Attacking Fox News is not going to get more people to vote for John Kerry. If only it were that easy.
This kind of thing is a reminder to everyone that Fox News is incredibly powerful. No one is suing Air America. Why? NOBODY LISTENS.
Liberals Step Up Political Assault Against Fox News
By JULIA ANGWIN Staff Reporter, The Wall Street Journal
(July 20) - During presidential election years, conservative politicians have often attacked the media for their liberal bias. But during this year's campaign, liberals are fighting back with what they see as a powerful issue -- the alleged conservative slant of the Fox News Channel, a unit of the media conglomerate Staff Reporter.
The assault on Fox News started on July 8, with a report from media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting claiming that in the six months through Dec. 19, 2003, 57% of guests on Fox News's popular evening news show, "Special Report with Brit Hume" were conservatives.
The next week, left-leaning advocacy groups MoveOn.Org and Center for American Progress sponsored the release of a documentary "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism," which uses clips from the cable channel to show what the filmmakers claim is a pattern of right-wing bias and support for the Republican agenda.
Yesterday, MoveOn.Org and political watchdog Common Cause filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission claiming that Fox News Channel's slogan "fair and balanced" violates the federal agency's prohibition against deceptive advertising. At the same time, the Independent Media Institute, an advocacy group for alternative journalism, announced it had filed a challenge against Fox News' trademark on the term "fair and balanced."
This type of concerted campaign against a single news outlet is rare, but not surprising given the tenor of this year's hotly contested presidential election. "In a razor-thin race like this, you need to fire up your base," says Thomas Hollihan, professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. "An issue like this gets those hard-core liberals focused and attentive. It's a kind of issue that people can talk about at work."
The campaign against Fox News Channel partly reflects the growing importance of cable news channels as the main arena in which these elections are played out. Four years ago, more Americans said they got their political news from the broadcast evening news than cable news, according to a study by Pew Research Center, an independent opinion research group based in Washington, D.C. But this year, the study shows that the cable channels have eclipsed the nightly network news. And among cable channels, Fox News Channel wins the highest ratings.
Fox News Channel was founded in 1996 by Roger Ailes, a former Republican political consultant, who wanted to create an alternative to what he believed was the liberal bias of mainstream media such as CNN. Mr. Ailes loaded up the prime-time schedule with conservative commentators such as Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, but focused on straight news during the daytime lineup.
"If they can attack Fox News to this extreme, then all news organizations are at risk to be targeted by similar attacks," says Fox News Spokesman Rob Zimmerman. "It's best to ignore nuts."
Critics such as MoveOn.Org and Common Cause charge that Fox News leans to the right even during its straight news segments. "We think Fox News is really the poster child for how the concept of journalism in media has been deconstructed," says MoveOn.Org Co-Founder Wes Boyd. "It's no longer about the search for the truth. Fox has taken up a truly partisan role."
Common Cause President Chellie Pingree adds that the campaign against Fox News is meant to highlight increasing media consolidation, which many feel threatens to limit diversity. "That goes well beyond one news network," she says. Both Ms. Pingree and Mr. Boyd point out that their campaign is not linked to the Democratic party.
But conservative strategists say they aren't buying it. "They're doing the dirty work of the Democratic party and everybody knows it," says Brent Bozell, a conservative media watchdog. Mark Tapscott, director of the Center for Media and Public Policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation, calls the anti-Fox News campaign "corporate guerilla harassment."
Democratic consultants and strategists say they are pleased that MoveOn.Org is taking a page from the conservative playbook. In 1970, Vice President Spiro Agnew famously attacked the press as "nattering nabobs of negativism," helping boost President Richard Nixon's popularity. Since then, many conservative politicians have found that attacking the liberal media strikes a chord with voters.
"For years, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly and the other right-wing bozos have been rabble-rousing people on the right," says Karl Struble, a Democratic media adviser. "Now, Democrats and progressives are fighting back."
Paul Maslin, a Democratic pollster who was an adviser to former presidential candidate Howard Dean, says that progressives are finally capitalizing on the fact that "people don't like the media in general." Mr. Maslin says that when Mr. Dean criticized the media conglomerates that control much of the nation's news outlets, his standing in the polls soared.
______________________________ #2 Most Friendly Guy
#44 fan of the 2003-2004 Northwest Division Champion Vancouver Canucks
I understand what they're trying to do. I disagree with their tactics.
Going after fox news accomplishes nothing. It's up to the dems to convince America's independendent voters that they should be supporting Kerry. That's where the election will be won or lost.
I watch Fox morning news on the local fox outlet here in Boston, and I watch the evening news also from the local affiliate.
I don't find the news as delivered to be slanted, I do, however, find their commentary to be one sided. So what? I'd like to think that viewers can make their own determination, without the aid of a media outlet, but maybe I'm giving them too much credit.
The efforts of the liberal groups of which you speak would appear to be misdirected.
Bill
When he campaigned for the presidency, George Bush promised "prosperity with a purpose". Three years later, we have neither.
Lick Bush in '04.
Posts: 1292 | Location: boston ma | Registered: October 27, 2002
I don't know -- I have always said that Fox is right-leaning. If there are still people out there who are shocked and dismayed to find out Fox is conservative, then God help them.
This whole "false advertising" thing is really funny. Many people think Fox is "fair and balanced." I don't, but some people do. Therefore the advertising is not false. It's like advertising that your restaurant makes "delicious" food. If someone comes in and says it's bad food, do they have the right to sue for false advertising?
______________________________ #2 Most Friendly Guy
#44 fan of the 2003-2004 Northwest Division Champion Vancouver Canucks
Well if Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting and Moveon say so, it must be true.
Mike
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged" - Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 5955 | Location: Cincinnati | Registered: May 02, 2002
Liberals are just trying to divert attention from real issues, like Berger stealing documents from the national archives...
And BTW: if Fox has 57% conservative commentators, then they are allowing at least twice as many liberal representatives on their show as the other networks allow conservatives...
To wit, yet another liberal "slant" headline,:
FRANKEN BEATS O'REILLY IN NY RADIO MATCHUP
But go on to read the article, where the real facts are buried:
"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Despite the rocky start of his liberal Air America radio network, political humorist Al Franken surged past conservative nemesis Bill O'Reilly in the first quarterly ratings matchup between the two in New York City.
But before liberals can claim a victory in the battle for ears of listeners in America's biggest city, consider this: Veteran conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh beat them both. ..."
~ masher
Posts: 267 | Location: Denver, Colorado, USA | Registered: June 08, 2004
IMO the hearbeat of America has always sided to the right. Liberal one-sidedness dominated the news up until Fox News came along. Fox News is widely accepted because they express what the majority of America feels. Their ratings speak for themselves.
I agree that attacking Fox News is a total waste of time and meant solely for alitle policital misdirection on the real issues pertaining to the upcoming election.
Why not sue PBS or NPR for their leftist tilt? At least FOX succeeds in the real world without begging and without dipping into our tax dollars via the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or the National Endowment for the Arts. Why should the artsy-fartsy press get a free pass to skim and scam?
But THAT would be a legitimate case. We're talking leftist lawyers here. One of them wants to be his Botox buddy's heartbeat away from leading the free world.
"A little song...a little dance...a little seltzer down your pants!" --Chuckles the Clown
Posts: 1683 | Location: A hill in the Poconos | Registered: July 19, 2002
Let me first say that I have no problem with Fox news network existing. I do, however, have a problem with how it presents itself. It isn't a news network, it is a network full of right-wing op-ed pieces. Even its supposed "straight" news pieces sometimes have that feel. It isn't neutral; it has a point of view. Why doesn't the network just admit it? Its not like the people who watch it now are going to stop because of that sort of admission. I think its silly, though, to sue for false advertising.
My other issue with Fox is that it often seems to me that it is a propaganda wing for the current administration. The network was more or less endorsed by the White House. That concerns me more than anything else. No matter what your political leanings might be that should be a cause for alarm.
I have a question for everyone who keeps saying NPR is somehow the same as Fox news, but leftist: On what grounds are you making that comparison? Do you ever listen to NPR? Or are you just repeating what Bill O'Reilly has told you? I ask because I listen to NPR all of the time, and don't get that at all from their news. I have seen Fox news many times, so feel I have an informed opinion on its broadcasts as well.
"I usually read the obituaries first as there is always the happy chance that one of them will make my day." -Dr. Richard Ames
Chuckles the Clown....LMFAO...I still remember the cigar shop in Jersey..."psst...we got real Cubans in the back room, W.C."....Siglo VI...a month BEFORE the official release....lol....too much laughter, I gotta stop, I swear, I HAVE to stop!
#32 Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way! R.I.P. #376
Posts: 1639 | Location: between Scylla and Charybdis | Registered: May 02, 2002
quote:Originally posted by oedipus1: Chuckles the Clown....LMFAO...I still remember the cigar shop in Jersey..."psst...we got real Cubans in the back room, W.C."....Siglo VI...a month BEFORE the official release....lol....too much laughter, I gotta stop, I swear, I HAVE to stop!
#32 Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way! R.I.P. #376
I love it, an arguement like I used to get from my ex wife, If you cant win this arguement then bring up something from the past that you may have a point with.
"Moderation in all things, including moderation." Mark Twain
