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Has Fox News really stopped attacking NBC and GE?

August 01, 2009 10:06 am ET by Eric Boehlert

Today's New York Times reports that there's been something of a corporate truce worked out between the parent companies of MSNBC and Fox News, which calls for both sides, especially Keith Olbermann and Bill O'Reilly, to knock off the on-air attacks. (Read Glenn Greenwald to understand why that's such a bad idea from a journalism perspective.)

According to the Times, shortly after June 1, "the attacks mostly stopped."

But did they? [Emphasis added]

"Look at the television situation. CNN, what's happening over there? Falling apart ratings wise. NBC, falling apart ratings-wise. Why? NBC is nasty," [June 9, The O'Reilly Factor]

And

""Back of the Book" segment tonight, "Reality Check," where the truth is sometimes very disturbing. "Check" one, as you may know, the General Electric corporation owns NBC News. And there is compelling evidence that NBC is giving favorable treatment so that G.E. will be awarded billions -- billions -- in government contracts." [June 18, The O'Reilly Factor]

And

"I have to tell you, I think -- I think G.E., I think what they are building is absolutely insidious. I think it is. I mean, think of this: They have Universal Pictures. They have NBC News, the NBC Entertainment Network. They have Biography and all those other networks. I don't think they own Lifetime. They are in aerospace industry; they are in defense. I mean, they are in energy, everything." [July 13, Glenn  Beck]

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    • Author by nellpost (August 01, 2009 12:56 pm ET)
         
      I think fox/murdoch/newscorp (read The Man Who Owns the News) is scarier! Murdoch is absolutely insidious, in my opinion!
      Report Abuse
    • Author by DAWUSS (August 01, 2009 1:04 pm ET)
         
      I miss the Ted Baxter impersonation
      Report Abuse
    • Author by MickD (August 01, 2009 2:00 pm ET)
         
      This will, if true, work out much better for Fox. Is GE that paranoid that they can't take a razzing from the insane nuts at Fox News? KO gives a larger audience a taste on what goes on there.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by harley (August 01, 2009 2:31 pm ET)
         
      The teabaggers are stating that capitalism is "insidious"?
      I thought the teabagging reich-wingers loved capitalism. Odd.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by News Corpse (August 01, 2009 6:10 pm ET)
         
      This is a total capitulation on the part of MSNBC. Fox News threatened Immelt with a barrage of attacks last May:

      "Ailes warned that if Olbermann didn't stop such attacks against Fox, he would unleash O'Reilly against NBC and would use the New York Post as well."


      So now Fox is being rewarded for their thuggery.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by steeve (August 02, 2009 2:55 pm ET)
         
      This is pretty simple. Feuds like this reveal to the viewers that the media has no business telling them what's going on.

      Pundits are stupid, inane, corrupt, and massively unqualified. One pundit laying into another with such charges just reveals the nature of all of them.

      The media can't allow such exposure or people will figure out more quickly than usual to turn it all off.
      Report Abuse

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  • County Fair is a media blog featuring links to progressive media criticism from around the Web as well as original commentary, breaking news and rapid response updates to major media events from Media Matters senior fellows and other staff.