"Fuck it, we'll do it live!" (Survey Findings)

In this blog I am going to give a run down of the survey I conducted. Unlike most of you I opted for a different approach. If any of you who followed my blog know, I didn't have a computer or internet for the first third of the class which hindered my ability to create an online survey. To combat this problem, I did a survey in my notebook/journal and had a lengthy discussion about this class and objectivity with some friends I was staying with. Now these friends are not shy to discuss anything at all and have very different views from my own in regards to news and media. Two of them are in the army national guard and one is a cop in Colonie (Albany County). They regularly watch programs I find to be jokes and are even so passionate about them they dvr them on their cable box. What are these programs you may ask? Well, they are Glenn Beck and Bill O'reilly. I wouldn't be caught dead watching these shows since I think they are mostly slander, but all three of these friends take them very seriously. I asked them if they thought certain television news stations have agendas, and contrary to most people they actually felt that cnn has an agenda to hide news and that foxnews tells the truth people don't want to hear. I couldn't place my own opinion on the matter so I let them all speak their minds. One friend says he watches Glenn Beck because he is extremely honest and says what needs to be done in this country. He hates Obama and uses the classic republican excuse that he is a socialist. Further more he added that the only reason people watch cnn or similar news networks is because most of the nation consists of 'pussies' who want to hear only what they want to hear. Fox news isn't afraid to lay things on the table to present 'facts' that although they may shock and startle people. The networks shows are necessary in order for proper change to take place. One other person also said that most democrats and people in power have no real world experience and are only in offices or on tv because they are 'book smart' and that they 'have no balls'. These types of people steer the general public in the wrong way based on what they read, rather than what has been done. As stubborn as these friends can be I only listened and wrote down more statements. The cop (who is unfortunately slightly racist) also pointed out that minorities need to 'stop following Obama blindly' and look at the big picture. He stated this country and its news has lost its roots and that if codling citizens continues, revolution will take place. After the smoke settled I asked them if they thought television, radio, or print has more influence on media. They all agreed that television was the most dominant. The reasoning was that television is easier to grasp to the general public and that figures on tv have power. They have power because they are heard and seen, not just heard of. This survey/conversation turned out pretty much how I thought it would based on my knowledge of my friends. Even though I wanted to rebuttal, I never once stated my side of things which would have been much different. To me this proves that although a lot college students think that networks like foxnews are evil, a huge population thinks otherwise, which is why things in politics never get accomplished. With a giant population in the United States it is almost impossible to agree on a wide range of subjects.