Column:
Obama vs. Fox in political tug-of-war
Published Nov. 3, 2009
My conservative boyfriend pointed me to an article published in the New York Times on Oct. 22 titled, "Behind the War Between White House and Fox," and asked me what I thought about it. The article went into detail about the tense back-and-forth between President Barack Obama's administration and Fox News Channel.
The latest dispute between the White House and the network began over an interview with "pay czar" Ken Feinberg. Fox claims the Department of the Treasury barred it from participating in a round-robin interview with Feinberg. White House spokesman Josh Earnest claimed the network had never requested to be part of the interview, like other networks had, but rather decided last minute to try to cover the story. In the end, Fox did participate in the interview.
Since then, Fox has been running stories about how much the White House has hated the network since the day Obama moved in. Network reps complain about groups and White House officials monitoring their programming for bias. Fox said it is the only news network willing to ask Obama and his allies "tough questions" and the "mainstream media" ignores its "fair and balanced" journalism.
I have two words for Fox News: tough nuggets. Yeah, the White House, every liberal and most even-headed conservatives think your highly-biased news commentary spills over into your news coverage.
The White House is not calling for the channel's programming to be pulled off the air, and the administration still interacts with correspondents from Fox. It's just that Obama and his administration are simply through with all the abuse. The president is not required to talk to everyone.
I am glad Obama and the White House are taking a stand against Fox News. Its programming is responsible for circulating a lot of political misinformation. So many conservatives rely solely on Fox News for all their news, and they trust the network to present them with the facts. In reality, Fox's bias ends up being repeated verbatim by those who watch it.
With people being so busy these days, it's only possible for news junkies like me to find the time to research stories from several angles. This means for most people, if you are a Fox News watcher, the first time you hear about the new provision in the health care plan or the anti-discrimination Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, you're only ever going to hear the Fox version of events. And as you become a more die-hard viewer, you become incapable of hearing other points of view because the outlet you trust has told you for so long those other views are lies.
And so it continues until everyone knows somebody who is a Glenn Beck/Sean Hannity/Bill O'Reilly fanatic and an absolute boor to talk with at social functions. So I applaud Obama for not giving in to Fox News' bullying.
Networks, including Fox, should be allowed to cover what they want, and no one needs to infringe on their right to broadcast what they wish; however, the urban legend of "fair and balanced" needs to be put to rest.
Jordan Stein is a political science major. She can be reached at jesf25@mail.missouri.edu
Comments (13)
4:41 a.m., Nov. 3, 2009
mike said:
Fox news is the only station that reports the news.Your boy friend should tell you to take a hike.
5:01 a.m., Nov. 3, 2009
mary said:
Hey, your boyfriend is not conservative if he reads the New York Times.
5:11 a.m., Nov. 3, 2009
ROBERT E. SMITH said:
MISINFORMATION?? WHAT MISINFORMATION?? IT SEEMS THAT THE RADICAL-MARXIST-SOCIALIST OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HATE THE REPORTING OF THE TRUTH ABOUT ALL HIS APPOINTEES. OBAMA USES PROPAGANDA AND OUTRIGHT LIES TO ACHIEVE HIS AGENDA. MAO AND CHAVIZ AND LENIN ARE AT THE HEART OF HIS PLAN TO CHANGE AMERICA AND HE IS SUPPORTED BT THE ACLU - ACORN - THE NEA AND FINALLY THAT DISPECTABLE GROUP IN HOLLYWOOD. AMERICANS ARE WISING UP FAST TO THOSE DEMOCRATS THAT HAVE NO MIND OF THEIR OWN AND ARE BLINDLING FOLLOWING OBAMA'S PROGRAM TO REDISTRIBUTE THE WEALTH OF OUR COUNTRY AND REPLACE CAPITALISM WITH SOCIALISM. SO BURY YOUR MONEY SO ON]BAMA CAN'T FIND IT WHEN OUR TAXES DOUBLE.
5:14 a.m., Nov. 3, 2009
dj said:
Couldn't disagree more. Fox news is the only news station that's still reporting news properly. All the other stations are either too in love or too scared to report news accurately.
5:50 a.m., Nov. 3, 2009
Gordon said:
This article just goes to show how uninformed liberals are that it took her boyfriend almost 6 months to inform her about the rift with FOX. Maybe FOX Is alittle bias. (like MSNBC isn't) At least FOX covers stories the Liberal don't and won't, because they can't spin it enough to make it sound good for Obama. and yes the truth is harsh.
6:03 a.m., Nov. 3, 2009
William Bourner said:
Reading the fist paragraph, one can conclude that you do not watch Fox. I find it interesting that you seem to be formulating your opinion based on an article and not first hand experience. Paragraph two. The reader is left the impression that the Treasury department let Fox into the interview because it was the correct thing to do. What you failed to mention is why the change of heart by Treasury. The change rustled from the willingness of the press not to cover the interview unless Fox was included. Paragraph three. You never mention the bias displayed by MSNBC. I venture to say that as long as bias favors the White House that is good thing. Paragraph four. You mention the term, even-headed conservative yet you fail to define what constitutes your definition of the term. Paragraph five. The last time I checked the President was elected to serve the people of this county. It is not his duty to exclude certain individuals because their views do not coincide with his. Check the history of this country, specifically the Nixon era. You might see a few similarities. Paragraph six. You mention the misinformation being circulated by Fox yet you fail to give any examples. Let me give you a couple examples of how Fox News was ahead of the curve, ACORN and Van Jones. Paragraph seven. I find it interesting that you think that you are the only one that takes time to look for other points of view. I think the politically correct term for this is stereotyping. Paragraph nine. Referring to paragraph seven, where was the balance from others concerning ACORN and Van Jones? I didn’t see any balance until long after Fox reported on the stories. It is my opinion that you do not watch Fox and that you have formulated your opinion based on what others have said or what you have read. I suggest that you take the time to do some first hand research. Watch Fox for the news and the commentary. It may serve you well to be Fair and Balanced.
1:25 p.m., Nov. 3, 2009
Disgusted said:
This is the most ridiculous garbage I have ever read. "The President is not required to talk to everyone"? What kind of statement is this? The President didn't refuse to talk to Joe Blow, he refused to permit a credible news organization into an interview they had every right to participate in on the basis that he didn't like their editorial bias (e.g., against him). Maybe you're "glad" Obama is "standing up" to news organizations by attempting to install fascism, but I think it's more a testament to your inability to see beyond your wildly liberal bias than any statement of the betterment of America.
5:46 p.m., Nov. 3, 2009
Timothy said:
All I can say is Good I want everyone jsut to get along, not be Lovers but show Respect for one another I know FOX NEWS is Biased like Hell, but they are also unprofessional too, maybe they can Change their ways Only If they want to, But Warning If this ever Happens again they will be Called out, But for Now Regardless of what Misguided Point of View they have FOX NEWS Have show Peace and Respect for Journalism Ourselves the New York Times, CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC and MSNBC do so Everyday Time for FOX NEWS and Talk Radio to get with the Program.
5:57 p.m., Nov. 3, 2009
Brandon said:
LMAO@some of these posters, esp. the virulently pro-Fox ones. Are you kidding me?? You're being satirical, right? Don't tell me there are actually students this ridiculous on this campus. And to the guy in all caps, get a life. Seriously, you have no evidence that Obama is turning America "socialist." Do you even know what socialism is? Hell, Neil Cavuto last year interviewed the Socialist Party presidential candidate HIMSELF, and the guy said Obama is far from a true socialist. So can it with this nonsense. And besides, how could President Obama, even with all his faults, possibly be worse than Bush?? 8 years of failure, incompetency, and disgrace. 8 years of warmongering and fearmongering about terrorism. Less than 1 year of Obama's "marxism". You do the math. And plus, I think most partisans seem to forget that just about EVERY news organization is biased, more or less. We're only human. MSNBC is Left, Fox is Right. So what? Deal with it. Don't bash one side and praise the otherse just b/c the others square with your point of view or report stories you like. As an Independent, I'd like to think that I am far more objective than the average person, and I'd consider that a good thing. I can see this stuff clearly. If Fox were ever fair and balanced, they've certainly squandered that legacy by now. 13 years of their BS is enough to make any objective observer say "This is a lie." People like Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow are not perfect, but at least they try to be accurate most of the time. I could cite COUNTLESS pieces of misinformation by Fox, such as E.D. Hill's nonsense about the Obama fist bump being "a terrorist fist jab." And when she apologized later, she claimed "I was only reporting what some had said about it." Please! Nice try, Hill. Why would you even talk about that if you're a credible journalist? Journalists can't be 100% OBJECTIVE! Sometimes you have to filter out the lies and nonsense from the truth. The fact that less "opinion-based" shows (or so they claim) like Fox and Friends are still interviewing people like Sen. Cornyn about "death panels" is a testament to their bias and willingness to distort to their point across. You're against the Obama healthcare plan! We get it! Now shut up with these lies and report some real news and truth for a change. Ultimately, the problem with Fox is that their bias is out there. They have no qualms with confusing opinion with news. At least MSNBC and CNN try to be nonpartisan and not admit to or be openly biased. They TRY to serve the viewers. Even Megan Kelly's "news" program or Brett Baier's show oftentimes insert obvious conservative bias to get some point across when telling a story and interviewing a guest. You'd have to be a fool NOT to see that. Even the choice of stories show an absurdly conservative lean. You'd never hear Fox admit that global temperatures are rising, EVEN if unbiased science and news reports show it.
8:29 p.m., Nov. 4, 2009
Shane Schofield said:
Fox News isn't perfect. But it's sure as hell a better source for news than MSNBC or CNN. This article would be a whole lot more credible, if the columnist's most likely source for news is probably the Huffington Post or Dailykos. Ms. Stein is simply butt-hurt that Fox News has something other than undying praise for Barack Obama, who, by the way, has earned whatever criticism Fox News dishes out. Just because every other news outlet has it's head securely buried in Obama's ass, doesn't mean that Fox News has to follow suit. Kudos to them for having the balls to continue it's harsh and deserved criticism of the President despite claims of racism and bigotry simply for reporting the truth. I think this "conservative" boyfriend may be a literary invention to help the column, as a true conservative would never waste his time with a woman with this kind of liberal trash thinking.
9:37 a.m., Nov. 5, 2009
James said:
Jordan, you seem as close minded and biased as those you denigrate. Obama did not 'take a stand' against Fox news. He tried to destroy them reputationally. While you might not see the significance in this, the press does. When the White House tells the press to only cover 'important stories', and tells them not to cover stories of a particular media outlet... that is an abuse of power. It doesnt matter whether he has an R or D by his name. Most of us did not vote him in to control the press and destroy media outlets he does not like. The fact that you cant see this is the scary part. Our first amendment rights are very important, and the White House has shown little respect for them. Step outside of your partisan mind for a moment and really take a look at that.
1:14 p.m., Nov. 6, 2009
Brandon said:
No one's saying Fox is bad for not 'worshipping Obama' or any of that crap. I certainly don't like that MSNBC hosts like Chris Matthews are in the tank for Obama. But when Fox goes after harmless "czars" in the administration and tries to bring them down by "exposing" their radicalism, you start to question their credibility. The smearing of Van Jones was disgusting. A good man was forced to resign because he was "exposed" b/c of a few 'radical' things he did. And he called the GOP "a**holes", which they kind of are, esp. on this healthcare debate. Only a-holes obstruct every measure the other side puts forth but present no alternatives of their own. Only a-holes make up such obvious lies such as claiming that the public option is a "gov't takeover" of healthcare. I mean, Van Jones was the GREEN JOBS CZAR!! Why in the world does it matter if he held a few 'radical' views on other things like 9/11?? That had nothing to do with his job! And Sean Hannity's idiotic smearing of Ken Jennings is even worse. No credible news organization is following suit because it's nonsense. So he made a mistake when some 16-year-old high school boy admitted he was screwing a male teacher and didn't report it. At least Jennings owned up to it later. But Hannity and the others act like he's still bad. And they claim he supports pedophilia because he praised the founder of NAMBLA, even tho he was also a big gay rights proponent. Newsflash: Ken Jennings is gay and has fought for equality himself. So he wrote the foreword to a book called "Queering Elementary Education." What does that prove? Did Hannity and these right-wingers even READ the book beforehand? Or did they just assume it's 'evil' by its title? Fox doesn't have to love Obama, but they could at least report the truth and not go out of their way to smear him. This complaining about his "czars" is so pointless. It's not like Clinton or Bush DIDN'T appoint their own czars. They appointed PLENTY! But where was Fox when that happened? Nowhere to be found, like a typical far-right news organization with its head up the GOP's ass. I mean, how often do you see a Fox News story debunking this lame nonsense about "death panels" that so obviously false? How often do you see Fox debunk claims that the healthcare proposal is "gov't takeover"?? See my point? Their refusal to debunk these claims in the name of attacking Obama and the Democrats just shows you how little credibility they have. Even Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow have attacked the Dems from time to time. Chris Matthews is a HUGE Obama fan, but I know Keith and Rachel aren't up his ass.
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4:38 a.m., Nov. 3, 2009
Jack said:
On the money, I'd say. One question, though - why do you write FOX news in CAPS every time it appears? "FOX" is not an abbreviation for anything, like "CBS" or "BBC." It's a name, and a real word. You don't write "COMEDY CENTRAL," for example, or "AL-JAZEERA."