[PAA-Discuss] Media Matters: The press needs to hold Fox News accountable, because Rup...
Juli3 at aol.com
Juli3 at aol.com
Fri Oct 22 09:52:16 EDT 2010
October 01, 2010
Media Matters: The press needs to hold Fox News accountable, because
Rupert Murdoch refuses to
It must be nice to work for Rupert Murdoch.
Every so often, the News Corp. CEO is questioned about Fox News'
programming. His responses reveal that he either does not watch his own network and
is therefore clueless about his flagship news property, or he instead
chooses to play dumb about his network's role in poisoning the national
discourse.
Yesterday, while testifying before a House subcommittee hearing, Murdoch
_spoke_ (http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201009300016?lid=1141076&rid=54235594)
in favor of comprehensive immigration reform. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
_expressed_
(http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201009300021?lid=1141077&rid=54235594) support for Murdoch's proposal, but noted that she was "oftentimes
stunned" by the anti-immigrant rhetoric on Fox News. Murdoch responded by
saying that "we are home to all views on Fox," and that "we are not
anti-immigrant on Fox News."
Of course, Fox News is a _hotbed_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201010010027?lid=1141078&rid=54235594) of anti-immigrant rhetoric. Not only do
hosts and guests regularly distort the threat posed by illegal immigration and
fight against rights already held by immigrants, but their coverage of the
issue sometimes veers into thinly-veiled "white people are under attack!"
xenophobia.
For example, in May of 2007, Bill O'Reilly, Fox News' top-rated host,
fearmongered that the "unintended consequences" of immigration reform was that
it would make America less white. On an April, 2006, edition of his
syndicated radio show, O'Reilly _suggested_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/200604140009?lid=1141079&rid=54235594) that the "hidden agenda" of the immigrant
rights movement was to bring about the "browning of America." In 2006,
former Fox host John Gibson exhorted white viewers to do "your duty" and
"make more babies" in response to population growth by minorities.
Though Murdoch proudly proclaimed that Fox is "home to all views" on
immigration, this welcoming mentality apparently includes _mainstreaming_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201005180046?lid=1141080&rid=54235594)
anti-immigrant groups like the American Immigration Control Foundation, which has
been classified as a "hate group" by the Anti-Defamation League.
And while Murdoch mocked the idea of "expelling 11 or 12 million people"
as "nonsense," Fox host David Asman - while filling in for Neil Cavuto in
April of 2006 - _suggested_
(http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200604110002?lid=1141081&rid=54235594) that it may have been "the perfect time to round up"
illegal immigrants and "ship them out."
To top it all off, Fox News has recently begun hosting disgraced former
CNN host Lou Dobbs to_ repeatedly mislead_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201008300060?lid=1141082&rid=54235594) on immigration issues, despite his
long history of making incendiary and false claims about the topic.
But they "are not anti-immigrant on Fox." Right.
Murdoch's obliviousness - feigned or not - when it comes to Fox News'
coverage of immigration follows a clear pattern.
On the subject of climate change, Murdoch has aligned himself with the
vast majority of climate scientists and _stated unequivocally_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201001220027?lid=1141083&rid=54235594) that "climate
change poses clear, catastrophic threats."
In 2007, Murdoch _announced_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201001220027?lid=1141084&rid=54235594) an initiative to make News Corp. carbon neutral
in an attempt to "set an example" and inspire their "audiences" to fight
climate change. While News Corp.'s initiative is commendable, its potential
benefits and ability to "set an example" are undermined by Fox News'
ongoing war on climate science and climate scientists. Fox hosts and
personalities regularly mock climate change and any efforts to combat it.
A perfect example of how Fox News fails to "set an example" came during
Earth Day this year. Rather than spend the day promoting environmentalism and
conservation, Fox & Friends _marked the occasion_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201004220023?lid=1141085&rid=54235594) by rehashing smears of
climate scientists with noted climatologist L. Brent Bozell.
Murdoch was right when he said that the carbon footprint of News Corp.'s
audience is "10,000 times bigger than" the company's, which is why the
benefits of his company's attempt to become carbon neutral pale in comparison to
the damage done by the network's ongoing war on climate science. In fact,
Murdoch's admission that he agrees with the "99 percent of scientists" on
climate change makes him part of the "climate change cult," _according to_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/200912080003?lid=1141086&rid=54235594) Fox
News contributor Michelle Malkin.
Murdoch has also frequently promoted the phony distinction between Fox's
news and opinion programming. Last year, Murdoch _implied_
(http://mediamatters.org/columns/200911170001?lid=1141087&rid=54235594) that Your World with
Neil Cavuto and Fox & Friends (among others) are Fox shows that don't
traffic in "commentary." This was false at the time - Fox News executives _have
included_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/200910130047?lid=1141088&rid=54235594) those shows as part of its "opinion" lineup -- and has become even
more so as the network has continued its trip down the rabbit hole.
Neil Cavuto is the network's Senior Vice President of Business News,
which, _according_
(http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxbusiness.com%2Four-team%2Fpersonalities%2Fneil-cavuto-1615152215%2F&lid=1141089&rid=5423
5594) to Fox, means he "oversees all business coverage for FNC" and
"directs content and business news coverage for the FOX Business Network." If we
are supposed to view Cavuto as some sort of business journalist, then he
likely holds the distinction of being the only business journalist in the
country with his own "Campaign Platform."
This week, Cavuto _unveiled_
(http://mediamatters.org/blog/201009280037?lid=1141090&rid=54235594) his "2010 Campaign Platform," which consisted of
right-wing proposals like "No Tax Hikes On Anyone For Any Reason" and "A 10
Percent Across-The-Board Cut In Every Gov't Program." In addition to having
a "Campaign Platform," Cavuto regularly promotes falsehoods that benefit
the GOP and Tea Party at the expense of progressives and Democrats.
Murdoch's confusion about Fox & Friends' programming may be slightly more
understandable. After all, Steve Doocy and Co. _put on a show_
(http://mediamatters.org/blog/201006240028?lid=1141091&rid=54235594) for their boss when
he visited earlier this year, significantly toning down their usual
rhetoric about immigration during his appearance, only to return to their usual
antics as soon as he left the show.
Of course, the idea that Fox & Friends does not do "commentary" is a
farce. Not only does the show spend three hours _every morning_
(http://mediamatters.org/search/tag/fox__amp__friends?lid=1141092&rid=54235594) misinforming
their viewers about a wide range of issues, they have recently become the
de facto _launching pad_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201009150038?lid=1141093&rid=54235594) for GOP general election campaigns.
Which brings us to Murdoch's most infamous "see no evil" moment. In April,
Media Matters VP Ari Rabin-Havt _questioned_
(http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201004070051?lid=1141094&rid=54235594) Murdoch about Fox's promotion of the
Tea Party. Murdoch responded that Fox News shouldn't be "supporting the
Tea Party or any other party." He added, "I'd like to investigate what you
are saying before I condemn anyone." Almost six months later, we're still
waiting to hear back.
As we _detailed_
(http://mediamatters.org/reports/200904080025?lid=1141095&rid=54235594) at the time, Fox's promotion of the Tea Party was beyond
question - the network had aggressively encouraged viewers to attend tea
parties, and even hosted several "FNC Tax Day Tea Parties" starring leading Fox
personalities like Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck.
In the intervening months, Fox's Tea Party boosterism has continued
unabated. Notably, in the past few weeks, Fox has gone all-in supporting Delaware
Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell. In addition to giving her a _safe
haven_ (http://mediamatters.org/strupp/201009220037?lid=1141096&rid=54235594)
from being inconvenienced by exposure to actual journalism, numerous hosts
on the network have _misleadingly claimed_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201009210053?lid=1141097&rid=54235594) that her opponent has labeled
himself a "bearded Marxist."
And what about that "other party" -- the GOP -- that Fox News shouldn't be
"supporting," according to their boss? Well, _in addition_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201009270021?lid=1141098&rid=54235594) to lavishing
coverage on the GOP's legislative agenda, Fox News hosts and personalities have
raised millions of dollars for the GOP, supported GOP candidates with
almost uniformly positive coverage, and, as always, spent every day smearing
Democrats and progressives with blatant falsehoods.
In April, we argued that Fox News had basically become an arm of the GOP.
It seems we may have had that backwards. At this point, the GOP is
basically just an arm of Fox News.
As we detailed in a report this week, Fox News _employs_
(http://mediamatters.org/research/201009270021?lid=1141099&rid=54235594) no less than five
potential 2012 GOP presidential candidates. The Fox candidates have appeared
on the network at least 269 times, appearances a GOP strategist reportedly
called an "in-kind contribution."
Murdoch's network actually goes beyond just giving "in-kind contributions"
to the GOP. Recently, they've discarded that relative subtlety and started
spending boatloads of money in the hopes of helping to elect GOP
candidates this fall.
Earlier this summer, News. Corp _donated_
(http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008160046?lid=1141100&rid=54235594) an unprecedented $1 million to the
Republican Governors Association with the express purpose of supporting the
"RGA's pro-business agenda." Last night, Politico's Ben Smith _reported_
(http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008160046?lid=1141101&rid=54235594) that News.
Corp also donated $1 million to the GOP-aligned Chamber of Commerce. The
Chamber has reportedly devoted millions of dollars this cycle to running
political ads on behalf of Republican Senate candidates.
Fox News' political activism is becoming more and more brazen.
Unfortunately the network is enabled by the rest of the media's reluctance to call
them out on their behavior. At this point, it is clear that the CEO of News.
Corp has no plans to act responsibly, so it is up to the press to hold Fox
News accountable.
Fox News makes a mockery of the idea of journalism, and it's time for
media outlets that actually care about the craft to speak out and say so.
This weekly wrap-up was compiled by Ben Dimiero, a research fellow at
Media Matters for America.
(http://mediamatters.org/users/sign_up) (http://mediamatters.org/)
(http://mediamatters.org/donate) (http://mediamatters.org/action_center/)
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