Posted on 07/20/2004 6:18:08 AM PDT by OESY
During presidential election years, conservative politicians have often attacked the media for their liberal bias. But during this year's campaign, liberals are fighting back with what they see as a powerful issue -- the alleged conservative slant of the Fox News Channel, a unit of the media conglomerate News Corp.
The assault on Fox News started on July 8, with a report from media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting claiming that in the six months through Dec. 19, 2003, 57% of guests on Fox News's popular evening news show, "Special Report with Brit Hume" were conservatives.
The next week, left-leaning advocacy groups MoveOn.Org and Center for American Progress sponsored the release of a documentary "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism," which uses clips from the cable channel to show what the filmmakers claim is a pattern of right-wing bias and support for the Republican agenda.
Yesterday, MoveOn.Org and political watchdog Common Cause filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission claiming that Fox News Channel's slogan "fair and balanced" violates the federal agency's prohibition against deceptive advertising. At the same time, the Independent Media Institute, an advocacy group for alternative journalism, announced it had filed a challenge against Fox News' trademark on the term "fair and balanced."
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The campaign against Fox News Channel partly reflects the growing importance of cable news channels as the main arena in which these elections are played out. Four years ago, more Americans said they got their political news from the broadcast evening news than cable news, according to a study by Pew Research Center, an independent opinion research group based in Washington, D.C. But this year, the study shows that the cable channels have eclipsed the nightly network news. And among cable channels, Fox News Channel wins the highest ratings.
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Democratic consultants and strategists say they are pleased that MoveOn.Org is taking a page from the conservative playbook. In 1970, Vice President Spiro Agnew famously attacked the press as "nattering nabobs of negativism," helping boost President Richard Nixon's popularity. Since then, many conservative politicians have found that attacking the liberal media strikes a chord with voters.
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Comedian Al Franken also found bashing Fox News to be lucrative. His book, "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right," became a bestseller last year after Fox News sued him for trademark infringement. Fox later dropped the suit after a federal judge ruled the title was protected by the First Amendment."
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But others say the campaign against Fox News may be misguided. After all, Fox News's top-rated program, "The O'Reilly Factor," only attracts about two million viewers on an average night.
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And MoveOn.org's legal complaints may not go far. In a statement issued last night, FTC Chairman Timothy Muris said, "I am not aware of any instance in which the Federal Trade Commission has investigated the slogan of a news organization. There is no way to evaluate this petition without evaluating the content of the news at issue. That is a task the First Amendment leaves to the American people, not a government agency."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
So what if FOX is pro-American?
What do they care? There are lots of liberal media outlets.
All of this just proves that the media is liberal. When they attack an even handed news outlet for being too conservative, they are admitting liberal bias.
The plan of the libs is to protect free speech, as long as you believe in their views.
I defy the alphabet networks to have their images, their choice of words and their LACK of coverage of factual stories come to light. No media monopoly exists that cannot be broken.
It's nuts. MorOn.org is a disgusting organization.
Television news?
How does ones get certified as a conservative? Is it on your driver's license? Does a neoconservative count as much as a paleoconservative?
This is a bureaucrat's dream.
Moveon.org wants to change Fox news to Tass Tonight.
"CHANGE THE CHANNEL!!"
For an understanding of the media's view of the world you have to read John Stossel's new book. He is branded a conservative even though he supports abortion and gay rights. In his media life he is surrounded by people who, in his words, say conservative with the same tone they use for the phrase child molester.
So until I see FAIR's guest list and judge for myself I will believe that Brit Hume is quite fair and very balanced.
"CHANGE THE CHANNEL!!"
In just a "FEW" years after Fox News channels appearance on Cable the Dims have an ORGANIZED effort underway that they say will EXPOSE the bias on FNC, by showing on VIDEO excerpts of said BIAS.
The LEFTISTS are so much better at this than are the Republicans. Someday I hope the GOP gets a pair!!!
In NH liberal and socialist groups are teaming up and showing Outfoxed .. free in townhalls across the state.
The liberals want ALL the media outlets!
And ya know, FoxNews isn't really THAT Conservative!
Fox allows dissenting views on their programs, the liberal networks don't. Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather and Peter Jennings never invite any critical person to debate their "news."
Liberals want absolute control over the news. Watch out!!
The Dims KEEP forgetting:
they're not appointing the heads of the regulatory commissions anymore!
"But during this year's campaign, liberals are fighting back with what they see as a powerful issue -- the alleged conservative slant of the Fox News Channel,.."
To an American liberal, anyone who presents an unbiased and accurate account of events is "conservative and biased" since liberals only view opinions with which they agree as "unbiased".
They try to redefine the language - it is an honorable tradition on the left going back to "Bolshevik" and "Menschevik".
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