Eric Burns on Scarborough: Why Fox is a political organization
October 23, 2009 3:23 pm ET by Media Matters staff
This morning, Media Matters President Eric Burns was a guest Joe
Scarborough's syndicated radio show. The discussion focused on Fox News, with Eric
providing ample evidence detailing the network's transition into a pure
political organization, as well as explaining the difference between Fox News and
stations like Scarborough's own MSNBC. Take a listen below:
Yesterday, Eric authored an op-ed piece for the Huffington Post outlining the numerous
political activities Fox engages in, as well as analyzing the threat it
represents to both the progressive agenda and the field of journalism itself.
For more information on The Joe Scarborough Show, click
here.
Mr. News
You attacked Andrea Mitchell not for News (Well, Opinion Journalism) but for the Thrill.
Granted i don't have your Cracker Box Research Team, but i do got some Skills.
Andrea Mackris? Oh Bill-O, i just got myself a new talking point & i think i've got you by the Gills?
Speak truth to power.
Mr. News
Frankly, I've been laughing my butt off since Thursday AM when Scarborough invoked the George Costanza Defense on behalf of cheney in a debate with Lawrence O'Donnell.
"Remember, Jerry, it's not a lie if you believe it."
I resist watching Joe: my skin crawls, ears bleed, heart has arhythmia and I develop visceral pain.
But getting back to reality - thanks, Eric. You're da man.
I think Scarborough, overall, is a moron. He just can't grasp things very easily.
How can you seriously ask what is the difference between MSNBC and Fox News? The difference is that Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow hold Obama to task for things that he does that are wrong and they highlight things that he does are right. They hold Democrats to task for doing things that they don't think are good for the country or the citizens (for example - not aggressively pushing the public option) and they also talk about things they do that are right.
Fox News by comparison is negative on absolutely everything Democrats do and positive on absolutely everything that Republicans do. They cannot, to this day, admit that Bush was wrong about Afghanistan and Iraq and was a terrible President. They cannot find any fault with any of Bush/Cheney's policies and continue to support (on air) torture, unjust invasion, spying without warrants etc.
Fox News is a right-wing noise machine full of false information and they seek two things and two things only. The first is high ratings which they get by continually talking about how popular they are compared to other networks as well as construing anything a Democrat does as something that, if passed, might lead to Armageddon and the end of the world. High ratings translate into more money from advertising. The second thing they are concerned with is putting the GOP in positions of political power because Murdoch believes that business is better when the GOP is in power. They influence their audience to believe that Republicans are fearless, all knowing warriors 100% of the time and Democrats are blundering fools 100% of the time and they use lies to do it. The GOP has a history of lowering taxes for the rich and mega corporations and being lax on regulation and Murdoch strives to profit from them holding office (which he has done so amazingly well). This is Fox News mission and it is not remotely similar to MSNBC's mission.
MSNBC is a network thats goal is to grab the attention of progressives in this country. While left leaning they do not actively promote everything Democrats do as being all wise and all great. They regularly take sides against the party and expose it for the hypocrisy that exists. They do not actively seek to boost ratings by promoting falsehoods but instead seek to boost ratings by exposing the truth (something that the media doesn't do enough of). Occasionally they make mistakes, but unlike Fox News they make corrections and omit their errors. How can Scarborough not grasp this? He has continually asked that question over and over - what is the difference between Fox News and MSNBC? 100 people have answered that question and he still can't get it or doesn't want to get it.
Obama is acting like a child. He should act presidential and be above the fray.
You could say he's not my cuppa....;-)
I think we should have some big plan during sweeps... for the 4 weeks during November that ratings are measured... both FoxNews and MSNBC should pay viewers to watch each others' shows... all the way through... faithfully... honestly... then report on what the networks do. I'm betting that an MSNBC progressive liberal would hate Fox's coverage just as much, but would, if he or she was an honest person, admit... that it's not as completely biased as one thought. And I'm betting that a FoxNews conservative republican would find some interesting and thought-provoking ideas on MSNBC, and find that not every moment is as staunchly liberal as previously thought...
Most importantly here is this, though... Isn't President Obama supposed to be the "uniter?" Isn't he supposed to end "politics as usual," and bring "change we can believe in?" President Obama should be calling for Fox fans to watch MSNBC, and vice versa... and to all come together to pray for/vote for/consider upcoming healthcare legislation and voice to our senators and representatives how we feel about it....
Eric should have just said that's because Fox lies. But Joe just thinks that's "opinion journalism". No, it's not. It's promoting lies.
You are dumb if you listen to Hannity or Olbermann and take them at their word or believe everything they say is news. They push their agendas and ideas as to what is right and how you should see it. Scarborough's programs on MSNBC are about the only balanced program on the MSNBC network. Frankly, O'Reilly is way more middle of the road then the Left likes you to believe.
The White House should not have started this war because now I personally have added Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and others to the list of people I tune in for because I want to hear how they are defending themselves. The White House only has done Fox News a favor. I would not have done that 2 years ago because I believe they are too far right in most circumstances. Many people on this site, probalby only get their information about these programs from site's like this. That is wrong and misleading. I can parse hundreds of clips together to try and prove a point. All that should get me is an A+ in editing.
Obama has made this bed and it is going to backfire. These are all TV shows, they all give opinion mixed with news. Right or Left it is important to allow both sides of the debate and people need their own voices. What Obama is doing falls beyond anything imaginable.
Bottom line the American people can make up their own mind as to what is news and what is not news, as well as what to vote on and not vote on. I will only listen to myself when it comes to that.
I am personally disgusted with where Obama has gone in the first 9 months of his presidency, the arrogance and audacity of them telling anyone what they deem newsworthy is an absolute joke. People are out of work, the economy is in the toilet, wars are being waged, and they talk about a stupid News Channel that reaches 10-20 million viewers. If that is the best they can do, I will not vote to re-elect him. Maybe they would be smart to have a conservative handle their message, perhaps they would do a better job. They can't close the deal on anything yet and until they wise up and realize that governing has to take place from the middle they will continue to diminish their ability to accomplish their goals.
It goes both ways, I heard the same disgusting things about Bush that I hear about Obama and it doesn't make it right but people learn to tolerate it and should allow it because it is what makes this country great.
Oh, by all means do so. Then assemble a 10-minute clip of fairly average things said on Fox. The latter will still look worse.
And kindly remove Matthews from the list. Most of his ridiculous statements benefit the right, as has been shown countless times.
I watch actually multiple networks and multiple programs. MSNBC at times is worse than FOX. Both are doing it for ratings, FOX went middle right and MSNBC is going left
Apparently you're claiming that MSNBC is farther from the mainstream than Fox is. That's laughable. MSNBC has, in addition to Matthews, three hours of Joe Scarborough and a ready supply of Pat Buchanan to easily balance their evening line-up. Fox has right, far-right, and off-the-table right.
You are dumb if you listen to Hannity or Olbermann and take them at their word or believe everything they say is news. They push their agendas and ideas as to what is right and how you should see it.
Except that Olbermann, though over the top at times, uses facts, and Hannity doesn't. If that doesn't bother you, then you cannot be reasoned with.
Frankly, O'Reilly is way more middle of the road then the Left likes you to believe.
Sure, start providing clips of O'Reilly telling outrageous lies that benefit the liberal cause. That will be the day.
The White House should not have started this war because now I personally have added Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and others to the list of people I tune in for because I want to hear how they are defending themselves.
Any sentient person knows that Fox started it. But since you think that Obama did so, it has personally made you start going to those famously unreliable media figures for your news.
I'm not going to comment on the rest of your much-to-long nonsensical post. This is enough to show that you are at a right angle to reality.
Btw, we also enjoyed hearing you on the Tom Joyner Radio Show this morning too. Once more, "EXCELLENT" interview, LOL. Thanks.
Well, if you like that type. ;-)
I hope you're joking. Maddow is extremely intelligent, uses facts, treats people with respect (including those she disagrees with), and apologizes on the rare occasions she gets something wrong.
That's not just a "substantive" difference, it's worlds apart.
CNN has to just report the news without the garbage wouldn't that solve the whole mess or bring back the Fairness Doctrine that would do it too.
I remember when news was news and we didn't have all of these channels where they say they do the news 24/7 it is really boring and these channels would all go broke if they didn't make up all this strange stuff and have their talking heads.
I think the Republicans are so far a head about doing it that it will take some hard work on the Democratic side to get used to making up all this stuff to get the rating up there but it can be done just step out of reality and come up with all kinds of stupid stuff that doesn't make a bit of sense and keep saying it long enough and the sheep will believe it.
I know we can win by playing by the rules of fairness. We can't win by moving the goalposts when the game is on our field.
One of the most egregious examples of false equivalence is claiming Rachel Maddow is like Beck and Hannity. Rachel discloses her bias up front rather than pretending. Rachel diligently provides context, full quotes, and even has opponents on the show without editing and invites them to stay for additional segments to provide them fair opportunity to literally impeach their own testimony. Hannity and Beck don't do that and always rig the game.
Note that FCC oversight of cable and Fairness Doctrine were deftly removed in 1987. Scalia and Bork did their part as Federal judges.