Obama wants to shut down Fox News
posted by pylorns
That’s right. Because they don’t like what’s being said on Fox News.
“What I think is fair to say about Fox — and certainly it’s the way we view it — is that it really is more a wing of the Republican Party,” said Anita Dunn, White House communications director, on CNN. “They take their talking points, put them on the air; take their opposition research, put them on the air. And that’s fine. But let’s not pretend they’re a news network the way CNN is.”
The problem of course is that the White House fails to see the difference between the news stories throughout the day and the Opinion stories of people like Glenn Beck, O’Reily, Hannity. These are commentators, they are not news people – they are paid for their opinions.
In recent weeks, the White House has begun using its government blog to directly attack what it called “Fox lies.” David Gergen, who has worked for President Bill Clinton and three Republican presidents, questioned the propriety of the White House declaring war on a news organization.
I like to draw the correlation between the White House (Obama) and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela (who I might add had a great time with Obama at the Americas summit.).
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez threatened to close down an opposition-sided news network, saying the defiant Globovision channel’s days on the airwaves will be numbered if its directors don’t stand down.
Chavez on Thursday urged executives at Globovision “to reflect” upon the TV channel’s tough anti-government stance — or else the station “won’t be on the airwaves much longer.”
Wow, so a TV station that reports the news whom the President says is “anti-government” he’s trying to silence. Obama of course hasn’t personally said anything like this. Yet… but really his people have. Seriously what type of person did we elect to office?
Updated Monday 10-19-09:
Over the weekend Obama’s staff continued attacks against Fox news:
The White House is calling on other news organizations to isolate and alienate Fox News as it sends out top advisers to rail against the cable channel as a Republican Party mouthpiece.
But several top White House officials have taken aim at Fox News since communications director Anita Dunn branded Fox “opinion journalism masquerading as news” in an interview last Sunday.
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told CNN on Sunday that President Obama does not want “the CNNs and the others in the world [to] basically be led in following Fox.”
Obama senior adviser David Axelrod went further by calling on media outlets to join the administration in declaring that Fox is “not a news organization.”
“Other news organizations like yours ought not to treat them that way,” Axelrod counseled ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. “We’re not going to treat them that way.”
Asked Monday about another Axelrod claim that Fox News is just trying to make money, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that while all media companies fall under that description, “I would say sometimes programming can be tilted toward accentuating those profits.”
A couple things to note. One – The ratings and polls speak for themselves Fox is the most balanced news organization out there. Two – Fox News beats all other organizations in the ratings day in and day out. Three – since when did making money not be a common factor on ALL news organizations? And when did making money become a bad thing?
Update: 10-22-09:
From politico.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs singled out specific shows on the Fox News network for criticism …
… Tuesday morning, continuing a public feud between the White House and the cable network that gained new momentum over the weekend.
Meeting with reporters in his office for an off-camera question-and-answer session, Gibbs parried questions about the White House’s harsh criticism of the cable news network, leveled on several Sunday shows by officials including White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and senior adviser David Axelrod.
Asked if it was fair for the White House to label Fox an illegitimate news organization, Gibbs replied: “We render opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness of their coverage.”
When a reporter pressed further, asking Gibbs to explain more specifically how Fox differed from ABC, MSNBC or Univision, the president’s spokesman pointed to two shows in particular as sources of concern.
“You and I should watch sometime around 9 tonight or 5 this afternoon,” Gibbs said, alluding to the 5 p.m. show hosted by Glenn Beck and the 9 p.m. program anchored by Sean Hannity.
Right, so at the times that political commentators are on TV. They are not news reporters they are commentors on the TV at that time.
Related:
Isolation over engagement (Michelle Malkin)
Who is behind Obama’s War on Fox News
Obama controls Television Set
Anita Dunn talks about her love of Chairman Mao
Article on Dunn
Fair and Balanced on Wetwired?
Obama calls Tea Party People Tea-Bag Anti-Government
(Ann Coulter is the queen bee. Thanks for the link love!)
Tags: anita, dunn, fires, fox, news, Obama, white house
Posted in Politics, news | 27 Comments »
October 15th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I’m sorry, at what point did anyone say they were going to shut down Fox News? I think you’re reading into this a little much.
Also, you might want to run spell check next time.
October 15th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
1. The quoted text may or may not have spelling errors – its quoted directly.
2. I suggest you learn to read between the lines. People said the same thing you say today about Nixon and the Washington Post – they said – no, Nixon isn’t trying to shut down that newspaper.
October 16th, 2009 at 11:09 am
No really. Never at any point does anyone say anything similar to what Chavez said. Using that as an example and using the headline you used is just misleading and rediculous. If you want me to read between the lines, then I’m going to have to do that….
Let’s see…
Looks like… huh.
Between the lines it says that you have daddy issues. I didn’t expect that.
October 19th, 2009 at 9:54 am
two typical wacko left responses, “your spelling is wrong” then they make a feeble attempt at personally attacking someone. Oh and by the way, we don’t have spell, we hire grunts like you for 30K a year to handle it. When the ignorant out number the smart, the ignorant elect the officials, something needs to change, this is getting out of hand!!!!Oh that’s right, the anointed one is going to bring a change…LOL.
October 19th, 2009 at 9:59 am
They can keep the change. All of it. Just get this radical out. Starting in 2010, steps will begin to do just that. Thank Allah.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Py, for the record I don’t think you have daddy issues. Even if you hate on my boyfriend, Pres O’Dreamy, at least you’re consistent.
October 19th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Thanks Marie.. I think…
October 19th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
“Fox is the most balanced news organization out there.” Now that’s some objective journalism.
…
I’m not a Fox hater nor am I an Obama worshipper…but crap assumptions and leaps like this are what makes America look stupid. This is not an objective piece and to pretend it is so is just ridiculous.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
The “object” of this is to get people to think. Is wetwired Fox news? No. And this site is NOT a balanced site – even if you’ve read the about page we’re not balanced. Fox news, yes, does have conservative viewpoints BUT. They at least try to get the other view points as well.
They ask the questions that the other news media doesn’t seem to be asking. Ask yourself why no one is talking about the fact that someone who references chairman Mao as one of her favorite philosophers. Why are there so many people who have ties to socialism and communism associated with the White House? Fox News is beating the bejesus out of the other news networks. But really, don’t take my word for it – what does the Huffington post have to say about it?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/30/fox-news-dominates-3q-200_n_304260.html
This post is to make you think. I expect more from you. Why do people just blindly listen to any news organization (including fox) and assume that its right? The facts don’t lie. The people around Obama and Obama himself have stated things that should make YOU question what is going on. But instead many people put their heads in the sand and blindly just keep on going. But hey,the post got you to comment, which was the point; of course it would have been better if you would have put thought into the comment… we’re a small website, beggars can’t be choosers.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Oddly enough, the left would be having a meltdown if George W Bush had lashed out at NBC, CNN or other left-wing equivilants (sp?) to Fox News.
The First Amendment doesn’t care about political sides- it protects ALL press and ALL speech. Liberals seem to have forgotten this 10 months ago- just like Conservatives forgot for 8 years.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Thank you. Finally someone who gets it comments..
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:21 am
Spelling errors? Daddy issues? Typical. If Fox doesn’t sport the news, then what are the people who work there talking about every day?? Sanjay Gupta did a stunning report on CNN the other day…about his 40′th Birthday and how to stay healthy at that age. WOW! Now THAT got my brain moving. At the same time, guess what Fox had on? A report about the H1N1. How News *worthy* is Gupta’s health compared to H1N1? Facts are facts…Fox reports them. Making liberals (or the White House) uncomfortable doesn’t change them from being evident. Case in point, the release of the new ACORN video vs. what the ACORN Philly. Facts are facts are facts.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:21 pm
I am so very thankful for the FOX news station. If we ever lose the conservative voice we’ve lost it all. Someone has got to speak to America and let them know what is happening ‘under the scenes’ and it’s unbelievable that the liberal movement (news) can do the very thing they are accusing FOX of doing!! Don’t do as I do, do as I say theory. Thank you again, it’s good to hear someone speaking TRUTH for a change. I agree….facts are facts are facts…..
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Thanks Becky! Agreed, If Fox News goes, we’ve got some serious problems.
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 am
I skimmed the comments briefly and, from what I can tell, no one has broached this subject: fact checking.
First, my personal definition of a “source”: an independent provider of information.
Pyloms, you have 5 quotes in your post. 1 is from the blog of a software developer who has stated no knowledge of his political information nor sources of his own besides what he may have seen or read on the news. You have a quoted text from Politico.com. They sponsored a 2008 Republican presidential candidate debate and are widely known for holding a firm conservative bias. These are not qualified news outlets or unbiased insider sources. That brings me to your other 3 quotes. All three are from foxnews stories. You can’t expect to put forth a valid argument about a news outlet’s lack of bias and quote supporting text almost solely from that news outlet. It’s an illogical argument.
Let me be clear. I’m not supporting one side of the argument or the other, not until I know all of the facts. However, those facts cannot be heard because they are drowning in a sea of biased opinionated ramblings like the one above. There is a basic human need to have our voices heard in a public forum and the internet has facilitated that need exponentially. However, please stop diluting the facts by whitewashing your own opinion with “facts” and “unbiased statements” so that the rest of us can make an informed decision.
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:11 am
Fact Checking? The quotes are direct quotes of what happened. The people quoted in the “quotes” said those things.
The only “jump” is me throwing out a correlation to Chavez wanting to shut down the opposition – and Nixon did the same thing to the Washington Post in the 70’s. And that’s my opinion.
————
This site is an opinion site. Please see the following article:
http://www.wetwired.org/2009/10/20/fair-and-balanced-and-true-objectivity-and-why-none-of-these-are-on-wetwired/
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:16 am
I’ve known way before Obama was in office that FOX is a republican channel. Although I am a Democrat and do not watch FOX, they do have the right to state thir opinion. So long as they do not state opinions as facts and mislead their viewers, they have a right to run their channel, however mistaken I think they are.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:33 pm
That they are direct quotes is not in dispute. To quote as one of your few sources, an organization that is the source of the dispute is laughable at best. You cannot expect unbiased fact from a participating party. That’s not how it works.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I watch Fox news all the time. Hot chix and crazy dudes.
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Aaron, there is nothing to argue about here – your comment:
Is moot. This is not a news organization – this is a commentary blog. It’s all about opinion. You’re making a statement saying “because you have a blog you need to go out and act like a news organization.”
Now could I go out and find other sources that say the same thing about how the Obama administration wants Fox shut down? Sure – go here:
http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/10/obama-administration-tries-to-ban-fox.html
Its sourcing ABC’s Jake Tapper asking these questions.
Maybe you just don’t like my jump-to-conclusions mat. Look you, I’ve worked hard on that mat.
October 24th, 2009 at 8:44 am
I’m a moderate, but I’d have to agree with those that ask where “shutting down Fox News” comes from. It is a rather big jump in conclusions (almost like dumping on the first date because you’re sure they’ll hurt you in the end).
I personally think he is going too far with the bickering. He is defending himself, and all he really needs to say is that the criticism he is receiving is coming from the right. But that is his prerogative. He has the right to free speech as well.
And as for Fox News being “fair and balanced” . . . what? You have got to be kidding. Whether the news line and the opinion line gets skewed or marred, you’re still talking about the programming that Fox News chooses to push (i.e. – what conservative America wants).
October 24th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Let’s not forget that Bush wanted to hush up several news stations for their viewpoints on his administration. It is unconstitutional for anyone to do such a thing…
October 24th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Yes he did – and it wasn’t acceptable then either. Interesting how the shoe is on the other foot again.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:15 am
check it out, everyone hates everyone else, its a simple fact of life, noone can be opinionated without being aggressive or overly defensive in todays world, so i wont even share with you my opinion, and thats my opinion
October 25th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
That is very constitutional.this would be like the alien and sedition act which was used by the federalists to silence all those who questioned the government which was followed by the ky and va resolve which suggested the theory of nullification which would be readopted by the south in order to succeed from the union,in other words history repeats itself over and over again
October 25th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
There are two issues that haven’t really been put together here, which really should be:
Fox commentaries and opinion forums are broadcast with a logo on the screen that says “Fox NEWS”
THAT is the problem.
Anyone who isnt a Fox FAN would not otherwise know that what they are watching is an opinionated rather then factual, worse, they will ASSUME it is factual because the only label on the screen says “NEWS”
The problem is with marketing laws. Just like you cannot say FREE if your shit isn’t free, you also can’t say NEWS unless your shit is actually news.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:19 am
Travis, your argument is flawed in the sense that you assume that Fox stands alone in opinions. ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN all do the exact same thing – case in point:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLsKt4O4Yw8