The Fox News-Obama feud much ado about little
You know, I just don’t get the controversy over the Obama administration’s criticism of Fox News. For one thing, it’s entirely accurate: Fox does not approach its job the same way other organizations do. Most legitimate news organizations honestly attempt to purge their presentations of bias. I’d be the first to concede that all journalistic institutions sometimes fall short of that goal, but the point is, as professionals they try.
Fox doesn’t even make the effort, or even the pretense of an effort. At best, they make the pretense of a pretense of an effort. Bias is what they’re selling — they know it, and their audience knows it. So what’s the big deal about the White House saying out loud what everyone already knows?
Beyond that, though, I’m surprised to see the Washington media play this as some kind of new threat to the purity of media-political relations. It’s not. The Bush administration used to complain publicly and often about coverage from MSNBC and NBC. The Clintons were outraged at how the New York Times covered the Whitewater investigation, and they probably were right to be angry. In a speech back in the ’90s, Newt Gingrich fought back against critical coverage by telling Atlanta business leaders that they ought to institute an ad boycott against the AJC.
Most of the time, the publishers and news executives who field those kinds of angry threats from politicians don’t even bother telling their reporters about them, because the reporters don’t need to know. But sometimes the message is communicated directly. I once had a very influential Democratic state legislator — back when Democrats ran the Capitol — suggest to me privately that if the AJC edit board would back off an ethics reform crusade, legislators might look more favorably on funding a downtown multimodal station. (Note that no such station exists.) And Maynard Jackson, exasperated at criticism over his muni bond business, once informed a group of AJC editors that “I don’t work on Jay Bookman’s plantation.” That was a personal favorite.
The point is, it’s a rough-and-tumble relationship between the media and those we cover, and it always will be and ought to be. Politicians who feel under attack will return fire, and personally I think they have that right. What Harry Truman said is true of the media as well as politicians: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
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417 comments Add your comment
Hef
October 26th, 2009
6:41 pm
Paul_Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the He*l did any of that mean?,what Emanuel said.He lost me at the first stutter
Paul
October 26th, 2009
6:56 pm
Hef
That, taken with other comments, means Fox causes problems with stories other media didn’t pick up on. Then you have organizations like NY Times saying they were remiss in not following up and they didn’t because it originated with Fox.
So the White House is saying, look, those things coming out of Fox, they aren’t important, they aren’t real news, don’t follow up.
Like Fox or not, when you’re a competitor, the last thing you want is for a government official to suggest which stories you should or should not follow.
At least, that’s what I think Rahm said….
Linda
October 26th, 2009
7:08 pm
Ms. DoRight, 1. According to the Cons., seceding is not treason & is in no way meant to disrespect the president or hurt his feelings.
2. Yes, there are press corps from all over the world in DC, but only five of them belong to the independent White House Correspondents Assn. who share the expenses for all the media. Presidents, for some reason, have preferred to be covered by these major networks (ABC, CNN, CBS, Fox & NBC, which includes MSNBC) & I really don’t think this president wouldn’t be satisfied with just bites on Bloomberg along with the newspapers & magazines, few of which can afford to travel with him (until he bails them out, too). He relishes being on national news.
3. Americans have ALREADY learned the truth. (See tea parties above.)
4. If there’s no WHCA, there’s no $ for expenses, no lights, no camera, no Gibbs.
5. Why do you think O hasn’t already pulled Fox’s tax returns, looked into Murdoch’s business practices & sicced the FCC & found nil?
6. Liberals have always accused Bush of attacking Iraq, but I’m telling you right now, that when a Dem pres. declares war, he or she has to have Congressional approval.
AmVet
October 26th, 2009
7:14 pm
There are few things funnier than the conned trying to act objective about such things as Faux News or the junk ideology they are slaves to.
The conned disease prohibits it.
Think I’m kidding?
Look to the RepubliSavior, Ronnie of Nazareth for guidance, heathens!
Thous halt never speak ill of another conned.
So let the Savior speak it, so let it be done…
Ayn Rand Was Right
October 26th, 2009
8:12 pm
It will be nice when a conservative again occupies the Oval Office. Then you Libby Lu’s can select someone besides Fox News for the daily crucifixion. Your guy won…you now own the Executive and Legislative branches of government. Get to it and prove you deserve to be there.
Linda
October 26th, 2009
8:16 pm
Let’s say ESPN & Sports Illustrated had failed to cover Vick’s dog-fighting scandal, that ABC failed to report that our peanut butter was tainted, that the Weather Channel failed to report a major hurricane was on its way, that NBC failed to report these green light bulbs are toxic (which they are), that CNN reported that the Pope was having an affair with Barney Frank or that CBS blamed the bombing on 9/11 on gays, we collectively would be outraged. We depend on our mainstream news media & it’s their duty to collect, annalize, verify & present all information to us.
Our mainstream media, all except Fox, has tanked for this pres. & I have no idea why or why we collectively are not outraged with their bias.
What happened this week with the suttle attempt of manipulation of one major new station by the pres., the stand that the other 4 major networks took with Fox & the move by a couple of major newspapers towards legitimacy is the beginning of a new trend by the media.
coralights
October 26th, 2009
8:20 pm
There’s lots of opinions and even more opinions about opinions – but the bottom line is that everyone is getting shafted who isn’t wealthy. 1% of the people have more wealth than 99% of the people – and the 1% make sure the 99% don’t get together. That’s what left and right and republican and democrat and black and white and abortion and gay rights and guns are all about. Keeping the 99% busy arguing with each other. Our minds are controlled not by Government but by the media – television, radio and print which is controlled by the rich. We are told that consumption i.e. capitalism is a good thing – and as a result we are rapidly destroying nature which is our sole source of life on our planet – without nature we cannot live PERIOD. – and we have come to accept pollution – bottled water and air purifiers now replace clean air and water – we wonder whats wrong with young people – as we robotically flip on the TV, light up a cigarette, have a beer and watch murder, mayhem and X rated movies in the comfort of our living rooms. FOX is only a small part of a huge problem – the rest of the problem is on the other channels and in our homes. It’s called us.
Linda
October 26th, 2009
8:58 pm
Coralights, It’s become a trend to demonize wealthy people (except the Hollywood types, Oprah & Jackson). I’m not wealthy but I do not envy people who are better off than myself. We aren’t getting shafted. Without the unselfish rich, we would not have as many hospital wings, great universities & colleges, museums, etc. I’ve never been employed by a poor person. Over half of the jobs in American today are provided by small businesses, by people, who, on paper, are considered well-off, but who have their homes mortgaged to the hilt & really are struggling to keep their employees afloat.
If you believe your mind is controlled by the media, use your remote control, mouse, dials & buttons to control what you observe. Fox is not the problem.
We’ve been a capitalist country for over 200 yrs., but that’s changing.
Wherever you live was once a forest or a farm & someone destroyed it to build your residence. The owners of undeveloped land today have as much right to develop theirs as the developer of yours did. It’s not your right or the govt’s right to dictate to one developer over another. That’s capitalism.
If you’ve been using bottled water, you’re contributing to pollution.
What’s wrong with our youth are their parents or lack thereof.
Number1ninja
October 26th, 2009
9:06 pm
To be fair, most of those people don’t live on this planet, so in their little Reagan Fairy land, it’s all true.
Number1ninja
October 26th, 2009
9:10 pm
See the above for an example. Complaining that two of America’s biggest punchlines are “worshipped” in the media is the stupidest thing I’ve read, well, until two sentences later.
DBCOOPER
October 26th, 2009
9:33 pm
Transparency is what it’s all about. Man I’m so glad we have that perfect transparent administration as we were promised. What a group of honest straight shooters.! Fox news now that’s a bunch of scallywags that aren’t transparent like our White House. Fox is always telling us they are the alternative to those transparent institutions like CNN and NBC that give us good unbiased reporting on the fully transparent administration. WHAT A CROCK. 4 AND DUN
Mr Right
October 27th, 2009
7:59 am
Talk about bias, Check out MSNBC. Of course Mr Bookman wouldn’t think so
stan
October 27th, 2009
1:07 pm
Fox spews Yellow journalism.the other networks shouldn’t be lowering themselves to resort to those same tactics to compete.they are becoming part of the problem,as well.it all hinges on just plain Dishonest reporting.it’s a sad day in america when ya’ll resort to GOOD ‘OLE BOY TACTICS. this situation is just a nobrainer.fox wants to interupt ANY progress made by this president-a Black man.
stan
October 27th, 2009
1:19 pm
Fox has lost it’s CREDIBILITY.it’s scandelous Opinion-nothing more.the WH doesn’t have time for their juvenile behavior in the press room.their place is on the magazine rack at the grocery store.
Joshua Burns Moore
October 27th, 2009
1:40 pm
“Most legitimate news organizations” your quote….What does the Atlanta
Journal know about legitimate news.
jasperman
November 12th, 2009
6:28 pm
CBS could be c
jasperman
November 12th, 2009
6:29 pm
who’s behind this rating fued