George Rebane
‘Fair, balanced, and unafraid’ has been the smug, self-preening tagline for Fox News, most prominently used by Bret Baier as the sign-off to his daily flagship Special Report program. Perhaps that was once true, but during the last couple of years FN has changed by markedly migrating toward the lamestream media. While still covering news items totally absent or buried on leftwing outlets, the network bends over backward to feature as many progressive guests and commentators as possible on every issue of current interest. Today it is literally impossible for a middle-road viewer to determine the ideological bent of most of FN’s programming during the 24-hour cycle. The only exceptions to this are perhaps Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham. These, however, are balanced with other FN stars such as Chris Wallace with a marked and longstanding tilt to port.
The biggest change is that the palpable lies and propaganda narratives of leftwing guests and interviewees are no longer challenged for their verity. These days the leftwinger can tell an obvious whopper, and the FN host will go on to the next question or subject without so much as lifting an eyebrow. Led by Baier and Martha McCallum, the remaining daytime FN personalities do everything they can to avoid controversy on the air, and therefore leave its viewers to sort things out as they witness equal time and voice given to leftwing opinions and interpretations that not only go unchallenged, but are presented as having equal weight with any and all opposing opinions and interpretations. Is it really fair to present obvious falsehoods without so-much as giving the audience some factual context within which to interpret such assertions?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not asking FN to limit featuring its parade of leftwingers making news and shaping opinions. But I am asking all so-called journalists to have the guts, then and there, to call out the obvious lies and baseless opinions of their guests, be they from the Right or Left. (As RR’s polarized commenters have been doing for years.) And here’s the critical question every media interviewer should have the timely wits and courage to ask their guests each time they land a load of crap onto the airwaves –
‘Your viewpoint is fairly controversial, where can our viewers go to see the evidence that made you say that?’
Timidly scurrying on to the next question or topic doesn’t cut it for the claim of being ‘Fair, balanced, and unafraid.’ Time to reinstall that backbone.
[25may20 update] 'The ‘Liberal Leaning’ Media Has Passed Its Tipping Point’, so confirms Van Gordon Sauter, former president of CBS News. This is the belated point that many on the national scene are finally beginning to recognize. A phenomenon that became apparent to many of us at the grassroots level years ago (RR stands on its 14-year record). No one well-read on the socio-politics of America for the last 50 years believes that the country’s Fourth Estate will ever regain its credibility - journalists are all biased ideologues lying to their audiences about being 'fair and balanced'. All we are now doing is the Great Divide two-step that is becoming more pronounced with every passing month. Any semblance of a middle ground disappeared years ago. Look at the 14-year record of RR comment streams, which confirm an unpretentious, simple yet significant reflection of Main Street America’s understanding, beliefs, and sentiments.
They might try doing that with their right wing guests as well.
Posted by: rlcrabb | 21 May 2020 at 02:34 PM
rlcrabb 234pm - "But I am asking all so-called journalists to have the guts, then and there, to call out the obvious lies and baseless opinions of their guests, be they from the Right or Left."
Now why would you think that I'd leave out the righties? I do think you have me stereotyped.
Posted by: George Rebane | 21 May 2020 at 03:00 PM
I'm betting Crabby 234pm is a hit and run posting, a tactic said to date from from his high school days.
Crabbman's blog is as monochromatic as Pelline's nowadays.
Posted by: Gregory | 21 May 2020 at 03:25 PM
Crabb...?
Crabb...?
Crabb...?
Crabb...?
Crabb...?
Crabb...?
Posted by: Gregory | 21 May 2020 at 05:24 PM
Crabb is a hypocrite like all the lefty types. I cannot recall many if any of his going after a lefty or their policies with the vigor he chews on the right.
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 21 May 2020 at 06:15 PM
Btw GR... the best interviewer of all time was the late Tim Russert of the once great Meet the Depressed... and Russert, when greeting Limbaugh on the show, said Depressed with an honest smile on his face.
I am convinced Russert matched Chuck Todd's politics but that Tim is spinning in his grave every Sunday with Todd's ugly brand of onair partisanship.
Posted by: Gregory | 21 May 2020 at 06:52 PM
Gregory 652pm - Agreed.
Posted by: George Rebane | 21 May 2020 at 09:19 PM
94% of Fox News viewers are Republicans. The purpose of a network is to make money. You don't bite the hand that feeds you. therefore: Fox News was never fair and balanced and never will be. Like all for-profit news entities, it will tailor its presentations to please its viewers.. ie. tell them what they want to hear, amplify the good, leave out the bad for their side and the opposite for the "enemies." Such is the current state of affairs.
Posted by: bertie | 22 May 2020 at 09:56 AM
Really, Bertie?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/03/12/fox-news-audience-may-not-be-what-you-think-even-if-programming-usually-is/
Posted by: Gregory | 22 May 2020 at 11:11 AM
Posted by: Somebody really interested in making sure his side gets all the viewers | 22 May 2020 at 09:56 AM
Fox News was never fair and balanced and never will be.
Waaaaaaaah.....why aren't they paying attention our propaganda.......RACHEL MADDOW is awfully expensive to keep around if the hot polloi isn't glued to their screens on the channels we occupy!
Posted by: fish | 22 May 2020 at 11:12 AM
bertie 956am - Your citation is patently false as also corroborated here by Gregory's 1111am. I would check on your source for such information, and refile them under 'suspect'. And perhaps you didn't understand the thrust of my commentary. I wasn't criticizing them for being too rightwing, as you seem to have gleaned.
Posted by: George Rebane | 22 May 2020 at 11:23 AM
GR 1123am
Bertie didn't cite anything... it was an unsupported claim. I dug out a WaPo story that mostly cited research by Pew... solid leftist street cred.
C'mon Bertie, give us a link!
Posted by: Gregory | 22 May 2020 at 11:43 AM
Come on Bert. CNN and the like, ratings and viewership are in the crapper. Those people didn't stop watching the news.
Now just where do you think they went?
FOX got the right thinking people a LONG time ago.
Only the cold blue LIB still goes to CNN and PMSNBC.
Posted by: Walt | 22 May 2020 at 12:33 PM
Here ius the actual YOUTUBE of the presser Trump did on the virus and disinfectant. The left and fake news don't tell you he asked it as a question after the first guy discussed different ways to kill the virus. This is the kind of fake news they do to try and make people think Trump is a loon. This shows they are the ones that make things up. I am debating a loon on the Union.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtgVxGkrX1Y
Posted by: Todd Juvinall | 22 May 2020 at 03:06 PM