Here are some thoughts from a guy who considers Fox News Channel to be a news outlet, even if the White House doesn’t.
Not a good news outlet, but still a news outlet. Not a fair news outlet, but still a news outlet.
It was a bit shocking recently when Obama advisers spoke out against Fox. And in a way it only bolstered the channel’s standing with the conservatives across the country.
Obama’s communication director Anita Dunn said that Fox is like “a wing of the Republican Party.” So what? That’s hardly a revelation for anyone who has ever wasted even a minute of their lives watching that garbage.
And they panned Fox commentator Glenn Beck for “lies.”
Big deal. Beck has a talk show where he expresses opinions. Does he stretch the truth at times, certainly. I even watched a couple of minutes of Beck the other day when I was clicking through the channels. But I felt my IQ dropping so I quickly turned the station before I became a candidate for a caveman commercial.
Beck has a following of conservatives just as Rush Limbaugh has his groupies. They sway the talk the way they want. And people who agree with those opinions tune in while open-minded people ignore them. But that’s what TV and radio talk-show hosts do. They preach to the choir and the choir likes it.
However, sometimes radical commentators like Beck and Limbaugh pay for their words. Beck lost a lot of advertisers because of some of his comments about the president. And when Limbaugh wanted to buy part of an NFL team, he was rebuked because of his perceived racism.
There’s a difference between news programs or opinion mongers. However, like with Fox News Channel, they sometimes cross over.
But remember, TV is an entertainment media. TV has always swayed the news to fit what ever it wants. Their belief is: Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Look at the long-running “60 Minutes” program that has such a great following. I have never considered that a true news show. They might film hours of commentary, but they edit it to present the story they want to show. They take out quotes from people that might not fit the story, even though it would give a much fairer view of a subject.
That’s television. Look at the reality shows. The “Survivor” series is supposed to be a small group of people stranded in some obscure location. And there’s no one to help them. No one, of course, except about 100 camera workers and producers and directors.
But that’s the same with Fox. Even a fake news show like “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart is fairer than Fox.
Still, the president should appear on a Fox news show once in a while just to show that he is fair, even if the way Fox presents the news isn’t. It would provide a better image for his office.
There’s one thing I always told kids when I coached. When fans start yelling and cheering against you or even calling you names, look at them and smile. The main thing is: Never let them know they can get to you!
That would be good policy for the Obama administration to follow as well.
The Herald’s Lynn Saternow writes this weekly column for the Opinion page.
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