http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/n...ite-house-will-lose-its-war-against-fox-news/ The White House’s extraordinary assault on the Fox News Channel will end in tears – and not for Rupert Murdoch, Fox’s owner. The Obama administration has embarked on a high-risk strategy of shooting the messenger, in effect blaming its plummeting poll ratings on alleged political bias at the number one 24-hour cable news network. As Anita Dunn, the Mao-quoting White House communications director put it in an interview with The New York Times: “We’re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent. As they are undertaking a war against Barack Obama and the White House, we don’t need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave.” As Dunn’s statement illustrates, this is an overtly political campaign – and one that is doomed to failure, as it will ensure that even more Americans end up tuning in to Fox shows. The United States is a nation built around the principles of free speech, limited government, and free enterprise, and it is highly unusual for a US administration to launch an authoritarian vendetta against an individual news station. It smacks of mean-spiritedness as well as desperation, and is an approach that is already backfiring, with Fox’s ratings receiving an added boost from the huge publicity. Fox News is succeeding in America precisely because it is not afraid to challenge the status quo, and to take on the power of big government. It is unique in broadcast media in going against the grain of the dominant liberal networks, NBC, CBS and ABC, by providing an alternative perspective in a nation where conservatives are still the largest ideological group according to Gallup. Television news in America has for decades been dominated by a left-of-centre oligopoly that has not reflected public opinion. That smug arrangement was shattered when Fox opened for business in the mid-1990s. Fox News has succeeded spectacularly in racing ahead of its rivals in the cable news market, notably CNN and MSNBC. Its evening shows – such as the O’Reilly Factor, Glenn Beck and Hannity – pull in several million viewers compared to just hundreds of thousands on Fox’s competitors. Fox offers a highly opinionated, fast-paced and entertaining brand of political debate that includes all sides of the political aisle. The top hosts may be largely conservative (though not necessarily Republican), but the guests frequently are not, creating an adversarial and combative arena that until recently was a rarity in American news coverage. Fox also benefits from an extraordinary level of professional management that sets the gold standard for cable news organizations. It is a remarkably well-run operation that also projects the American dream, with its proud emphasis on entrepreneurialism, patriotism, and a strong sense of national identity. Fox is unashamedly pro-American, a breath of fresh air in an age when US foreign policy is increasingly weak, muddled and confused. The success of Fox News is not driven by any political agenda, as its Administration critics claim. It is simply doing its job as a news organization by questioning the positions and policies of the elected government and officials of the United States, whoever is in the White House. That is the proper role of the media in a free society, and any attempt by the government to muzzle Fox is a threat to the freedom of all American news outlets, including liberal juggernauts such as The New York Times, NBC and CNN. ------------------------------------------------------------- Bringing up "freedom of the press"...I thought that being a journalist requires one to be impartial, and only report facts. ????? No, I don't believe Fox News should be forced to be taken off the air or anything...but I really wish people would stop acting like it's a legitimate news show that is unbiased. In America, people are free to be biased in opinion...so please, just admit it already.
DH, our news has turned into entertainment. People no longer go looking for "just the facts", they are looking to be entertained. And with the advent of 24 hour news channels, they are so desperate for something to talk about they make stuff up now. I pretty much only watch public television and listen to NPR, but even those are half suspect.
I just get frustrated with obviously biased outlets claiming to be unbiased. It's ridiculous, and takes all credibility away. How can you even claim to be a news organization if you can't even tell the truth when it's blatantly obvious??? There's no law saying they can't broadcast whatever political views they want...so why hide behind a lie? I'd say it's because they're afraid of being discredited, but a lie so thin hardly gives their views merit. Not to mention, it makes me weep for the state of my country, with such a large portion of her population allowing themselves to -believe- the lie. It's ok to be conservative. It's ok to be Republican. It's ok to hold views like both categories. But do it -openly-. Don't masquerade as a beacon of the truth without agenda when you AREN'T. And for god's sake, have enough sense not to believe everything the shiny box with all the pretty commercials tells you is fact, especially if they continually stress how they're the only ones who are correct and non-biased. If they gotta argue the point, something's wrong.
That's Gardiner's blog, not an article that the Telegraph allowed him to run on their newspaper. The Telegraph is a respected British broadsheet, with an ABC readership, and wouldn't print such a ridiculous piece from this David-Cameron-wannabe-when-he-grows-up. Fox is tabloid tv for the weakest-minded americans, and we Brits know that quite well. We have it over here on one of the triple-digit numbered channels, and it's pretty much only watched by University students in need of a quick 5 minute laugh. The station should be shut down not because if may or may not have slandered Obama, but because it is a shameful, seeping ball of pus just above and to the left of the ass-crack of intelligent americans everywhere. I was at a Thanksgiving dinner last year at an American friends house here in London, must have been nearly a hundred people present, I was just changing channels, looking for some music when I stumbled across Fox. The Americans, largely right-wingers, CRINGED when it came on. I turned round to them, having noticed the abrupt silence, they were all looking pretty sheepish, before a few of them muttered, "Come on, turn it over", "We came to enjoy ourselves" etc. I deliberately prolonged the agony by pretending not to know what the station was all about, funnily enough they WERE doing a piece on Obama at the time, "Wait, don't you want to know what your President-elect said?"
I catch my Mom sometimes and have to wind her down after extended FoxNOTnews viewing. And I know she is not like that because I lived with her my whole life. She gets on these rants about Muslims and I have to remind her according to her own belief system, God has a covenant with them. She simmers down then. I do think it is more than just an annoying distraction. People start out watching for the spectacle of it and wind up spitting out the same garbage. It is like a cancer and grows.
New Rule: Fox News must convert into a porn channel in order to become a reputable network. Their time is slowly running out and that may be their only hope at staying afloat in this "Progressive Movement" that is happening in this country.
Don't be so sure of that, there are tons of hard core conservative right wingers out there, and FOX news is not even close to nearing their death bed. I might be wrong but am sure as hell don't get the feeling that I live in color blind progressive nation.
A lot of people like hearing tough questions asked and hear different issues brought up about government, instead of a slobbering love affair with one. Thats why FOX news is so popular, and all these attacks, makes them more powerfull. There is a reason they kill the competition.
Fox is just GOP TV pure and simple. They are not news but propaganda for conservatives. "Fair and Balanced" my foot.
What I've noticed is they kill competition by bashing them and calling them liberals, then hiring nice eye candy to do the news. The other news organization sat there and took it. So if you tell a lie long enough then people will start to believe it. It’s an entertaining channel but it’s not news. People watch Fox News for the same reason they watch reality shows. To see people act foolish, argue and do crazy things. Like Glenn Beck crying and pouring water over someone and saying its Obama’s rising debt. .
Where were the tough questions & different issues about the government during the Bush administration?
The other news organizations (i.e. CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and MSNBC) acted nobel and protected FOX because they believe it should be protected under free speech, yes they should. Unfortunately, FOX will not say public that they are the arm of the GOP. [YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IGIkSmvS9So&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IGIkSmvS9So&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/35eRxxZ-Ar0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/35eRxxZ-Ar0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xyj1DSEQuy0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Xyj1DSEQuy0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE] Need I say more?
Its really no different than the other news stations, that are biased. Yes, Fox does lean to the right, but MSNBC leans to the left, so whats the big deal. I just find it pathetic, that the white house is that insensitive when somebody doesnt agree with them, starts crying and keeps bringing up Fox News. Time for everybody to get over their hurt feelings and grow up.
MSNBC has more balance and info than Fox. Obermann and Maddow always hit the ball out of the park as well as Joe & Mika.
So when the Bush administration was "insensitive when somebody doesnt agree with them, start(ed) crying" and went after MSNBC in White House Press Briefings, you found that pathetic as well?
