I haven’t really been paying a whole lot of attention to the “feud” between the White House and Fox News. I don’t watch this news channel unless my brother is here. I did watch Glen Beck now and then during the last presidential campaign but honestly, I can’t watch a continuous loop of news over and over. I find it incredibly boring. But this morning I had the tv on and heard more about this “fight” so I looked a little deeper into it. It may be really old news to all of you but it’s not to me so I wanted to throw this out there.
I’m going to copy and paste this here because I know a lot of people don’t go look but this is what this says:
President Obama’s Feud with FOX News
“(CBS) After months of taking incoming fire from the prime-time stars of Fox News, the Obama White House is firing back, charging that FOX News is different from all other news.
“FOX News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican party,” said Anita Dunn, White House communications director.
“If media is operating basically as a talk radio format, then that’s one thing, and if it’s operating as a news outlet, then that’s another,” Mr. Obama said.
And the White House has gone beyond words, reports CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield. Last Sept. 20, the president went on every Sunday news show – except Chris Wallace’s show on FOX. And on Thursday, the Treasury Department tried to exclude FOX News from pool coverage of interviews with a key official. It backed down after strong protests from the press.
“All the networks said, that’s it, you’ve crossed the line,” said CBS News White House correspondent Chip Reid.
Tension between presidents and the press is as old as the Republic. FDR was so incensed by the war reporting of one New York Daily News correspondent he tried to present him with an Iron Cross from Nazi Germany. John Kennedy tried to get New York Timesman David Halberstam pulled out of Vietnam; and Vice-President Spiro Agnew’s assaults on the network press is legendary.
“We have more than our share of nattering nabobs of negativism,” Agnew said.
What gives this dust-up special irony is that FOX News success comes in no small part from its ability to convince its viewers that the “mainstream” media are slanted to the left. Now, the White House is arguing that the network is not a real news organization at all, and that has brought some mainstream media voices to its defense.
There’s no question that FOX’s prime-time voices come from the right. Moreover, its owner, Rupert Murdoch is a staunch conservative, and its first and only CEO, Roger Ailes, is a veteran of Republican media wars.
But MSNBC in prime-time has its own lineup of commentators – all of whom are on the left side of the spectrum, some of whom met with the president the White House this week.
So why is the White House out to “de-legitimize” FOX? Not because it has opinions, but because its opinion voices are so hostile to Mr. Obama – and because FOX News is, as it has been for a decade, by far the most watched of the cable news networks. In fact, its ratings have increased 13 percent this summer. So if FOX is feeling any pain from the White House’s stance, it’s crying all the way to the bank.”
I also watched this this morning and while I know you either LOVE or HATE Glen Beck, it was very interesting. I’m not a big fan of Katie Couric so I like the way he didn’t let her push him around. It’s a really good interview but it’s almost 45 minutes long so I’ll understand those of you who don’t have time to watch it. Let’s just say if you’re not familiar with him and all you hear is bad, just give it a listen. He dislikes equally and the “bad” things he says about Obama, he’s said about many other people but they didn’t go cry over it. The whole if you don’t like Obama and if you dare say anything bad you’re a racist is covered in here too.
A lot of you may not be interested in this and it may just be old news to the rest of you. What do you think? Do you think any news network should be able to put on what they want? Do you think the White House should be able to say who can cover them or not or do you think what’s happening in our country is fair game for all?
Us Girls..Our Views 
Well I watched the whole interveiw and I thought it was pretty good. Yes I do think that news networks should be able to do whatever they want and talk about whatever they want to talk about. That’s there right to say whatever they want to say “freedom of speech” and I’m sure that the government will try to take that from us sometime.
Everybody tries to put words in Glen Beck’s mouth and turn things around. All he wants is the government to listen to the people, not special interest. I watched a show where he was talking about healthcare, and he said in the interveiw that he thinks we have the best heathcare but it does need help. Not by the government though, everything that the government has brought to the table on revamping our government benefits the government not the people. Do you want to be told where to go when you get sick, when to go when you get sick, and have no choices at all, I don’t think anybody wants that. Just ask people from Canada what they think of universal healthcare. The only problem with our healthcare system is that it’s very very very expensive! About a year ago I went to urgent care because I thought I had a ear infection and was prescribed antibiotics. They didn’t work so I made a appointment with an ENT. I waited 3 weeks to see him and the first thing he asked me was did you get a refferal from your family doctor, I said no. After I said that I could see fire in his eyes, he looked at me for 2 minutes and said there’s nothing wrong with you. A month later I got a bill for $97.00 that I had to pay, my insurance company paid another $291.00 now I ask you what’s wrong with that? Doctors all have a “buddy system” it means pass the buck around. They want me to see a family doctor and give him some $$$ then get some pills $$$ then go to the doctor again for a follow up $$$ then maybe go to a specialist $$$ and on and on. That doctor got pissed off that I cut other people out of there loop, I didn’t go to college for 10yrs. how do I know what’s wrong with me?
Sorry I got of track, I love fox news. Not because they hate democrats and Obama is the devil, like a lot of people think. They say things that are true, they say things that other people are afraid to say. They don’t want the government to get too much power that’s it. And they want us “we the people” to stand up and say what we believe in.
Remember the Governmet works for us!!
My issue is that FOX doesn;t really provide news…. they omit information and make stuff up. But then again… I’m not a big fan of most news channels. The “stories” that make headlines are often just not even worth mentioning… and the rest of the world is completely ignored.
The White House is trying to discredit FOX, because of the control factor, and FOX, like Talk Radio, is getting the truth out there which is creating a road block for this administration’s radical, agenda. Heaven forbid a news outlet paint Obama in a bad light. The Obama administration is still in campaign mode…they need to just do their damn job!
How long until re-election???? SIGH…………….
Agree.
Well put Nikki!
About the only news I watch anymore is the local news and this post is one of the reasons why. I get enough world news from my local news to know what’s going on without all of the “crap”.
I think that FOX news should be able to say whatever they want, however I belive the whitehouse should say whatever they feel about FOX. What comes around goes around I say.
I think either should be able to say what they want too but do you think the White House should be able to exclude anyone from covering them?
I will be the first to admit that Fox News is biased toward the right. But since all the other major networks are just as clearly biased toward the left, how can anyone cry foul? We need a Fox News just to balance it out a little. People who really want to hear both sides should listen to Fox and one of the others with an open mind.
For all the same reasons why the libs were glad to have free, continual access to the anti-Bush news for 8 years, it is imperative that the press be in fact “free” in our country. Media that only echos what the President wants you to hear is found in communist countries. The USA has always been great partly because we are free to question, free to inform and be informed, free to disagree. Free to address our leaders with grievances and expect to be heard. You can’t have it both ways.
There are a lot of things going on behind this anti-Fox thing. Intimidation. Rewarding supporters. Using Obama’s legendary gift of gab (aka arrogance) to influence those who don’t know how to think, against a free press. I also believe he’s laying the groundwork to eventually silence the opposition. Folks, it will be a very scary day if we let that happen.
Conveniently, much of the liberal media is supporting Obama’s actions against Fox news. This ought to tell us more than anything that these people are the ones who are not journalists. A true journalist knows that the right to speak the truth (as each individual sees it) is paramount.
The problem I have with all of this… oh, there are so many things. Let me see if I can articulate them coherently.
And before I start, let me come clean: I do not have cable. I am lucky to have a digital box out here in the rural heartland. I get my news from the radio (both local news, and through talk shows) and the internet. I am also a fan of Glenn Beck and Rush, although I align myself closer to Beck, politically. On paper, I am listed as a Republican, simply so I can vote in the Caucuses (which make you declare your allegiance to one of the two parties before you can walk through the doors) but consider myself politically independent, willing to vote for whomever I feel has the character to fulfill the job requirements. Frankly, I think the party-system should be scrapped, but that’s a post for another day.
That said, here are my problems with this WH vs FOX crap:
1. The Press, and more specifically, journalists, are supposed to be unbiased in their reporting. That does not mean that they have to be unbiased in their personal life, but just as the defense lawyer may hold his nose while doing his level best to defend a criminal, the professional journalist should be suppressing his own opinion when reporting on a story. I have not seen this happening. I see plenty of liberal/left/democrat bias from the CNN, MSNBC, New York Times, etc. articles that I read, to the point of participating (by story omission) in cover ups (I am thinking here of both the Acorn Scandal and the Van Jones stories). On the other hand, it is well-known that Fox News favors the “right side” of the aisle. Perhaps they are just a little right of center, whereas the others are miles left of center, but the point is, all of these networks/organizations should be treading right on the line, leaning neither left nor right, but holding themselves almost frustratingly rigid in their refusal to take sides.
2. It is not the place of the White House or the President, to tell the press what they can and cannot report. On the contrary, they should view the Press as another check/balance system that was put in place by our Founding Fathers. Correct me if I’m wrong (and I very well could be), isn’t that why the Press is sometimes referred to as “the fourth estate”? Because there are three branches of government, in place to check each other if one gets too powerful… the press is there to keep watch on ALL of them, to make sure that none are misbehaving. It seems to me that every single citizen in this country, regardless of their political bent, should be screaming, raising the roof, over these latest antics from the government. The First Amendment (sorry to bring that pesky document up… it’s SO last century) clearly states, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…” So, what, CONGRESS can’t say anything, but the president and his cronies can decide to ban (abridge) the press from their conferences?
3. It scares the absolute crap out of me that Mr. Obama and his sidekicks can spend so much time and energy maligning not only Fox News, but also Rush, Beck, and others in the “conservative camp”, but they can’t seem to make a decision regarding sending more troops to Afghanistan. Afghanistan is their job. Fox, et all, should be nothing more than an annoying fly buzzing about the room. But instead, everything is backward and upside down.
Elections (in 2010 and 2012) can’t come soon enough, and I hope to GOD there are worthy candidates (read: ones who actually know and respect our Constitution) on the ballots. Because if there are more of the same as what we’ve been presented with up to now, we are in serious trouble.
oh, for the love of… WordPress hates me, apparently. I had a BRILLIANT response, and it’s vanished into the ether. I’m going to try to post it again, and this little tidbit is to apologize, in advance, if suddenly it shows up twice…
(ok, maybe it wasn’t brilliant. wordy, though. very wordy. which, in this day and age, is synonymous with brilliant. Just look at Obama…)
Yes if you speak well with great intent it makes you a super hero…or the President! You win awards too!
I really feel that this may be the year we see an assassination attempt if not carried out. I think he’s pissing a lot of people off. NO he shouldn’t be able to tell anybody what they can say or can’t say. If you can’t handle the heat get the fuck out of the kitchen!
That would be the WORST possible “solution” to this problem. Why? Well, aside from the fact that killing someone just because you don’t like his policies is wrong, think about what would happen. Mr. Obama would become an instant martyr, celebrated more than ever, and we’ll have a lot of “this is what Obama would have wanted”. With the existing administration, I see martial law as a very real possibility – after all, those who oppose the policies have already been deemed “domestic terrorists”.
No, the best thing to do is for people to direct their outrage toward action. Get out and hold politicians accountable. Get so-called “RINO’s” (Republican In Name Only) out of office. Don’t put in yet another RINO, like that woman running for office in New York. See to it that BOTH sides compromise to find a constitutional solution to inevitable disagreements, instead of Republicans always “reaching across the aisle” and giving away all of their positions, without the Dems making any concessions.
And if you’re a Democrat? See to it that the people YOU campaign for, and elect, are not “progressives”. Because “progressive” is synonymous with “socialist”, and often worse. See to it that the Dems you put in office hold the Constitution as the highest legal document in the land – to be referenced in all legislative action.
What it boils down to is this… find people with principals, who will not compromise them, and put those people in office, regardless of their party. Because those are the people who won’t (theoretically) bow to the money that their party throws at them.
Because just killing a guy? There are a hundred more ready to stand up and take his place. And they’re probably worse than he is.
no I am not saying an assassination would be the answer.. I am just bringing my thoughts to the table. I have heard other people voicing the same concern.
I totally agree with you laura..what would replace would only be worse…but dude needs to start working on what he needs to work on and stop dicking around with crap that doesn’t matter!