Is Fox News "fair and balanced" as they claim--or is the cable channel a mouthpiece for the right wing? That's the question we explore in this edition of my POLITICAL RANT!
James Rosen, a reporter for Fox, has been accused by the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, of being a 'co-conspirator' for his part in publishing classified information. More on that in a future post. This charge again brings up the notion that Fox slants heavily to the right and has it in for liberals in general, President Obama in particular. Given this idea is discussed as a matter of fact, not opinion, by other networks and prominent politicians and celebrities on a daily basis, it's worth examining.
Fox has now, and did have in the past, conservative personalities anchoring and otherwise participating on panels on political discussion programs. They do not have, at least as far as I can tell, anyone of equal stature on the left hosting such shows. So, no, there isn't a 50-50 ratio of liberals to conservatives.
However, Fox does have a generous assortment of liberal personalities on those programs. No anchors, but plenty of panelists. They have their say. They aren't silenced. The liberal point of view is heard, and clearly.
In addition, the regular news programs--the morning "Fox and Friends" (Fox's version of the "Today" show), late afternoon's "Fox Report" and early evening's "Special Report" are all straight news. No slanting. The final 25 minutes or so of "Special Report" is a panel discussion, led by anchor Bret Baier; however, both the liberal and the conservative perspective are covered. And Baier himself? He brings up, calmly and politely, challenges to whoever just offered an analysis Seems pretty fair to me.
The three hours of prime time each night are, indeed, political commentary. Yes, the right wing has a strong voice. But the left wing isn't left out in the cold as the left claims. Bill O'Reilly's show, "The O'Reilly Factor" is about as even handed as you can get. Yes, O'Reilly does hammer President Obama. He also praises Mr. Obama when he thinks the President gets something right. No, it's not often. But it is more often then he praises the Republicans in Congress.
"Hannity", which follows "The O'Reilly Factor" is indeed a hard right wing show. Host Sean Hannity gives no pass to liberals, though he does invite them on his show. Again, they have a voice. The grilling is tough.
Finally, Greta Van Susteren's "On The Record" rounds out the evening. As the name implies, she interviews newsmakers of the day, usually in a more friendly tone then her aforementioned male colleagues. But if the subject is serious, the questions are tough. She's a lawyer by trade. She's also good friends with the Clintons. Yes, those Clintons. It was Van Susteren who former President Bill Clinton invited on a tour of his presidential library shortly before it opened. She was also reportedly Hillary Clinton's first choice to serve as press spokesperson when she ran for President in 2008.
The best evidence to convict or acquit Fox News of gross bias is to give it a fair viewing. In the years I've been watching, I've seen virtually no bias from the start of the day (with 'Fox and Friends", and now an early edition of the program) up until "The O'Reilly Factor" at 8PM EST. There is a strong bias during Hannity's one hour. Then...none. From what I can tell, at present, in the 168 hours Fox broadcasts during the week, there are ten hours that is hard right ("Hannity" repeats at midnight EST), and another hour of 'slanted right' on Saturday night, with "Huckabee" hosted by former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. That's pretty much it.
At the end of the day, Fox seems to be the only news network anywhere close to being 'fair and balanced'. CNN and most severely, MSNBC, still seem obsessed with reminding viewers how much they loathe former President George W. Bush.
It's also interesting to note Fox carries the day in ratings compared to those other two networks. If Fox is a right wing shrilling machine, why are so many moderates watching? Moderate Mitt Romney, not right wingers Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum, or Newt Gingrich won the GOP Presidential nomination last year. If only conservatives watched, Fox wouldn't be nearly successful as it is.
With this evidence, my verdict is Not Guilty. "Fair and Balanced"? Not quite, but pretty close. Close enough we know we're getting honest reporting.
And isn't that why we're watching?
That's my Political Rant for Monday, May 20, 2013. Agree with it or live in wrongness.
---Uncle Steve--
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