it's conscious or not. I think people who are biased to the left and right are by and large honest people who bring their life experience to whatever their beliefs are. I don't think there's some conspiracy of bias to the left, ''but I do think that [[New York]] and [[Los Angeles]] have different views than many people that I know from other parts of the country."'' <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/mediamix/2005-04-06-media-mix_x.htm</ref>

== Roger Ailes ==
[[Image:Rogerailes_1.jpg‎ |thumb|right|300px|Roger Ailes, Fox News CEO]]
[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205966,00.html This is a transcript] of Ailes speaking to the Television Critics Association, which will be enlightening to readers digging into the Fox take on reporting and its reaction to controversy about its mission.

On November 20, 2008, [[Roger Ailes]], who now holds the titles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, FOX News and Chairman of FOX Television Stations, signed a new five year contract with News Corporation, it was announced by Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. <ref>[http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/fnc/roger_ailes_signs_new_5year_deal_with_news_corp_101312.asp Ailes Inks 5 Year Deal With NewsCorp]</ref>

During Ailes' time with [[News Corporation|News Corp]], [[FNC]] passed [[CNN]] in ratings in all day parts in 2002 to become the number one news network in the country, nearing full distribution with more than 90 million subscribers. In 2007, he launched the [[Fox Business News]] which currently reaches more than 40 million homes and served as the biggest launch in cable television history. Throughout Mr. Ailes' tenure, FOX Television Stations has increased its market share each of the last three years with all time record shares in the last two years. In addition, Fox Television Stations has expanded its local news presence by nearly 100 hours a week in a challenging economic climate.

== Tony Snow ==

In April, 2006 the [[White House]] selected [[Tony Snow]], Fox News Anchorman, to be the new White House Press Secretary. "Snow, who in his roles as a [[pundit]] on Fox News and elsewhere has rapped Bush on several occasions, joined the White House only after extracting a promise that he would become an adviser to the president on day-to-day strategy...the former columnist will be the first outsider to become part of Bush's revamped inner circle.", said the [[Washington Post]]. <ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/26/AR2006042600558.html</ref>

Snow, 50, worked most recently as host for ''Fox News Sunday, with Tony Snow'' and as host of his own radio talk show. He was a director of speech-writing for President [[George H.W. Bush]] and has worked as a [[USA Today]] columnist, Editorial Page Editor of the [[Washington Times]], deputy editorial page editor of the [[Detroit News]] and frequent substitute for radio host [[Rush Limbaugh]]. <ref>http://whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060426.html</ref>

==Bill O'Reilly==

The [[O'Reilly Factor]] has been the most popular cable news segment for eight years. [[Bill O'Reilly]] has interviewed Barack Obama and other high profile guests on his show. Bill O'Reilly is a registered independent, but sides with Republicans on most issues, excluding several Christian causes. Bill O'Reilly wrote the best seller "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity."

==External Links==
*[http://www.foxnews.com/ Fox News]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Cable TV Networks]]

Daily Kos

2009-02-26T03:10:26Z

Venice:

[[Image:W masthead wads.jpg|right|frame]]
The '''Daily Kos''' is a [[Leftist|left-wing]] [[blog]] that features advertisements like "DraftGore.Com ... Sign Our Petition" with a picture of a smiling [[Al Gore]] in front of what appears to be an image of the Earth from outer space.<ref>viewed Feb. 25, 2007.</ref> It also features a picture of [[President of the United States of America|President]] [[George W. Bush]] with a large cartoon cowboy hat.

Daily Kos is often-ranked as one of the Top 15 most visited blogs on the Internet by Technorati.

Entries on this blog on February 25, 2007 range from gossip (such as teaser about eviscerating coverage of [[Mitt Romney]]'s polygamist ancestors) to vulgarity and use of swear words.

CBS News has recently suggested that liberal blogs (not necessarily the ''Daily Kos'') may be their favored candidates own worst enemies, as they provide some political fodder for the other side:<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/23/opinion/main2507660.shtml</ref>

: [A] former aide to Joe Lieberman advised the party to refuse bloggers access and "deny them jobs that confer party approval." ... [P]lenty of Democrats were upset with the netroots.

This statement on behalf of Lieberman was, of course, ironic, considering he no longer identifies with the Democratic party himself, and ran in the general election on a separate party line named "Connecticut for Lieberman," having been denied the Democratic party's nomination.

Despite CBS News' claim, Daily Kos helped contribute to Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary, forcing Lieberman to drop out of the party in order to run in the general election. Also, Senator Jim Webb has credited Daily Kos for helping in his victorious run against former Senator George Allen.

[[Bill O'Reilly]] has recently begun leading a campaign against the Daily Kos, and has claimed that despite the fact that a significant percentage of Americans may disagree with its liberal views, most of the Democratic candidates for president were at its yearly convention the YearlyKos, including [[Barack Obama]], [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[John Edwards]]

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>
See also:
[[Red State]]
[[Democratic Underground]]
[[Barack Obama]]
[[Anarchism]]
[[Electronic Terrorism]]

==External link==
* [http://www.dailykos.com/ The ''Daily Kos'']

[[category: blogs]]

Daily Kos

2009-02-26T03:10:08Z

Venice:

[[Image:W masthead wads.jpg|right|frame]]
The '''Daily Kos''' is a [[Leftist|left-wing]] [[blog]] that features advertisements like "DraftGore.Com ... Sign Our Petition" with a picture of a smiling [[Al Gore]] in front of what appears to be an image of the Earth from outer space.<ref>viewed Feb. 25, 2007.</ref> It also features a picture of [[President of the United States of America|President]] [[George W. Bush]] with a large cartoon cowboy hat.

Daily Kos is often-ranked as one of the Top 15 most visited blogs on the Internet by Technorati.

Entries on this blog on February 25, 2007 range from gossip (such as teaser about eviscerating coverage of [[Mitt Romney]]'s polygamist ancestors) to vulgarity and use of swear words.

CBS News has recently suggested that liberal blogs (not necessarily the ''Daily Kos'') may be their favored candidates own worst enemies, as they provide some political fodder for the other side:<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/23/opinion/main2507660.shtml</ref>

: [A] former aide to Joe Lieberman advised the party to refuse bloggers access and "deny them jobs that confer party approval." ... [P]lenty of Democrats were upset with the netroots.

This statement on behalf of Lieberman was, of course, ironic, considering he no longer identifies with the Democratic party himself, and ran in the general election on a separate party line named "Connecticut for Lieberman," having been denied the Democratic party's nomination.

Despite CBS News' claim, Daily Kos helped contribute to Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary, forcing Lieberman to drop out of the party in order to run in the general election. Also, Senator Jim Webb has credited Daily Kos for helping in his victorious run against former Senator George Allen.

[[Bill O'Reilly]] has recently begun leading a campaign against the Daily Kos, and has claimed that despite the fact that a significant percentage of Americans may disagree with its liberal views, most of the Democratic candidates for president were at its yearly convention the YearlyKos, including [[Barack Obama]], [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[John Edwards]]

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>
''''See also:''"
[[Red State]]
[[Democratic Underground]]
[[Barack Obama]]
[[Anarchism]]
[[Electronic Terrorism]]

==External link==
* [http://www.dailykos.com/ The ''Daily Kos'']

[[category: blogs]]

Daily Kos

2009-02-26T03:09:30Z

Venice:

[[Image:W masthead wads.jpg|right|frame]]
The '''Daily Kos''' is a [[Leftist|left-wing]] [[blog]] that features advertisements like "DraftGore.Com ... Sign Our Petition" with a picture of a smiling [[Al Gore]] in front of what appears to be an image of the Earth from outer space.<ref>viewed Feb. 25, 2007.</ref> It also features a picture of [[President of the United States of America|President]] [[George W. Bush]] with a large cartoon cowboy hat.

Daily Kos is often-ranked as one of the Top 15 most visited blogs on the Internet by Technorati.

Entries on this blog on February 25, 2007 range from gossip (such as teaser about eviscerating coverage of [[Mitt Romney]]'s polygamist ancestors) to vulgarity and use of swear words.

CBS News has recently suggested that liberal blogs (not necessarily the ''Daily Kos'') may be their favored candidates own worst enemies, as they provide some political fodder for the other side:<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/23/opinion/main2507660.shtml</ref>

: [A] former aide to Joe Lieberman advised the party to refuse bloggers access and "deny them jobs that confer party approval." ... [P]lenty of Democrats were upset with the netroots.

This statement on behalf of Lieberman was, of course, ironic, considering he no longer identifies with the Democratic party himself, and ran in the general election on a separate party line named "Connecticut for Lieberman," having been denied the Democratic party's nomination.

Despite CBS News' claim, Daily Kos helped contribute to Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary, forcing Lieberman to drop out of the party in order to run in the general election. Also, Senator Jim Webb has credited Daily Kos for helping in his victorious run against former Senator George Allen.

[[Bill O'Reilly]] has recently begun leading a campaign against the Daily Kos, and has claimed that despite the fact that a significant percentage of Americans may disagree with its liberal views, most of the Democratic candidates for president were at its yearly convention the YearlyKos, including [[Barack Obama]], [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[John Edwards]]

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>
''''See also:''"
[[Red State]]
[[Democratic Underground]]
[[Barack Obama 2008 Campaign]]
[[Anarchism]]
[[Electronic Terrorism]]

==External link==
* [http://www.dailykos.com/ The ''Daily Kos'']

[[category: blogs]]

Daily Kos

2009-02-26T03:09:07Z

Venice:

[[Image:W masthead wads.jpg|right|frame]]
The '''Daily Kos''' is a [[Leftist|left-wing]] [[blog]] that features advertisements like "DraftGore.Com ... Sign Our Petition" with a picture of a smiling [[Al Gore]] in front of what appears to be an image of the Earth from outer space.<ref>viewed Feb. 25, 2007.</ref> It also features a picture of [[President of the United States of America|President]] [[George W. Bush]] with a large cartoon cowboy hat.

Daily Kos is often-ranked as one of the Top 15 most visited blogs on the Internet by Technorati.

Entries on this blog on February 25, 2007 range from gossip (such as teaser about eviscerating coverage of [[Mitt Romney]]'s polygamist ancestors) to vulgarity and use of swear words.

CBS News has recently suggested that liberal blogs (not necessarily the ''Daily Kos'') may be their favored candidates own worst enemies, as they provide some political fodder for the other side:<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/23/opinion/main2507660.shtml</ref>

: [A] former aide to Joe Lieberman advised the party to refuse bloggers access and "deny them jobs that confer party approval." ... [P]lenty of Democrats were upset with the netroots.

This statement on behalf of Lieberman was, of course, ironic, considering he no longer identifies with the Democratic party himself, and ran in the general election on a separate party line named "Connecticut for Lieberman," having been denied the Democratic party's nomination.

Despite CBS News' claim, Daily Kos helped contribute to Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary, forcing Lieberman to drop out of the party in order to run in the general election. Also, Senator Jim Webb has credited Daily Kos for helping in his victorious run against former Senator George Allen.

[[Bill O'Reilly]] has recently begun leading a campaign against the Daily Kos, and has claimed that despite the fact that a significant percentage of Americans may disagree with its liberal views, most of the Democratic candidates for president were at its yearly convention the YearlyKos, including [[Barack Obama]], [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[John Edwards]]

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>
''''See also''"
[[Red State]]
[[Democratic Underground]]
[[Barack Obama 2008 Campaign]]
[[Anarchism]]
[[Electronic Terrorism]]

==External link==
* [http://www.dailykos.com/ The ''Daily Kos'']

[[category: blogs]]

Daily Kos

2009-02-26T03:08:17Z

Venice:

[[Image:W masthead wads.jpg|right|frame]]
The '''Daily Kos''' is a [[Leftist|left-wing]] [[blog]] that features advertisements like "DraftGore.Com ... Sign Our Petition" with a picture of a smiling [[Al Gore]] in front of what appears to be an image of the Earth from outer space.<ref>viewed Feb. 25, 2007.</ref> It also features a picture of [[President of the United States of America|President]] [[George W. Bush]] with a large cartoon cowboy hat.

Daily Kos is often-ranked as one of the Top 15 most visited blogs on the Internet by Technorati.

Entries on this blog on February 25, 2007 range from gossip (such as teaser about eviscerating coverage of [[Mitt Romney]]'s polygamist ancestors) to vulgarity and use of swear words.

CBS News has recently suggested that liberal blogs (not necessarily the ''Daily Kos'') may be their favored candidates own worst enemies, as they provide some political fodder for the other side:<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/23/opinion/main2507660.shtml</ref>

: [A] former aide to Joe Lieberman advised the party to refuse bloggers access and "deny them jobs that confer party approval." ... [P]lenty of Democrats were upset with the netroots.

This statement on behalf of Lieberman was, of course, ironic, considering he no longer identifies with the Democratic party himself, and ran in the general election on a separate party line named "Connecticut for Lieberman," having been denied the Democratic party's nomination.

Despite CBS News' claim, Daily Kos helped contribute to Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary, forcing Lieberman to drop out of the party in order to run in the general election. Also, Senator Jim Webb has credited Daily Kos for helping in his victorious run against former Senator George Allen.

[[Bill O'Reilly]] has recently begun leading a campaign against the Daily Kos, and has claimed that despite the fact that a significant percentage of Americans may disagree with its liberal views, most of the Democratic candidates for president were at its yearly convention the YearlyKos, including [[Barack Obama]], [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[John Edwards]]

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>
''''See also''
[[Red State]]
[[Democratic Underground]]
[[Barack Obama 2008 Campaign]]
[[Anarchism]]
[[Electronic Terrorism]]

==External link==
* [http://www.dailykos.com/ The ''Daily Kos'']

[[category: blogs]]

Metric system

2009-02-26T02:55:33Z

Venice:

The [[metric system]] is a system of measurement developed during the [[French Revolution's]] anti-religious [[The Cult of Reason|Cult of Reason]]<ref>However, according to researcher Pat Norton, the system was described a century earlier by Englishman John Wilkins. [http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/15/1978802.htm Australian Broadcasting Corporation], 15 July 2007 (retrieved 15 July 2007.)</ref> and based on permanent natural standards rather than on royal decrees. [[Joseph Lagrange]] headed the Revolutionary weights-and-measures committee that developed it and set its initial definitions.

Traditional systems of measurement all used standard lengths of parts of the human body, or standard distances that a human might walk. The metric system, by contrast, initially used the [[earth]] itself as the ultimate standard.

In 1878 the [[United States]] signed the treaty called the ''Convention du Mètre.'' Since then, ''both'' the metric system and the [[United States customary units]] (miles, inches, pounds, etc.) have had legal status in the US. US Customary units are in fact defined by reference to metric units; that is, legally, an inch is ''defined'' to be exactly 25.4 millimeters.

In international scientific usage, the ''Convention du Mètre'' is superseded by the conventions of the [[International System of Units]]. However, many of the conventions of the metric system survive, including definitions of units that are not, strictly speaking, SI.

== Definitions ==
All measurement systems must start with one basic unit. For the metric system, this unit is the ''meter''. Every other named unit of the metric system had a definition that depended upon it.

=== Prefixes ===
All base units of the metric system have ''prefixes'' that multiply, or divide, the unit by various factors of ten (or alternatively, a thousand). They are:<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Chemistry''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998</ref><ref>[http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/common.html Common metric prefixes]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! The prefix:
! Abbreviated:
! Multiplies the unit by:
|-
| atto-
| a
| 10-18
|-
| femto-
| f
| 10-15
|-
| pico-
| p
| 10-12
|-
| nano-
| n
| 10-9
|-
| micro- ([[Greek]] ''small'')
| μ
| 10-6
|-
| milli- ([[Latin]] ''one thousand'')
| m
| 10-3
|-
| centi- (Latin ''one hundred'')
| c
| 10-2
|-
| deci- (Latin ''ten'')
| d
| 10-1
|-
| deka- (Greek ''ten'')
| da
| 101
|-
| hecto- (Greek ''one hundred'')
| H
| 102
|-
| kilo- (Greek ''one thousand'')
| k
| 103
|-
| mega- (Greek ''large'')
| M
| 106
|-
| giga- (Latin ''gigantic'')
| G
| 109
|-
| tera- (Greek ''wonder'')
| T
| 1012
|}

Other, related systems (see below) use the same prefixes to multiply their units.

=== Length ===
The base unit of length, and originally the unit from which all other definitions flowed, is the [[meter]]. The original definition was "one ten-millionth the distance from the equator to the north pole." Lagrange's surveyors computed this distance (probably using a variation on Eratosthenes' tropical-shadow experiment) and inscribed it on a metal bar that they kept at the weights-and-measures headquarters building in Sèvres, [[France]].

But this artifact, being made of metal, tended to expand and contract. Centuries later, when the scientific community realized what had happened, the task of re-standardizing all meter sticks to the equator-to-pole-times-10-7 definition was judged too onerous. Therefore the meter was redefined. At first it was defined as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of the orange-red line in the excitation spectrum of [[krypton]]-86. Today it is defined as 1⁄299,792,458th of a light-second.

The meter in all its multiples replaces all other units of measurement, long and short. Long distance is measured in the meter multiplied by a thousand--the kilometer. Short distances are measured in centimeters--or millimeters, or micrometers, or however small one needs to measure them.

=== Volume ===
The base unit of volume is derived from the meter: it's the ''cubic meter'' [m3]. Traditionally, the ''liter''<ref>http://www.bipm.org/en/si/si_brochure/chapter4/table6.html</ref> is used. 1 liter is defined as 10-3 m3 = 1 dm3. '''Capacity''', traditionally measured in liters, refers to the volume occupied by a liquid. Today, one liter is defined as the volume of one kilogram of water at four degrees [[Celsius]].

=== Mass ===
The base unit of mass is the ''gram''. Originally a gram was the mass of one cubic centimeter (see above), then called a ''milliliter'', of [[water]]. The Lagrange committee fashioned an artifact exactly one thousand times as heavy as this--the volume, in short, of one liter of water--and stored this permanently at Sèvres.

[[Joseph Lagrange|Lagrange]]'s committee also proposed a unit of mass called the ''grave'', to be equal to one thousand grams. But the [[French Revolution|Revolutionary]] government rejected this name as sounding too much like the [[German]] word ''graf'', translated as ''comte'' or [[count]] in French. Therefore, the artifact at Sèvres would be called a kilogram instead--and that artifact has that name to this day.

Mass never changes. But in addition to the prototype meter changing its length over time, scientists later realized that water has different densities at different [[temperature|temperatures]].

Today, the standard [[kilogram]] is kept at the International Bureau of Standards headquarters in Sèvres. It remains today the only generally accepted unit of measurement based on an artifact. But the definition of the liter has now changed, and is no longer dependent on the length of the meter. Today, one liter is defined as the volume of one kilogram of water at four degrees [[Celsius]]. One milliliter is simply one-thousandth of this, and one milliliter of water at this temperature weighs one gram. But to say that one liter is "one thousand cubic centimeters" is no longer correct, simply because the definition of length has changed, while that of mass has not.

== Relation to other systems of measurement ==
The [[International System of Units]] borrows some definitions and concepts from the metric system--most notably the meter and the kilogram--and adds other definitions of other quantities, most notably [[time]], [[force]], [[amount of substance]], plane [[angle]], solid angle, and [[luminous intensity]]. The liter ''is not'' the unit of volume in that system, however, but liter is accepted for use with the SI.

In addition to the International System (or in French, ''Système International'', or SI for short), scientists have invented other systems of measurement that include units of time, force, [[energy]], and electric charge. The most popular are the meter-kilogram-second and centimeter-gram-second systems.

Various governing authorities have established conversion ratios to assist people in converting between the metric system and other, more traditional units of measurement. The definitions of US Customary units in the United States is an example of this. The metric system is more efficient and easier to learn. However, many older, more [[conservative]] [[Americans]] feel that the metric system is a erosion of traditional American culture and history, which runs on the english system.<ref>

== References ==
<references/>

== See Also ==
* [http://creationwiki.org/Metric_system Metric system] by [[CreationWiki]]
* [http://www.essex1.com/people/speer/metric.html Metric system] by Essex1.com
* [http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/ The United States Metric Association]

[[Category:Units of Measurement]]

Metric system

2009-02-26T02:55:13Z

Venice:

The [[metric system]] is a system of measurement developed during the [[French Revolution's]] anti-religious [[The Cult of Reason|Cult of Reason]]<ref>However, according to researcher Pat Norton, the system was described a century earlier by Englishman John Wilkins. [http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/15/1978802.htm Australian Broadcasting Corporation], 15 July 2007 (retrieved 15 July 2007.)</ref> and based on permanent natural standards rather than on royal decrees. [[Joseph Lagrange]] headed the Revolutionary weights-and-measures committee that developed it and set its initial definitions.

Traditional systems of measurement all used standard lengths of parts of the human body, or standard distances that a human might walk. The metric system, by contrast, initially used the [[earth]] itself as the ultimate standard.

In 1878 the [[United States]] signed the treaty called the ''Convention du Mètre.'' Since then, ''both'' the metric system and the [[United States customary units]] (miles, inches, pounds, etc.) have had legal status in the US. US Customary units are in fact defined by reference to metric units; that is, legally, an inch is ''defined'' to be exactly 25.4 millimeters.

In international scientific usage, the ''Convention du Mètre'' is superseded by the conventions of the [[International System of Units]]. However, many of the conventions of the metric system survive, including definitions of units that are not, strictly speaking, SI.

== Definitions ==
All measurement systems must start with one basic unit. For the metric system, this unit is the ''meter''. Every other named unit of the metric system had a definition that depended upon it.

=== Prefixes ===
All base units of the metric system have ''prefixes'' that multiply, or divide, the unit by various factors of ten (or alternatively, a thousand). They are:<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Chemistry''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998</ref><ref>[http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/common.html Common metric prefixes]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! The prefix:
! Abbreviated:
! Multiplies the unit by:
|-
| atto-
| a
| 10-18
|-
| femto-
| f
| 10-15
|-
| pico-
| p
| 10-12
|-
| nano-
| n
| 10-9
|-
| micro- ([[Greek]] ''small'')
| μ
| 10-6
|-
| milli- ([[Latin]] ''one thousand'')
| m
| 10-3
|-
| centi- (Latin ''one hundred'')
| c
| 10-2
|-
| deci- (Latin ''ten'')
| d
| 10-1
|-
| deka- (Greek ''ten'')
| da
| 101
|-
| hecto- (Greek ''one hundred'')
| H
| 102
|-
| kilo- (Greek ''one thousand'')
| k
| 103
|-
| mega- (Greek ''large'')
| M
| 106
|-
| giga- (Latin ''gigantic'')
| G
| 109
|-
| tera- (Greek ''wonder'')
| T
| 1012
|}

Other, related systems (see below) use the same prefixes to multiply their units.

=== Length ===
The base unit of length, and originally the unit from which all other definitions flowed, is the [[meter]]. The original definition was "one ten-millionth the distance from the equator to the north pole." Lagrange's surveyors computed this distance (probably using a variation on Eratosthenes' tropical-shadow experiment) and inscribed it on a metal bar that they kept at the weights-and-measures headquarters building in Sèvres, [[France]].

But this artifact, being made of metal, tended to expand and contract. Centuries later, when the scientific community realized what had happened, the task of re-standardizing all meter sticks to the equator-to-pole-times-10-7 definition was judged too onerous. Therefore the meter was redefined. At first it was defined as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of the orange-red line in the excitation spectrum of [[krypton]]-86. Today it is defined as 1⁄299,792,458th of a light-second.

The meter in all its multiples replaces all other units of measurement, long and short. Long distance is measured in the meter multiplied by a thousand--the kilometer. Short distances are measured in centimeters--or millimeters, or micrometers, or however small one needs to measure them.

=== Volume ===
The base unit of volume is derived from the meter: it's the ''cubic meter'' [m3]. Traditionally, the ''liter''<ref>http://www.bipm.org/en/si/si_brochure/chapter4/table6.html</ref> is used. 1 liter is defined as 10-3 m3 = 1 dm3. '''Capacity''', traditionally measured in liters, refers to the volume occupied by a liquid. Today, one liter is defined as the volume of one kilogram of water at four degrees [[Celsius]].

=== Mass ===
The base unit of mass is the ''gram''. Originally a gram was the mass of one cubic centimeter (see above), then called a ''milliliter'', of [[water]]. The Lagrange committee fashioned an artifact exactly one thousand times as heavy as this--the volume, in short, of one liter of water--and stored this permanently at Sèvres.

[[Joseph Lagrange|Lagrange]]'s committee also proposed a unit of mass called the ''grave'', to be equal to one thousand grams. But the [[French Revolution|Revolutionary]] government rejected this name as sounding too much like the [[German]] word ''graf'', translated as ''comte'' or [[count]] in French. Therefore, the artifact at Sèvres would be called a kilogram instead--and that artifact has that name to this day.

Mass never changes. But in addition to the prototype meter changing its length over time, scientists later realized that water has different densities at different [[temperature|temperatures]].

Today, the standard [[kilogram]] is kept at the International Bureau of Standards headquarters in Sèvres. It remains today the only generally accepted unit of measurement based on an artifact. But the definition of the liter has now changed, and is no longer dependent on the length of the meter. Today, one liter is defined as the volume of one kilogram of water at four degrees [[Celsius]]. One milliliter is simply one-thousandth of this, and one milliliter of water at this temperature weighs one gram. But to say that one liter is "one thousand cubic centimeters" is no longer correct, simply because the definition of length has changed, while that of mass has not.

== Relation to other systems of measurement ==
The [[International System of Units]] borrows some definitions and concepts from the metric system--most notably the meter and the kilogram--and adds other definitions of other quantities, most notably [[time]], [[force]], [[amount of substance]], plane [[angle]], solid angle, and [[luminous intensity]]. The liter ''is not'' the unit of volume in that system, however, but liter is accepted for use with the SI.

In addition to the International System (or in French, ''Système International'', or SI for short), scientists have invented other systems of measurement that include units of time, force, [[energy]], and electric charge. The most popular are the meter-kilogram-second and centimeter-gram-second systems.

Various governing authorities have established conversion ratios to assist people in converting between the metric system and other, more traditional units of measurement. The definitions of US Customary units in the United States is an example of this. The metric system is more efficient and easier to learn. However, many older, more [[conservative]] [[Americans]] feel that the metric system is a erosion of traditional American culture and history, which runs on the english system.<re>

== References ==
<references/>

== See Also ==
* [http://creationwiki.org/Metric_system Metric system] by [[CreationWiki]]
* [http://www.essex1.com/people/speer/metric.html Metric system] by Essex1.com
* [http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/ The United States Metric Association]

[[Category:Units of Measurement]]