Growing up, our parents always told us, “Don’t believe everything you hear.” Recently, the American public has painfully discovered that this phrase is applicable to cable news.

Fox News and MSNBC are especially relevant.

Over the past decade, the medium through which we obtain information has changed. The newspaper industry is a dying phenomenon, and last year, the Boston Globe nearly closed because of a lack of revenue and poor sales.

“But where have the American people turned to, then, in the wake of the gradual death of newspaper business?” you might ask. Many folk have turned to the Internet and online-newspapers, but television has dominated the media. And among televised media, cable news has thrived.

In a recent study done on the ten most-watched cable news programs, all ten belonged to two networks. Nine of them are members of the Fox News family; the tenth belongs to MSNBC.

The people’s support and reliance on these cable networks is detrimental to our nation because Fox and MSNBC are not truly news stations. They are broadcasting networks dedicated to promoting a political party’s agenda and a social agenda supported by their financial benefactors.

Fox News, essentially a loudspeaker for the Republican party, has attempted to hide its true identity through slogans like “Fair and Balanced” and “We report, you decide.” However, Fox News has done anything but exemplify how the news should be reported.

Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and the majority of Fox news anchors have all displayed their personal political opinions, actions that are simply unethical in the “journalistic” world. Bill O’Reilly, host of Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, has exhibited a conservative bias on his show, despite referring to “the Factor” as the “no-spin zone” . A “no-spin zone” refers to the absence of any bias or slander.

In August, O’Reilly called attempts to justify the Ground Zero mosque’s construction with the first amendment “bogus.” Without any justification, O’Reilly attacks groups or people that he disapproves of, rather than reporting about them as a proper journalist should.

In essence, the O’Reilly Factor is part of the “spin zone” because O’Reilly has tainted news with his personal bias.

Fox News’ bias is not limited to commentary shows like the O’Reilly Factor and Glenn Beck. Straight news broadcasting such as Your World with Neil Cavuto have displayed a conservative bias as well.

In a recent discussion regarding the federal deficit, Cavuto pointed that Obama had said that the deficit was not as severe as members of the GOP had claimed. However, upholding his conservative bias, Cavuto accused Obama of no longer caring about the deficit – as opposed to when he ran for president.

“The old deficits were a big deal for the old candidate Obama,” Cavuto said on his Fox News program. “Now that they’ve doubled, they’re not a big deal for the new candidate [Obama].” There is no evidence of Obama ever confessing that the deficit means nothing to him. Cavuto’s remarks are untrue and have misled his audience, just like the rest of Fox News.

The owners of Fox have endorsed the GOP financially as well, while maintaining their dishonest mottos. Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp – the parent corporation of Fox News – recently donated $1 million to the Republican Governors Association. In 2008, shortly after earning his own show on Fox News, Glenn Beck donated $250 to the GOP election campaign.

How could a media network boast slogans such as “Fair and Balanced” while funding one of the major political parties?

Meanwhile, MSNBC has taken the opposite stance, supporting Democrats in every way they can. In November of 2010, Keith Olbermann, former host of the most-viewed show on MSNBC, was suspended for supporting Democratic candidates in the election race. Only two days after being suspended, he returned to MSNBC. (Olbermann recently resigned from his post at MSNBC to join Al Gore on Current TV.)

The bias of these corporations is affecting our country in both the political and social worlds. Calling themselves a network of objective reporters, Fox News and MSNBC have failed to deliver the truth to the American people.

In Wayland and across the nation, by throwing in their own opinions with every issue they discuss, these commentators have prevented the people from considering the facts and then forming their own viewpoints. Rather than watching these networks, folk should tune in to public television or public radio, or simply read multiple articles to make sure the facts are accurate.

These cable networks have not worked in the public interest. Instead, they have reinforced the beliefs of whichever political party or faction they support. By influencing how the public votes in elections, they have twisted our political system and corrupted our democratic system.

Moreover, cable news has misrepresented what true journalism is. The role of journalists entails presenting only facts, something that Fox News and MSNBC have failed to do.