[nathanbedford]

The reaction to Fox news, if this account is to be credited, is hardly remarkable because it simply parallels the wrangling we have experienced here on Free Republic. Perhaps worse this year, the wrangling nevertheless occurs every primary season.

The problem is not so much with Fox news but in the eye of the beholder. Trump supporters scream that Megan Kelly is off the reservation because she commits an act of journalism on Donald Trump by quoting his own words back at him. Fox news is first a profit making undertaking and Trump brought ratings. So those of us, and I am one of them, who were distressed by the nearly daily exposure of Trump was the equivalent of multimillions of dollars granted by Fox to Trump should understand that Fox will do what Fox can do for the bottom line. We are all capitalists after all.

But overall the problem is we don't want a fair and balanced news organization, we want a committed conservative propaganda machine. Many of those who complain about Fox will only be happy when possessed of the power simply to zot a renegade host. In about forty-eight hours Fox would have not a single anchor left. One man's renegade is another man's champion. There is plenty of room under the arc of "conservatism" for disagreement in primary season.

I oppose censorship in principle because it can lead to serious consequences for those who most favorite it. If we can control the airwaves, or at least Fox' portion of it, we would soon become complacent in our conservatism and we would be vulnerable in our ignorance to the left. The only way to stay sharp is to contest. Those who become enraged because Fox occasionally fails to boost their own flavor of conservatism are afraid that their opinions will not sell in the real political world of sharp elbows and thick heads.

The next time those who criticize Fox decide to take off after Megan Kelly or some other anchor they ought to reread their own posts on this forum.

[Finalapproach29er]

Trump supporters scream that Megan Kelly is off the reservation because she commits an act of journalism on Donald Trump by quoting his own words back at him
*****
Oh come on! It’s more than that. You can see they’re going after Trump much harder than others.

(Heck),Murdoch utters a word or two on twitter and the puppets race to please their master.

[wardaddy]

I’d like to see another right of center outlet besides just FOX

I wish Steve Bannon would start one

[Enlightened1]

The main beef Trump supporters have with Fox News is the bias treatment.

For instance, you have Megyn Kelly with a personal vendetta against Trump. Half her show is dedicated to attacking Trump, but she is considered a moderator.... Really?

Now does Megyn Kelly equally attack Jeb or Rubio? The short answer is no. While Jeb and Rubio get softball questions all night she continues to ruthlessly attack Trump.

Compound that with a rigged Establishent audience by the GOPe. Bits clearly bias against Trump. Side note.... I’ve never seen so many pro Jeb and Rubio supporters in one place! Yep the audience is mainly consist of the sell out globalist rats. Yet when Rubio or Jeb, when he was still in, at their rallies the crowds were tiny compared to Trump.

[gogeo]

Who is this "we" to which you refer? Deploying the Obama "we?"

Gotcha journalism is not journalism. I want information, not snippy. Megyn Kelly may have been put on this earth to conduct jihad against Trump, but that serves no journalistic purpose and creates no value for me. Fox seeks stature and credibility in the industry by becoming the industry. I find the MSM insufferable; if I wanted to listen to it, why couldn't I just turn the channel?

All anyone needs to know about journalism could have been learned watching Newt Gingrich during the 2012 " debates." Why do you think he got so much standing quality applause?

[TheStickman]

I quit watching FNC after the 1st so-called “debate”. We started watching FNC because at the time, it presented the only alternative to the progressive MSM. Now, with a few exceptions it’s all Uni-Party all the time. So we stopped watching & life goes on.

Obviously, FNC is free (no thanks to the progressives in general) to put whatever they want on their air. I am thankfully free to never watch it.

[wintertime]

Levin is starting his own cable TV program. Beck started his.

The Internet will soon take over news programing. The population will segregate into increasingly narrow segments.

[ConservativeMind]

It is intriguing to hear how you believe Fox is the epitome of their slogan, “Fair and Balanced.”

You see, the rest of us see a fair amount of GOPe slant to the entire network. If Fox News was meant to be a “Fair and Balanced” news-only network, we shouldn't be able to discern weighting of cumulative news stories, as one can with the (lawfully-required) lack of bias with “National Public Radio” government-funded news (in case you don't know, “NPR” has only stories that are anti-conservative values and pro-liberal values, only having positive spin on a Republican is he/she lambastes a conservative stance). We can see an obvious slant with Fox, just as clearly.

If Fox News is supposed to be “Fair and Balanced” opinion, then that, too, is not apparent.

You hysterically jump to saying FReepers don't want “Fair and Balanced” from Fox News or other media, when there is no evidence of that.

We are merely holding Fox News accountable to what they claim to be.

That is no different than what Christians are to do with fellow Christians—admonishing the evil while encouraging the good.

If Fox wants to be “non-Fair and non-Balanced,” we would all be okay with that, merely lamenting the loss of what could have been.

It appears you have not made a cogent point with your post. Try again.

[ez]

The problem with Megyn Kelly is not that she read Trumps words back to him. The problem is that instead of asking a question about immigration policy, or gun policy, or health insurance policy or any policy at all, she chose to ask him why he called Rosie a fat pig...essentially accusing him of misogyny right there on the stage. The man is running for President, not captain of the all America role model team. Kelly injected her slanted feminist-tainted views into a debate about running the country and it while it might be an act of journalism, it was an act of prejudicial yellow journalism.

[Caipirabob]

“Trump supporters scream that Megan Kelly is off the reservation because she commits an act of journalism on Donald Trump by quoting his own words back at him”

I have to take exception to that statement. During the debate, had the exact same words come from one of the candidates, Donald Trump might not have made it this far in the election. What Kelly did, rather than being a professional and impartial moderator, was create a martyr out of Trump. She gave a powerful reason for people to rally around Trump and listen to what she was saying. They may be single handedly responsible for giving him the initial boost in his poll numbers.

Again if it had come from Jeb or foam-boy scRubio, Trump would not have had as much credibility in his response as those opponents were supposed to be attacking him, not the moderator. Kelly is a villain no matter how we look at it in this scenario. She had one job, and she blew it in front of tens of millions of Americans.

I’m not overly pleased with how things turned out, I expected more from Ted Cruz on strategy and dealing with the Teflon Don. However these are the cards we were dealt and I think any of the top 3 candidates will be better than Hillary or that “thing we call president” we have right now.

Anyway, love your posts, have a great weekend.

[AndyJackson]

Oh give it up. The problem is that you Crewzoids display your own biases when you try to defend Megyn. She strapped on her gladiator suit, and made a straight lashing and slashing run at Trump thinking she was going to be the hero who delivered the knock out blow and become the darling of GOPe. The result was Trump unscathed and everyone else with blood pouring out of wherever.

[Lagmeister]

Megan Kelly is off the reservation because she commits an act of journalism on Donald Trump by quoting his own words back at him.

BS. Her lead in gotcha question on Trump was the worst debate question in almost a generation of elections. It was despicably delivered, totally irrelevant and purposely targeted for reasons other than eliciting a pertinent response. Frankly, that one question erased the facade on Fox and showed it's true GOPe motivation.

[donna]

I don’t want fair and balanced.

I want true and factual.

The emotion and opinions should be kept separate from the news reporting.

[Lazamataz]

The problem is not so much with Fox news but in the eye of the beholder. Trump supporters scream that Megan Kelly is off the reservation because she commits an act of journalism on Donald Trump by quoting his own words back at him.

You know, I don't think I'd have nearly as much problem with Kelly's question, if it was asked later in the cycle.

It was, however, the very first question of the very first debate.

If I was Trump, my answer would have been:

"Seriously? That is your first question of me? REALLY??? We have illegal immigrants pouring across the border, voting in our elections; we have an out-of-control President ruling by Executive Fiat; we have a crushing tax burden; a heinious and ruinous Obamacare program; government agencies going after good and lawful citizens and businesses, and THAT is what you ask me? ....(pause for effect)....Yeah. I called a woman ugly. NEXT QUESTION PLEASE."

[Pravious]

Nonsense.

Fox is biased for Rubio to the point of absurdity. After Trump won Nevada by ten points, I swear I actually heard one of the commentators exclaim “tonight is a big win for Marco Rubio!”. Virtually every single real-world poll and on-line poll has Trump ahead by far - but, surprise! Fox’s focus group regularly favors... Rubio! After the last Fox debate, Rubio’s given a chance to talk about his dear, sweet family and... look at that! The cameras were all ready to show Rubio’s dear, sweet family there in the audience. Awww. Look at how cute those little Rubios are! Can’t you just SEE them in the White House? Awwwwww. After the debate, guess what the camera’s still showing as the commentators chat? You got it. Rubio and his family.

This isn’t “perception” on my part because I’m a Trump supporter. It’s clear bias in favor of pushing a favored candidate. It’s propaganda.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

I would add that FoxNews likely would see a similar or larger decline if they were perceived as being supporters of Trump.

In this election season, it is impossible to keep everyone happy.

[sauropod]

Are you serious? MeGyn “committing an act of journalism” during the first debate???!

Maybe if you read the National Enquirer.

The whole debate process is a joke. They’re insufferable, including Faux News people.

[DoughtyOne]

Journalism is a reporting of documented fact.

It is not exemplified by a debate host. A debate host should ask the same question to each participant. A debate host should not become an additional participant, or act on behalf of a participant or a third party.

I have no problem with Kelly inviting Trump to an interview and asking him about his attitude toward women.

In a debate setting where I’m trying to learn about candidate policy and plans for our nation, that question swerves away from journalism and becomes an active part of a political assassin.

Trying to justify that as part of a basis to defend an open and free press is woefully misguided > IMO.

The problem with FoxNews isn’t that they cover the bad aspects of Trump as they see it. The problem is that they do that to the exclusion of reporting positive things about him.

They have it in for Trump and there’s no denying it.

Fail!