Woah, is this really happening? That's pretty bad. A government shouldn't formally oppose a news source, given the right to freedom of press and all.

Could you link to the relevant reports? I'm curious enough to read but not enough to do the groundwork.

Plus, you know, it'll help discussion if those not in the know get updated and informed before they say their piece.

PS: You say that slandering differring opinions leads to socialism. You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means. Unless said slander causes redistribution of wealth and state controlled industry.

Canada have free health care doesn't it? Isn't that considered 'Socialist'? O_O

PS: You say that slandering differring opinions leads to socialism.

Slandering differing opinions doesn't lead to socialism. It leads to fascism.

Can everyone please actually look up the meaning of words like "socialist", "liberal", "Nazi" and "fascist" before they throw them around like confetti?

As someone from a country with an allegedly socialist governing party (although not so much these days), a nationalised healthcare system and rather a lot of nationalised other things who is neither Communist nor in any immediate danger of becoming so, I'm finding this constant knee-jerk use of "socialist" and "liberal" as insults not just wearing but a flat-out insult.

I'd like to know how many of the people doing this have even been outside the US, let alone had any direct experience of what they're deriding seemingly - as someone looking in from the outside - because it isn't the status quo. I'm personally rather tired of seeing people whine about what is and isn't "un-American" - as was pretty much unanimously agreed by the international callers on Washington Journal last Sunday, given what the US has resolved into and the prominence of these right-wing extremists during the last administration, anything that stops "American" outwardly looking like the insular, reactionary, arrogant attitude it's devolved into isn't necessarily A Bad Thing.

Obama's administration's got as much right to complain about Fox spewing inaccuracy as anyone else - it still boggles my mind that that channel can even get and keep a broadcasting licence.

P.S. Craig, do you mind me asking how you've actually missed this story? It's been hard enough for anyone regularly online to avoid on this side of the Atlantic.

OK, Dissing anothers openions & trying to quite them is more facist then soicalist, I really got to bursh up on my political terms, & Samanfur, The Same could be said for MSNBC wich is extremly left winged, at least FOX, although Mostly right winged at least attempts to be fair, are they biased, do they lie. YES but so does MSNBC & CNN. In fact I can't think of a modern News network that isn't biased one way or another or that doesn't flat out lie or exaggerate the truth!

Has Fox been hard on Obama, yea, but its the people Right to question the government, MSNBC & CNN Did the Same to bush, but he never declared war on them. When it comes down to it its just an extremly immature act by an administration thats supposed to care more about health care reform & Afganistan.

& Samanfur, In all honesty it boggles my mind how any bloody national broadcasting company here in the U.S. keeps a liscence. I mean pretty much the only kind you can trust these days is the local news...sad, ain't it.

Okay I don't think people here know the TRUE reason why the White House went after Fox News.

It is NOT because they're conservately bias
It is NOT because they're exposing Obama as a criminal (they're not)

It's because of all the SLANDERING and LIBELING they do to Obama and Democrats and liberals in general. I mean how is it that a guy who should be in an asylum has the most watched show on the network (Glenn Beck) How is that a guy with no education pass high school thinks he can just edit clips on liberals to make them look foolish (Sean Hannity)

Also, how is it that they're the ones managing to promote violence against Obama base on the lies that THEY told?

Obama is just doing what the people SHOULD have done in the first place.

I disagree V2, Foxnews is doing no worse to Obama then what other news networks have done to presidents in the past, & I can't really think of any other presidents that have attacked a news network (I thinkk Clinton & Bush knew better.)

Also just beacuse Glenn Beck Slams Dems & Liberals doesn't mean he needs to be in an asylum, I could say the same about a few CNN or MSNBC newscaster, but I belive in the 1st amendment & People have the right to say whatever they want, even if it is radically right winf or radically left wing, in essance are both rediculious, YES! But The in the USA People & Networks (Like FOX MSNBC, CNN) Have the right to be rediculious! FOX is no worse then MSNBC & CNN!

Also Would'nt you agree V2, that when it comes down to it, neither reps nor dems, conservatives or Liberals are really Right, & Most time the Truth or the right way of doing somthing is usually somewhere in the middle. At least thats what I think, I mean to say eitehr party is completly credible or right, is just small minded.

Frankly I think the Whitehouse should let this go & Move on to more important things.

Can everyone please actually look up the meaning of words like "socialist", "liberal", "Nazi" and "fascist" before they throw them around like confetti?

QFT

Also, I had not heard of this story myself, so I guess I'm way out of the loop too, I suppose >_>

Obama has just as much right to publicly criticize Fox news just as much as Fox news has the right to publicly criticize Obama.

Also, disagreeing with one's opinions (Even if done in a derogatory fashion) is NOT facist. Trying to control them could possibly be facism to some extent. Also, I think what V2 was referring to was the incident where Beck screamed like a madman at a caller for a question he couldn't handle. Anyone else would have lost their job doing that.

Also, I can't help but feel you are contradicting yourself Legion. If we as Americans have the right to free speech, then so does the government. At the same token, if we are required to abide by various laws and regulations and whatnot, so should Obama and his cabinet and every other member of the government.

I wouldn't call myself an Obama supporter, but I can't argue with slamming Fox News

Samanfur the Fox wrote:

P.S. Craig, do you mind me asking how you've actually missed this story? It's been hard enough for anyone regularly online to avoid on this side of the Atlantic.

Quite easily, I'm afraid. I don't watch TV, the local newspapers I read at work don't seem fussed with politics at all and online I rely on threads like this one to give me the lowdown on what's going on, mostly as I'm not too enthused to seek it out on my lonesome.

Also, disagreeing with one's opinions (Even if done in a derogatory fashion) is NOT facist. Trying to control them could possibly be facism to some extent.

Yup, this was what I meant to say. The controlling and silencing of one's opinions is a hallmark of fascism (though certainly not limited to that particular political ideology). I didn't make myself very clear in my previous post, my bad.

Cotradict myself? But then again what is man but a living contradiction, & I agree The president has just a much a right to slam a news network as a news network does him, but It just seems Juvinile for a supposed World Leader, to pick a fight with a news network, again neither Clinton or Bush Picked fights with News shows or Networks that bashed them, I personally think the Obama adminsitration is a little to big for its brithces, now Im neither for or against the admisnistrataion personally, As ive said IMPO Both parties can just shoot themselves into the sun (Probably do the nation alot of good!)

Also I think this hatred towards Foxnews by Politicans & People is mis-founded, again there no worse or better then MSNBC or CNN, all three lie throught there teeth on a daily basis, I mean they make us think most americans are radical liberals or radical consrvaties wich is just not true, alot of people are usually neutral or somehwere in the middle, I mean if it were true & the most people leaned radically either way...well I doubt we would still be around, lulz.

But seriously mabye im overreacting, but I expect the white house staff & the president to act in a more mature manner & do what he should do, be the bigger man & just ignore it, theres more important things then a news network bashing your party or disagreeing with you! seriously sheesh....This is almost as bad as what Nixon did to the washinton post.

I miss the days when no one gave a whoop about politics & basically let capitalists run things, heck id rather be run by money hungry businessmen then 2 parties that fight like 5 year old bullies on the playground...

*bafflement ensues*

Exactly what about that statement couldn't broadly be taken as still relevant today? There aren't that many people who care about politics as is; media would have us believe differently, since it thrives on chronicling conflict, but, well, political apathy is a mainstay of society these days.

As for capitalists running things, AIG, Goldman Sachs, Citi, et. al. would like a word with you. Money-hungry businessmen ran the United States during the so-called "Gilded Age", and very little meaningful political action was taken in those days too.

To the OP, I would ask this: what difference does it make? At the risk of throwing indifference at the wall and seeing if it'll stick, the degree to which anyone bashes FOX News is only as important to a person as the degree to which that person values FOX News. So what if FOX News doesn't receive a lot of love from the White House? I'm sure the network will survive. Besides, it is one of those networks which lies "through [its] teeth on a daily basis", so its viewers aren't learning anything except what the man on the TV says they ought to think.

Now I know it's some sort of trendy thing to suggest "both parties can just shoot themselves into the sun [and] (probably do the nation a lot of good!)" but one could argue that same mentality is responsible for the decline in interest in politics. When interest in politics declines, candidates have to rely increasingly on corporations to fund their campaigns. These candidates, once elected, become beholden to their corporate fundraisers. Suddenly, the electorate starts whining about how big business runs everything and there's no difference between the candidates because they're both lying crooks, and people withdraw from paying attention to politics. Presto, one vicious cycle, no waiting. You get that for which you pay.

Legionfan44 wrote

---

But then again what is man but a living contradiction

A MISERABLE LITTLE PILE OF SECRETS!

...couldn't resist. XD

I always wondered what the liberals would do when faced with this. I remember when it was conservatives facing msnbc they just branded them and all their viewers as "traitors" that "hated america". So mundane and underhanded. But of course Bush did always hide his drug abuse and such.

I think it makes since. The administration that tried to hide their skeletons used underhanded techniques whereas Mr. "Yes I inhaled, that was point" faces them down the same way they are attacking.

In essence you have this.

MSNBC: Bush is an evil tyrant forcing everyone to conform to the views of christianity!
Bush: Yeah, well you're all terrorist who hate america and should be deported! In fact I'll make laws to try to DO so!

FOX: Obama is an evil communist dictator trying to take all our property away and give it to the poor people!
Obama: Yeah well you're assholes, get stuffed.

~Tobe

Like this doesn't happen to every political administration from the president to the undersecretary for puppy happiness. When a media source generates a story that receives some traction, it's PR 101 that you have to develop a response of some kind. And it's up to you and that big fat brainbox on your head to decide who is right. The newspaper saying that the president authorized an operation against Democratic headquarters? The president saying that he did not have sexual relations with that woman? The magazine printing a story about a church that worships George Bush Sr.? Or the president saying that a network's attacks against him are politically biased and motivated.

I think Fox News is tantamount to the PR wing of the Republican party, so I think you know where I stand here, but use your own brain and draw your own conclusions. You can't use mine. I need it for stuff *thinks about ketchup*

On a tangential note, I do enjoy all the love you people are giving to your local small town media.

Support your local newspaper. Keep my job alive!

Relevant?

I don't have a lot of time to make this extensive, but here are the facts:

Fox News is not a news organization. It is a propaganda organization. Any news can be interpreted as propaganda, but it's the goal of their leadership and anchors to push their party and ideology.

At this comment you usually gets some right winger saying BUT MSNBC and if they are stupid BUT MSNBC AND CNN and if they are incredibly stupid BUT MSNBC CNN NPR ABC CBS (continuing with every news source that is not explicitly part of the right wing message machine).

Now, let's get real here. MSNBC has opinion programs in prime time geared to a liberal audience. (They also have a morning show geared to republicans). But their actual news is just the usual news you get with most networks, in other words mediocre and shallow but more interested in ratings than a political party. Robert Gibbs, justifying the criticism of Faux Noise, foolishly referenced their opinion shows, which are crazy, but the most important point is that their basic news coverage is not just 24/7 opinion, but attempts to MANUFACTURE partisan news propaganda.

Because other networks are fooled by the "superficial balance fallacy," the manufactured nonsense gets spread to other networks. That's why it's important to make the point that Faux Noise is not legitimate.

I can't put a lot of examples here, but there is PLENTY of documentation of their manufacturing, opining, and straight LYING in their basic news coverage. Google, media matters, wikipedia, etc. It's so much that it is not even up to reasonable dispute. PSX's URL is just a tiny sample.

A few quick ones I just got at Google:

Fox News Producer Caught Rallying 9/12 Protest Crowd
Fox News Airs 107 Ads For Tea Parties In 10 Days
Fox News Promotes During Regular News
Fox News DOESN'T Report Other Protests
Fox News Falsely Claims Other Networks Didn't Cover It The ad even uses a screen stolen from CNN!

@Srol, I agree Local & Small town Media are the best kind! & In rebutle to other posts. All of the news networks have used Propoganda, ecspecially during the recent election, yeah its true FOXNews has a lot of propoganda, but So does MSNBC & CNN.

also...Im not a right winger, Im currently fed up with politics in general, Please don't make me reinterat what i said earlier, about both parties being shot into the sun.

Seriously Liberal, conservative, Dem, rep, I don't care, Its all Bullox! & ALL NEWS NETWORKS HAVE PROPOGANDA! (Fox does it more often that is true, but MSNBC & CNN do it as well from time to time)

Also I would be Pissed of If MSNBC or CNN Were being attacked by the whitehouse as well, again I don't think a Political leader should lower them selves to have a war with a TV station its juvinile!

Good for B-Dawg. FOX spreads a crapton of lies and complete misinformation, anyway. To believe that CNN, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, etc etc etc spreads lies is absolute crap. They've covered things anti Obama administration, yet everyone refuses to believe this. Have they done misinformation before? Sure, usual bad reporting, it happens, everyone's human.

But just as Veck's showed, and PSX's awesome image, FOX doesn't just LEAN on right wing nuttery; they are the far right nutjobs. I know conservative friends who are ashamed of that retarded channel since, obviously, it makes their lifestyle seem ridiculous.

Damn, that's like saying the 700 club is a fair and balanced news cast, (hint: not even a news show; in before idiotic correcting). It's okay to have opinion pieces and shows. That's great, go nuts. But having a completely Right-Winged established NEWS ORGANIZATION? I'm sorry, I learned something in school and it was called Yellow Journalism, and FOX NEWS is EXACTLY that.

Why the hell does no one important actually call them out on that? Use that term? That way people will google and go "ohhhHHHhhh".

True, but what im mearly saying is that its juvinle for a white house administration to sink to the levels of the Network thats slandering them, I expect people that are supposed to be big shot politicians to simplt turn the other cheek, I mean again neither Clinton or Bush dilibertly waged a media war with a News network even if the network said bad things about them, they both had to answer weather media rumors were true or not, but never declered media warfare with Fox, CNN, or MSNBC.

and again whenever I do watch the news I usually watch all 3, & make my own openion on a story, & its True FOX has alot of Propaganda, but not all there shows are that way, Im rather Found of Huckabee, Just as much as I am of Hardball on MSNBC & Larry King on CNN, now I don't watch any of the 3 as much as I used to but when I do I decently enjoy them, except when I get in the mood where I tire of Politics such as I am now.

Speaking of this, here's something about CNN:

CNN edits interview to protect their resident overt racist hatemonger

Lou Dobbs is one of the most racist hosts on the air, yet CNN continues to be his accomplice.

I mean again neither Clinton or Bush dilibertly waged a media war with a News network even if the network said bad things about them, they both had to answer weather media rumors were true or not, but never declered media warfare with Fox, CNN, or MSNBC.

The big news media is a cesspool, as any episode of the Daily Show demonstrates, and he's right to discourage it from regurgitating whatever its most egregious member says. It's not like he is refusing to answer questions.

& Thats why I Don't watch Lou Dobbs, & I agree with you veck, why CNN keeps him on is anyones guess. & your right the Big News networks are a ceaspool, Its sad really, it seems with each year the networks go down hill & again Im not Deinying Fox or any of the others have problems, because they do, (like propaganda, or Lou dobbs) But I don't think that makes the networks evil, I just think someone needs to come in & set the 3 on the right path (although I know that will never happen, a man can dream.)

& your right obama's not refusing to answer questions, my point is as i've said over & over I think its childish for a presidental administaration to sink to the levels of these networks. Let them mud-sling, just turn a blind eye and move on to the more important things, given now all this is starting to die down, but I still think it was overblown. thats all Im saying.

Also I grow tired of this thread, SO a MOD may close it any time they wish, Im no good at talking arguing politics...I should just stick to what I know (Sonic comics, Anime & being insane.)

Legion OUT!!!!

(& YES i KNOW THIS IS A DOUBLE POST BUT ITS MY OWN BLOODY THREAD!)

*plays some melodic rock to calm down* (man, the chick in nightwish is hot!)

Also I grow tired of this thread, SO a MOD may close it any time they wish, Im no good at talking arguing politics...I should just stick to what I know (Sonic comics, Anime & being insane.)

Legion OUT!!!!

(& YES i KNOW THIS IS A DOUBLE POST BUT ITS MY OWN BLOODY THREAD!)

*plays some melodic rock to calm down* (man, the chick in nightwish is hot!)

If mods went around closing threads every time the op felt that they didn't or couldn't argue their opinions (or were losing the debate), then 70% of the mofo would've been filled with closed topics. Just leave the topic alone long enough and it'll probably drop off the page, or someone else might take up the debate to allow further discussion.

To be fair though, this current Administration isn't making it easy for itself, what with the hiring of and association with people like Van Jones (9/11 truther who as an avowed Communist), Anita Dunn (talking glowingly about Mao Tse Tung and his philosophy to a bunch of high schoolers), Kevin Jennings (the 'safe schools' czar who told in a story that he encouraged a male 15-year old high school sophomore to keep having sex with an adult at a bus station restroom, which - if the state the incident occurred in has an age of consent law being 16 or higher - counts as encouraging statutory rape), Cass Sunstein (the 'regulatory' czar, who has advocated a policy for the government to 'presume' that you're an organ donor unless you explicitly state prior to death that you are not), Herb Allison (the 'TARP' czar, who, being the former Fannie Mae CEO, had the bright idea to back up the US stock market with real estate mortgages. Let's put him in charge of TARP)...you see my point?

What legitimate news organization WOULDN'T want to report something as juicy as any of the above? That FOX has been first to report on many events like these is one of the reasons their ratings are through the roof...while the ratings for the other cable news networks continue to decline.

Still, I've always been uneasy with the prospect of news organizations pretending they're 'unbiased'. They can't be. Though I'm going to make a prediction and state that any reporter who finds himself or herself criticizing the Obama Administration in the future can expect similar treatment.

/still believes that the idea that FOX represents the far-far-right makes sense only if you think that MSNBC is mainstream

Thanks Ultrasonic, Personally I would'nt call any national news network mainstream, But personally I think theres a few on all the networks that are either far left or far right. Also I agree, the current administration does have some unusual characters. But I also think some of the others are right in the fact that in the end politics still arn't as big as we think they are, & are just being exageratted by the media, even more so then in the bush & Clinton days for some reason. & as Ive said I have shows I like on all the newsnetworks, & I don't think the networks are evil, they like the current whitehouse just have somebad characters, Also agree that FOX isn't as far right as every one thinks, now I do think they have some far right guys on there team but i don't think FOX is anymore to the right then MSNBC is to the LEFT, & then we got CNN wich tries to be in the middle.

& thanks for the advice Nuke, I guess your right, if I leave it alone it'll die. I think Ive got my point across, Its obvious not many agree with me & thats fine, personally Im just one of those guys who always seems to side with the underdog (or the guy/network nobody likes) cause ive been there before, but thats besides the point, also would like to thank everyone for keeping this thread interesting!

The phrase "Obama White House Attack" is kinda misleading.