My take: Obama knows exactly what he is doing. He is playing shrewd defense in an ongoing battle between Fox News and this administration, the Democratic party and liberalism. The battle didn’t begin when Obama skipped Fox News during his recent round of Sunday morning talk shows or when his top advisers and communications director began calling Fox News out by name. To be honest, it didn’t even begin on Election Day or during the campaign, when they went after him mercilessly -- calling him the affirmative action president, his wife an angry black woman, etc.
This battle began when Rupert Murdoch first decided to go on the air. The strategy was clear from the onset. It positioned itself as the aggressively conservative alternative to the "so-called liberal media," and from the beginning the plan was quite simple -- it planned on waging a war against liberalism and it would do and say whatever necessary to get that message across. It was clear when hired Sean Hannity and then Glenn Beck, two shock jocks who earned their stripes in far right hate radio. It was clear when they went on a campaign to impeach former Pres. Bill Clinton. Obama didn't start this feud. Hell, it began before he was ever elected to the Illinois Senate.
This may not be the smartest move in the sense that it elevates Fox News, but it is a necessary battle. And in this era of Balloon Boy-style journalism, the timing could not be more perfect.
This may not be the smartest move in the sense that it elevates Fox News, but it is a necessary battle. And in this era of Balloon Boy-style journalism, the timing could not be more perfect.
Now is the right time to have a real debate about bias in the media, and about the lack of fact-based news reporting as opposed to attention-grabbing sensationalism. Obama's public stand against Fox News provides a context for those lowering standards and an opportunity for us to distinguish between actual news reporting and blatant attempts at influencing public opinion.
Ultimately the Obama administration is right, Fox News is not on the same level of CNN, ABC, CBS or any of the mainstream media outlets. Its “fair and balanced” moniker is utter cynicism. They believe their viewers are too dumb to know the difference. The slogan is also an attempt to marginalize anyone who disagrees with their right-wing conservative perspective and label them as liberal crazies. It is not only appropriate for the administration to call them out on this, but it is also smart, since nowhere within the spectacle of journalism is there anyone with the credibility or willingness to do so.
Understand that there are no more Walter Cronkites. We no longer have our Tim Russerts. What we have are opinionated blowhards who dissect and critique the work of real journalists. Their viewers are either there to have their own beliefs and biases parroted back at them, or they understand their biases and digest their commentary with a grain of salt.
Two can play that game
Conservatives have done an effective job of labeling the media as “liberal.” They have been “playing the refs” quite effectively for years, particularly during the Bush administration, as a way of defusing their own scandals. The corporate-backed media, however, is centrist at best and routinely ignore minority perspectives. (Don’t believe me, check out the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University.) It is logical and warranted that the Obama administration point out the conservative biases at Fox News. It is hypocritical to expect Obama not to cry foul when this administration has been targeted, especially considering this was the modus operandi of every conservative administration we have had in the last 30 years.
The risk here is that the administration could be perceived as trying to quiet dissent, supporting the sentiment that he is an out-of-touch, liberal politician not concerned with nor interested in reaching out to Middle America.
But this is the dynamic created by conservatives and the conservative media. And through its completely biased anti-journalism, Fox News has repeatedly illustrated it must be marginalized, if for no other reason than to mute the "news" long enough so a few facts can be heard.
Devona Walker is TheLoop21.com's lead political/finance reporter and blogger. She has worked for The New York Times Regional Newspaper company and The Associated Press. She may be reached at devona@theloop21.com.
Ultimately the Obama administration is right, Fox News is not on the same level of CNN, ABC, CBS or any of the mainstream media outlets. Its “fair and balanced” moniker is utter cynicism. They believe their viewers are too dumb to know the difference. The slogan is also an attempt to marginalize anyone who disagrees with their right-wing conservative perspective and label them as liberal crazies. It is not only appropriate for the administration to call them out on this, but it is also smart, since nowhere within the spectacle of journalism is there anyone with the credibility or willingness to do so.
Understand that there are no more Walter Cronkites. We no longer have our Tim Russerts. What we have are opinionated blowhards who dissect and critique the work of real journalists. Their viewers are either there to have their own beliefs and biases parroted back at them, or they understand their biases and digest their commentary with a grain of salt.
Two can play that game
Conservatives have done an effective job of labeling the media as “liberal.” They have been “playing the refs” quite effectively for years, particularly during the Bush administration, as a way of defusing their own scandals. The corporate-backed media, however, is centrist at best and routinely ignore minority perspectives. (Don’t believe me, check out the Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University.) It is logical and warranted that the Obama administration point out the conservative biases at Fox News. It is hypocritical to expect Obama not to cry foul when this administration has been targeted, especially considering this was the modus operandi of every conservative administration we have had in the last 30 years.
The risk here is that the administration could be perceived as trying to quiet dissent, supporting the sentiment that he is an out-of-touch, liberal politician not concerned with nor interested in reaching out to Middle America.
But this is the dynamic created by conservatives and the conservative media. And through its completely biased anti-journalism, Fox News has repeatedly illustrated it must be marginalized, if for no other reason than to mute the "news" long enough so a few facts can be heard.
Devona Walker is TheLoop21.com's lead political/finance reporter and blogger. She has worked for The New York Times Regional Newspaper company and The Associated Press. She may be reached at devona@theloop21.com.
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