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Ear to the Ground

Poking Holes in Fox News’ Mythology of Objectivity

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Posted on Nov 19, 2007
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postpolitical.com

This is certainly a point that has been made before, but the Guardian’s Michael Tomasky performed his own journalistic audit on the U.S.‘s Fox News network, starting with the conservative channel’s claims of offering “fair and balanced” news coverage, and finds that it falls short of its mission statement about spin-free reporting. 


Guardian Unlimited:

Journalism with a point of view is a fine thing. It’s what I do. The difference is that I say I’m a liberal journalist while Fox executives and “reporters” insist they play it straight. But everyone in the US knows that my description is true. This is precisely why its fans watch it. Walk into any bar, hair salon, gym or motel lobby in the country; if the TV is tuned to Fox rather than CNN, you know that the owner or clientele or both are Republican. It’s a secret—although not actually secret any more—sign of fraternity among conservatives, the way a solid red tie worn by a single urban man used to signal to other urban men that the wearer was indeed “that way”.

So everyone knows, but, because of the conventions of journalistic propriety, Fox can’t admit that it’s a Republican outfit. It would have no credibility with politicians if it did and would be too easily dismissed as “ideological media”. To get around this problem, its marketers devised what must be the most deviously ingenious pair of advertising slogans of all time: “We report, you decide” and “Fair and balanced”.

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By thomas billis, November 21, 2007 at 3:43 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

If the add on of Fair and Balanced makes them a news organization then taking the oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States makes George Bush Abraham Lincoln.

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By Frank, November 20, 2007 at 12:36 pm #

There is no reason for liberals, libertarians, and others to complain about the obvious bias of Fox news, because Fox is far from a monopoly and it provides a useful window into mainstream conservative views that would be just as rampant without Fox.  Fox doesn’t make conservatives, it attracts them. The left should see Fox as a useful “hunting” tool, like a salt-lick for the right,  providing a clearinghouse of mainstream conservative views to be challenged. Republicans’ tacit endorsement of Fox legitimacy through their constant cooperation and association with Fox is a potential liability for them that can be exploited.

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By Douglas Chalmers, November 20, 2007 at 5:44 am #

Anyone would think that British reporting (including the Guardian’s) is always “fair and balanced” - it isn’t!!! When you’ve run out of news, go slag the Americans, or the Australians, or…....

Now what about that guy with the “red tie”.....???

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