FOX (so called) NEWS

Does Rupert Murdock have blood on his hands?

This attack comes after months of Rupert Murdock’s media jihad on Berlusconi.  Murdock’s ire was raised by the Prime Minister’s interest in raising the value added tax on Murdock’s Sky broadcasting services in Italy by 20%.  This prompted Murdock to call upon his entire news agencies to attack Berlusconi and (according to Murdock’s spokesperson) to “instigate hatred against the prime minister.”

The hate campaign against Berlusconi even went so far as airing a TV fictional drama where the Prime Minister of Italy was to be abducted and killed.  With the title, “Killing Silvio,” few missed the show’s political target.

We don’t know if Berlusconi’s attacker was motivated by Murdock’s hate campaign, but with the attacker reportedly having a history of mental illness, such a condition could have left the attacker more susceptible to Murdock’s negative media message.

Never the less, Murdock’s brand of attack journalism is nothing less than Orwellian, and the comparisons to the American FOX (so called) NEWS cable network attacks on President Obama are equally disturbing.

Should we tolerate such hate programming, or are such messages protected by the first amendment.  Even if such messages of hate are protected, should they be allowed to stand unbalanced by opposing views?  Should we return the fairness doctrine, and find a way of expanding it to the cable world?  I certainly hope we address these issues before such incidents as the one above are visited on America.

Since Berlusconi was struck by someone wielding a statuette-souvenir I would have assumed the attacker was as tourist