Why FOX News and Blogs Dominate The News Industry

A couple days ago we had a discussion at the office about main stream media and how none of us watch any "news" programs on television. I watch the O'reilly factor on FOX News but not for news as much but for entertainment. I love how Bill Oreilly lays it out there. He is passionate about his opinions and lights up major political figures and keeps them on point. I don't consider his program news but its about the closest thing to a news TV show that I watch. Yesterday I read a interview with MSNBC's Joe Scarborough (who has been a talk show host on MSNBC for 15 years) said he can't stand mainstream news TV programs. Ironic. Did you know close to 100% of all news "contributors" are paying to be there? I once got asked by FOX Business network to be a contributor to their program to talk about making money on the internet. It sounded good... Until they told me it was $25,000 a month... My local top "AM News Radio" station (KFAB 1110) charges $25 to be on a 5 minute segment for a program. The FM Station in Lincoln (KFRX 106.3) charges $100 a month for 6 segments. But there is no disclosure that these people are paying to express their opinions and deliver news... I can go on the radio, give my opinion on a topic, and proceed to pitch my product... with hardly any of the restrictions that we have with internet advertising. The highest rated TV cable "news" network is FOX News. Fox News dominated cable news since its inception. But what do they do differently that makes them so popular? Every morning FOX News hosts receive "Talking Points". These are key items that they are to focus on. These items have been studied by their researchers to be the most polarizing issues that get a rise out of its audience... positive or negative... All of its hosts have free will to express their personal opinions on each issue. They just must address each of the talking points. As you are reading this I bet you have an opinion right now of FOX News. That is their goal. And they really good at it. I think this is why blogs do so well. People want opinions on news events. They can get the news anywhere... I remember the first time I felt like ShoeMoney.com was being taken serious as a mainstream news site. It was at the first TechCrunch40 conference. Mike Arrington (owner and editor in chief of TechCrunch.com at the time) had written to me and asked if I wanted press credentials for his event. I jumped at the chance. Mike has always been super cool to me. All of the press core got to sit in the orchestra pit which was pretty much front row. To my left was a Wall Street Journal reporter and to my right was an editor for Wired. I also was sitting next to reporters from Forbes, New York Times, Business Week and pretty much other mainstream print publication. If Mike Arrington had not introduced me in person to some of these people it would have been pretty awkward. But being introduced as the top financial blogger in the world was a little weird. I mean... I guess... in a totally not true kind of way =P. ShoeMoney.com is now syndicated on Business Week and Forbes. This still blows my mind... I never thought someday I would write a publication that would reach hundreds of thousands of people a day. I get asked all the time why? I believe its for the same reasons why FOX News is so successful. I give my opinion on items. I stick my pecker out. I tell people every day that if you want a successful blog you have to stick it out there. You have to give your opinions. Nobody wants syndicated news. People want spice with their news.