Obama Rightfully Takes on Fox News

Conventional political wisdom states that a politician should never get into a spat with any media network. Indeed, this is even more so for a Presidential candidate or a sitting President. Remember Richard Nixon's famous retort to the media before his initial political exile, "You don't have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore"? Despite this seemingly benign statement, the media lambasted him and the two never truly reconciled. Indeed, the contentious relationship between the Nixon White House and the press corp. led to some of the most important First Amendment debates and litigious cases in American legal history.

The relationship between the White House and the media took a new turn this week with the public rift between the Obama administration and News Corp's Fox News. It has now been confirmed that the Obama administration finally accepted the duel that Fox News has been offering for some time now. During the past week, a plethora of pundits and past-presidential advisors have been hitting the air waves, advising and cautioning the Obama administration on its media jihad against Roger Ailes and Fox News.

Why? Because says CNN's David Gergen, "It's beneath the President to get into a row with a news organization." He also believes, "It's a risky strategy, and it's not one that I would advocate." "The President should talk to his opponents and let them know that he is a human being" said Farhad Manjoo, author of "True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society." Others have said that the President should just focus on the issues facing the nation instead of addressing Fox News directly.

Despite the news coverage of this story, in truth it was Fox News that had declared war on Mr. Obama ever since he became a serious presidential contender and since he took the helm as this nation's 44th President. In the petulant world view of Fox News, there is no 100-day honeymoon period for the first African-American President, as was true with previous American Presidents. Instead, ever since the Presidential Inauguration, Fox News has been targeting the White House through its pundits and professional demagogues like Hannity, Beck, and O'Reilly. Indeed, Fox News' current role as the opposition news network has completely tipped the broadcast equilibrium which existed during the nostalgic pre-cable days of television.

Even in the early years of both CNN and later Fox News, there appeared to be an ambiguous, but tolerable liberal and conservative tug of war within the cable news industry. The three major broadcast networks ABC, CBS, and NBC were generally middle of the road, with certain exceptions on various issues in which they could be viewed as being liberal or conservative. However, with the rise of conservative talk radio, and the patently incestuous relationship between the second Bush administration and Fox News, the ideological media equilibrium has been completely jarred.

Fox News provides 24 hour anti-Obama, anti-Democrat, and anti-liberal coverage and opinion. No other major news network provides such one-sided coverage in favor of an alternative political and ideological agenda to Fox News. Even MSNBC provides a balance with conservative Joe Scarborough's morning show, and the blue-dog liberal Ed Shultz in the evening. But even MSNBC is not a round-the-clock slugfest against conservatives and right wing ideologues.

Today, Fox News serves as the news militia for the right wing of the Republican Party, with its investigation of liberal community organizations such as ACORN, with its defamatory coverage of the first Hispanic Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor, and by its incitement of mob-like opposition political rallies against the President and his domestic agenda this past summer. No similar investigations of Republican Senator Ensign's sexual improprieties have graced the coverage of Fox News. It is empirically known that Fox News chronically invites prominent members of the Republican party such as Newt Gingrich, former Bush advisor Karl Rove, former Senator Rick Santorum, and Clinton antagonist Dick Morris to give the air of credence to very important issues without debate or challenge. To the contrary, in those rare moments that liberals or democrats make their negligible appearances on Fox News, they are viciously attacked with the ferocity of a pack of pit bulls.

One can reasonably argue that Fox News has now become a mercenary marketing arm of the most rabid elements of conservative ideology. It is akin to the private contractor Blackwater, with no clearly defined demarcations of journalistic rules or integrity. Just as Blackwater was unleashed on the helpless Iraqi people by the Bush administration, Fox News has been let loose by Rupert Murdoch on the easily distracted American people, creating its own version of the news, and masquerading as an honest player in the media industry. But in reality it has morphed into the leading voice of Republican and conservative talking points. Hence, Jonathan Alter of Newsweek was not off base when he stated: "The United States has two parties now -- the Obama Party and the Fox News Party." Consequently, Fox News can no longer pretend to represent mere opinions on a linear political spectrum.

In social psychology, the "polarization hypothesis" suggests that those with strongly held ideological beliefs, when faced with objective empirical data, often interpret that data to conform to their strongly held beliefs. Hence, no matter what calm and rational arguments the Obama administration proffers in support of say health care reform, Fox News and its audience will inevitably reject such explanations.

Therefore, the pontifications we hear from pundits and the media advisors against the White House strategy toward Fox News and their call for some kind of rapprochement should be respectfully ignored. Moreover, the fear of increased ratings for Fox as a result of this spat should be equally dismissed. Many sitcoms and dramas and entertainment channels such as Fox News garner tremendous ratings. To the contrary, a more robust reaction from the Obama administration would gain not only the respect of its supporters but also the mainstream, and further send a clear signal that the Obama White House is not an Executive punching bag. Therefore, it is vital to our democracy that some check is placed on the unhinged folks at Fox News.

Indeed, it is in our national interest that issues such as curtailing corporate abuses, passing universal healthcare, and providing more protection to American consumers from credit card sharks or other financial predators be achieved in the next few years. These important agendas cannot be achieved by the current administration when the opposition party is aided and abetted by a media militia partially disguised as a news network, with no viable or stalwart opponent. Therefore, the seriousness with which the Obama administration has decided to respond to the excretion of rabid opinion from Fox News is a welcomed sign and one this writer hails as a milestone in the contentious relationship between the Executive Branch and the media.

 

Comments

[mrsbee]

This was a wonderful article...the best view of the Fox News org I have heard....and a fine view of why the White House is right to fight back...People like to watch Fox for the same reason that people like boxing matches, violent hockey games, and the Romans letting the lions loose on the slaves back in the day....they love the smell of blood, they love the sensationalism...as O'Reilly says ( and I really hate quoting him !) Fox has pizzaz...so the mindless clods who love all that stuff watch Fox to see the attacks ..and then can't wait till the next day to hear the other idiot pundits report them as news....but the attacks finally reached a point that went way over the line and the White House needed to hit back....If you've watched Fox in the last few days they have made a number of errors that are glaring by showing wrong footage and attributing it to a different event...plus Murdoch said some stupid stuff that really showed what a jerk he is...seems to me they got a little shook up !!

[refah]

Thanks for this and thanks to The White House. It is time to take on FAUXPINION!!!

[chicagoed77]

This is an excellent and thoughtful article. Whether it is a good idea to take on fox news is somewhat debatable. It may just build them up.

[bluesmann]

It would be nice if Obama would let his lackies squabble with Fox, while he is trying to devise a plan to get all of us JOBS !!!

[stat3man]

I appreciate the fact that the White House has "called out" Fox News. This is not a legitimate news organization, and it should not be treated as if it were one.

[bluesmann]

So stat3man...name a news org you consider "legit."

[reedaleddy]

PBS

[ched]

This is one of those "emperor has no clothes" moments. Now that Gibbs and Axelrod have made the completely unremarkable observation that Fox is the propaganda wing of the republic party, anyone who continues to follow their nonsense (yes, you, Jake Tapper) or is exposed as a fool.

[TLV]

"In social psychology, the "polarization hypothesis" suggests that those with strongly held ideological beliefs, when faced with objective empirical data, often interpret that data to conform to their strongly held beliefs."

This also applies to the announcement from Fox's Vice President of News, Michael Clemente, when he said that Fox delivers "vibrant opinion" - not news and that they are like the editorial page of a newspaper.

The Fox viewers still totally reject the truth that even Fox's OWN VP has said it is NOT NEWS! He is telling them they are being fooled - STILL!!!! - they do not care.

[comicpro]

Best damn article written in a long time. FOX news may be in for a big surprise and crying behind the First Amendment will not help. The President also has First Amendment rights and I hope like hell he uses them! Way to go Sir!!!!!

[Iam12Vote]

First Amendment rights apply to individuals.
FOX is merely the creation of cable deregulation.

[vince7]

Fox was created by a backroom deal with Murdoch and Newt.

[proud2bemoderate]

The president I support is taking on a news organization that doesn't agree with his policies? Please tell me he has more important things he can be doing like PROVING with actions instead of whining. I know, I know, Fox lies! Fox spreads propaganda! Fox is the worst thing in the world! Can we try and grow a backbone and get gitmo closed, get some healthcare reform passed, create some friggin jobs, and get this country out of the hole its in right now?? Or should we just keep deflecting on a couple of talking heads in a cable news organization..

[natalie0nine]

We will have to wait till 2012 for all that, p2b.

[tyruler]

I would agree, but its hard to do all that if you're message is drowned and turned upside down by the pitchforks mobs that the propagandists at Fake News like to stir up.

Good for Obama, expose Fake News and News Corpse from WSJ to NY Poopst

[TLV]

Do you suppose that maybe if Fox would stop telling you to THINK that the White House is not doing anything, then maybe even YOU would stop believing they aren't doing anything!?

[bluesmann]

Well at least Obama will take on Fox... He's failed to take on the Tolly-Bon...

[pfrogger]

The Taliban is not the real problem. Al Qaeda is the group that attacked America. If you start attacking any and all groups that you don't agree with, then don't be surprised if the US is attacked in return.
Ignorance may be bliss, but it is not helpful. Please read and educate yourself.

[natalie0nine]

Meanwhile the Tolly-bon continues to kill American and British troops in Afghanistan.

[TLV]

Why, do you suppose, Al-Qaeda seems to have simply disappeared since Bush is out of office? Perhaps they never did exist.

[mattie wallace]

Why don't you join the ARMY and take on the TALIBAN!!! as a matter of fact, why don't you go and find BUSH!!!! he started all of this MESS!!! but, not, you PEOPLE let him get away SCOTT FREE! IN other word's you FAILED!!!!

[Azam Nizamuddin - Huffpost Blogger]

You mean by sending an additional 13,000 troops into Afghanistan, Obama has failed to take on the Taliban in Afghanistan? That makes absolutely no sense. This is the problem with the Fox News faithful. They simple cannot accept facts unless it meets with their twisted ideology.

[relayer]

This is a well considered article. I believe that it is appropriate for the White House to confront the distortions and untruths propogated by Fox.

I still seriously wonder how that channel can get away with using the 'news' moniker. Yes, they show news, such as it is, but pretty much all of their programming seems to be opinion. The topper is, as was rightly pointed out, this opinion is pretty much universally anti-Obama. So much so it's depressing, not to say annoying.

I've said it before: is there nothing that can be done about this absurd 'news' organization spewing hate? I really hear nothing but panicky hate coming out of that source. It disturbs me.

[SPQR1775]

faux news is a republican propaghanda machine, but who is really worried about it. It is time that we call them out,a nd so what if pass presidents didn't, pass presidents didn't have faux news propagating lies, unless it was the GOP like Bush using faux news for their benefits. It is funny that faux news liars are paid millions to cause decent and uproah in the nation. Well, take care and God bless.

[Shenygirl1]

Fox is definitly not a news network. Most of their shows engage in fear-mongering, hate-peddling,
character assassination, and very negative human interest stories. Very little world news or policy discussions are covered with the exception of a few that are very biased.

[Shenygirl1]

The Faux Noise network engages mostly in tabloid type reporting, featuring personal attacks, not only on our president, but on anyone who does not agree with their ideological point of view. Their hubris and righteous indignation just indicates their lack of professionalism. They definitely appear to be on the defensive and are screaming foul. I find it laughable watching them play the role of victims and insist
that they are doing a great public service to their viewers.

It was stated by Bernie Goldberg on O'Reilly's show that when a network is being called out by an American president as lacking credibility, it eventualy will be considered factual by most American and become part of our cultural fabric. So yes, Obama and the Whitehouse know what they are doing. They are informing those who are not media savvy and fighting back. There are many viewers who just can't quite figure Fox out and mistake opinions for actual news.



Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/azam-nizamuddin/obama-rightfully-takes-on_b_323925.html

[MegWe]

Good comment. Fanned.

[DrInsula]

That Propaganda Machine has NO business on publicly owned airwaves, I can tell you. It IS the media portion of a fascist militia. How can you tell? Because there is NOTHING in their..ah...propaganda, that is the least bit objective; they can make a discussion about Viagra into some kind of conservative platform (ok, I could have used a better example, but you know what I mean). This network should be dismantled.