¶ … media is having on political issues and society. This is accomplished by studying Fox News and how they are influencing viewers based on the content that is presented. Once this occurs, is when we can see how these organizations have the ability to affect the public debate and outcome of elections. Over the last several years, the news media has been playing an increasingly important role in determining how a host of issues are discussed. Part of the reason for this, is because the content and guests will have an influence on the public's perception surrounding how they are viewing these events. Once this occurs, is when there will be transformation in the way everyone is looking at different topics that are being discussed.

In the case of Fox News, they have taken a more conservative approach when it comes to these issues and the way they presented. As the network, is discussing various political ideas from a more conservative point-of-view. This has influenced how the public is supporting different policies and ideas that are presented. A good example of this can be seen with a study that was conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. They found that Fox News was able to influence voter perceptions during an election by 3 to 8%. (Vigna, 2006) This is significant, because in close elections this can tilt the balance in favor of more conservative candidates. To fully understand the impact of Fox News requires looking at: how they are affecting daily life and what has been gained or lost based upon these views that are presented. Once this occurs, is when we will be able to see the overall impact of Fox News on public opinion.

How does media impact our daily lives, our understanding of the world, and our relation with ourselves and others?

The way that Fox News is impacting our daily lives is based upon the kinds of coverage on different issues. This is accomplished through focusing on more conservative topics...

Once this takes place, it gives the appearance as if they are taking a more mainstream approach. When in reality, they are talking about specific topics that are very controversial and selecting panelists that support this basic ideology.
A good example of this can be seen with recent broadcast on one of the networks more popular show called the O' Reilly Factor (which is hosted by conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly). During a recent broadcast there was a general piece of news released by the Toronto Zoo. That they were separating two gay penguins from each other (named Buddy and Pedro). What was happening is zoo officials were concerned about breeding and they wanted to ensure that the males were able to successfully mate with the females. The reason why, is because penguins are becoming extinct and it is difficult for them to breed in captivity. On the surface this was supposed to be a non-news related announcement. (Volsky, 2011)

However, once O' Reilly was able to obtain this information, he turned the story into a segment that questioned zoo officials' judgment. This was accomplished by having Dennis Miller talk about what was happening. Miller is a former standup comedian who supports conservative issues. As he claims that he is moderate on variety of social and economic topics. During the broadcast both berated this decision. Evidence of this can be seen by looking no further than comments that were made by Dennis Miller during an exchange with O'Reilly. As Miller poked fun at this issue by saying, "Has anyone seen papers on Pedro, is he even here legally? How do you even know when a penguin is gay? Is their corner of the penguin habitat inordinately tasteful? O' Reilly responded by saying, "They wear tight T-shirts!" (Volsky, 2011) This is significant, because gay rights are a liberal issue. When O'Reilly and Miller are making fun of the fact that these penguins are gay is an indication that they are supporting and promoting more conservative views on the air. Once this occurs, it means that these opinions are presented as actual facts.…