Attacking the news media is a time-honored White House tactic but to an unusual degree, the Obama administration has narrowed its sights to one specific organization, the Fox News Channel, calling it, in essence, part of the political opposition.
"We’re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent," said Anita Dunn, the White House communications director, in a telephone interview on Sunday. "As they are undertaking a war against Barack Obama and the White House, we don’t need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave."
As Ben Smith points out, Fox's "campaign-style attack" response essentially vindicates Dunn's point of view:
"Instead of governing, the White House continues to be in campaign mode, and Fox News is the target of their attack mentality," Michael Clemente, the channel’s senior vice president for news, said in a statement on Sunday. "Perhaps the energy would be better spent on the critical issues that voters are worried about."
It's good to see this new attitude from the White House. Fox isn't a news organization and it shouldn't be treated as one.
Attacking the news media is a time-honored White House tactic but to an unusual degree, the Obama administration has narrowed its sights to one specific organization, the Fox News Channel, calling it, in essence, part of the political opposition.
"We’re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent," said Anita Dunn, the White House communications director, in a telephone interview on Sunday. "As they are undertaking a war against Barack Obama and the White House, we don’t need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave."
As Ben Smith points out, Fox's "campaign-style attack" response essentially vindicates Dunn's point of view:
"Instead of governing, the White House continues to be in campaign mode, and Fox News is the target of their attack mentality," Michael Clemente, the channel’s senior vice president for news, said in a statement on Sunday. "Perhaps the energy would be better spent on the critical issues that voters are worried about."
It's good to see this new attitude from the White House. Fox isn't a news organization and it shouldn't be treated as one.
About time!
This is just playing right into fox's hand. We have biased networks that cater to certain demographics,and the sooner everyone understands that's the game the better. The WH should be spending their time on more constructive things rather than name calling.
Cheers
Howie
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stockmanjr
This is just playing right into fox's hand. We have biased networks that cater to certain demographics,and the sooner everyone understands that's the game the better. The WH should be spending their time on more constructive things rather than name calling.
Cheers
Howie
Couldn't disagree more. I think the White House should take a stand against organizations that pretend to be objective but really are just mouthpieces of the opposition. They are doing the right thing here.
If Fox doesn't like it, they should make efforts to be more objective.
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Originally Posted by magiciansampras
Couldn't disagree more. I think the White House should take a stand against organizations that pretend to be objective but really are just mouthpieces of the opposition. They are doing the right thing here.
If Fox doesn't like it, they should make efforts to be more objective.
What the WH should do is prove fox wrong by being constructive. Name calling just makes you look childish and petty. Fox isn't going to be more objective because they are biased to cater to a certainly demographic just like the rest of the cable news networks. I'm not saying that's how news should be run it's just how the game is played in this country. I'm sure you would be up in arms if Bush had said the same thing about MSNBC.
Cheers
Howie
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Originally Posted by Jenbel
But one side cannot turn around and say 'you're partisan' against us ... because those making the accusation are biased.
They're not making baseless attacks here. Fox has a record of simply making stuff up. And the WH, rightly, has had enough. Fox is like a blogger or FTer who takes it upon themselves to create out of whole cloth attacks on Obama. I see no reason why the WH should dignify that behavior. I say lock them out of the press conference for awhile. Take away their credentials.
If Richard Nixon was still in the WH he would have the CIA Dirty Tricks Directorate wipe out (aka terminate with extreme prejudice) the whole slimy Fox News pimple.
Couldn't disagree more. I think the White House should take a stand against organizations that pretend to be objective but really are just mouthpieces of the opposition. They are doing the right thing here.
If Fox doesn't like it, they should make efforts to be more objective.
And Fox is supposed to be antagonistic toward the Obama administration in a way that is different from the way that say, CBS, or MSNBC was antagonistic toward the Bush administration?
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They're not making baseless attacks here. Fox has a record of simply making stuff up. And the WH, rightly, has had enough. Fox is like a blogger or FTer who takes it upon themselves to create out of whole cloth attacks on Obama. I see no reason why the WH should dignify that behavior. I say lock them out of the press conference for awhile. Take away their credentials.
I thought it was the NYT reporters who got caught doing that....
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Quote:
Originally Posted by magiciansampras
What does that even mean? How do you "prove Fox wrong" when they stage rallies and incite anti-Obama crowds and then report it as news?
What you do is A)Go on Fox news B) Show people by your actions that your not the evil person that fox makes you out to be. There is a hard core base that won't budge no matter what Obama does,but I believe most people are reasonable and if they see he's being productive they simply won't listen to fox.
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Howie
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As I said earlier this year, this is an absolutely insane approach to media relations by the White House. The WH communications and political strategy teams have already had the President and Chief of Staff directly attack a news outlet, and now they're calling it an illegitimate organization; that's illogical and immature. Personally, I'm not a fan of TV news. There's only one TV news show I like (Morning Joe on MSNBC), however it's on from 3a-6a PDT so it's rare that I catch any of it, and even MSNBC (definitively pro-Obama) is mocking the WH response to FOX.
I believe this will create an incredible amount of negative blowback for the WH at CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC. Never before has a WH been so thin skinned as to remove a major network (in this case the highest rated) from their media schedule. As a result, the other four networks have been placed in the awkward position of being labeled (by default) "friendly" by the WH. This is what I envision happening:
* The truth without context is often the most damaging thing in the world of politics. I think FOX will invest significant dollars in background investigations and research into Obama Administration Officials, and place the WH in a permanent defensive crouch.
* FOX will drive home the narrative that the other four networks are mouthpieces for the administration, and use the WH attacks on FOX as proof. Although accusations of left-leaning bias have been offered up for years, there has never been a president so obsessed with attacking a single news network. This will result in the other four networks engaging in a level of investigative journalism they would have otherwise ignored, and go out of their way to show themselves as tough, non-partisan news networks.
It's almost as if the WH is being run by fans of the old TV show "West Wing," and have allowed emotions to cloud reason. They have now laid the groundwork for turning WH friends into enemies, and this will have a major impact on their legislative agenda. To paraphrase fellow Sacramentan Mark Twain: Never pick a fight with someone who buys airtime with a satellite
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Quote:
Originally Posted by COS_Flyer
And Fox is supposed to be antagonistic toward the Obama administration in a way that is different from the way that say, CBS, or MSNBC was antagonistic toward the Bush administration?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stockmanjr
What you do is A)Go on Fox news
Have you ever watched any of their programs? Do you think Hannity or O'Reilly or Beck give the opposition equal time to give their views? The dudes on the other side of the glass control the mute button, my friend.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stockmanjr
B) Show people by your actions that your not the evil person that fox makes you out to be.
How do you suggest he does that?
I also love how you admit that Fox portrays Obama as "evil." I think you just made my point, sir.
White House: Fox isn't a legitimate news organization
