The journey from there to here
Published on April 26, 2006 By Gideon MacLeish In Politics

President Bush's selection of Fox News commentator Tony Snow to replace outgoing press secretary Scott McClellan was an interesting one, to say the least.

For many years, Fox News has tried to portray itself as "fair and balanced", and has chided other stations for either getting in bed with the current administration, or putting the administration in their sights, whichever accusation best supported the thesis of the pundit making it. Their commentators have taken on the self appointed mantles of "culture warriors" and other jingoistic, pseudoheroic labels to describe their war for traditional values, which were, most assuredly, under attack, and which would certainly disappear but for their valiant sacrifices as they stood in the gap.

Now, the channel of "no spin" has had its mask removed and proved itself to be its own wicked twin in a soap opera-esque turn as one of its own receives a noble appointment for his years of faithful spin serving the Bush administration. Any reasonable doubt that Fox News is shilling for the Bush administration should now begin to be erased in the minds of all reasonable Americans. Expect Ruppert Murdoch to move into the Lincoln bedroom anytime soon.


Comments (Page 1)
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on Apr 26, 2006
Hmm...

And this is different from... what?

I don't seem to recall any outrage or scorn when previous press secretaries were recruited from supportive press organizations.

And just who among the squealing-pig press would you have him choose? If the squealing-pig press can be considered fair, so should be Fox.
on Apr 26, 2006

Daiwa,

My original response didn't make it. Darn bugs.

I actually think Bush made a wise choice here. Tony Snow is a capable spin doctor, and should be just what the administration needs.

My problem is, rather, with Fox News, which advertises itself as being "fair and balanced", while it is anything but. Just like the similarly appalling left wing media, Fox News has presented spin to us as news, and I'm sick of the charade.

on Apr 26, 2006
That's a fair criticism. I've grown a little tired of Hannity's stubbornness at times and H&C have taken to presenting somewhat extreme charicatures of both sides, calling that "balance." If you look at a number of the other Fox commentary shows, however, they are less histrionic and for the most part indeed fair & balanced.
on Apr 26, 2006

Fox NEWS is fair and balanced.  They never claimed they did not hire conservative Opinion people.  INdeed, I doubt you could call Alan Colmes or Greta van Sustern conservative, now could you?

They have not blown anything up with this pick by Bush.  Did you know that Sean Hannity has the second highest rated talk show?  And he is no liberal.  Did you know that Tony Snow has sat in for Rush Limbaugh at times?

None of this goes against their pledge of fair and balanced News.  Commentary is not news, it is the speaker's opinion.

on Apr 26, 2006
None of this goes against their pledge of fair and balanced News. Commentary is not news, it is the speaker's opinion.


But the majority of their shows are commentary, not news. Sadly, however, they try to disguise it as news. Fox News is as much a GOP shill as MSNBC is a DNC shill; they're just more entertaining at it, that's all.
on Apr 26, 2006
But the majority of their shows are commentary, not news. Sadly, however, they try to disguise it as news. Fox News is as much a GOP shill as MSNBC is a DNC shill; they're just more entertaining at it, that's all.


Mara Liasson, Juan Dixon, Alan Colmes, Neal Gabler - they hardly qualify as GOP shills. And you don't see similar representation of opposing views on MSNBC. While their most highly rated shows are more commentary than news, that doesn't apply to all of them by any means.
on Apr 26, 2006
And this week's "Ack, quick, I have to prove I'm not a Republican" article is...

I've stated before that I don't think Fox News is any more balanced than any other channel, but I think it is silly to point to this as reason to think they are "in bed" with Fox. It's my understanding that Murdock is no fan of Bush at all, either.

"But the majority of their shows are commentary, not news."


Show me a 24 hour news channel that isn't the same way. Worse, they all have their 'clone' shows. CNN has their O'Reilly (Lou Dobbs) waving the flag about immigrants and ripping Bush with the same ferver that he's defended on Fox, MSNBC has their elfish version of Greta covering the pop trials. There's no difference in any of these channels.

...not one of your best, and not even one of your better worst, Gid. How many Clinton bobbleheads ended up on the news channels, full or part time? That must mean they were in cahoots before, then, right, and now are reaping the benefits of their past relationship?
on Apr 26, 2006
Bush does give FOX News its credit by hiring one of FOX's commentators as his press secretary. I don't think this is a scathing indictment of FOX's political leanings, though.

Bush hired a press secretary who'd be good in front of the cameras and would see the journalist's side of the issues as well as the administration's.

It's just business... and sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
on Apr 26, 2006
But the majority of their shows are commentary, not news. Sadly, however, they try to disguise it as news. Fox News is as much a GOP shill as MSNBC is a DNC shill; they're just more entertaining at it, that's all.


SO are all the news channels (except CNN Headline). And while Commentary is most of the broadcast news, it is not the fair and balanced part. And when you break it right down, lets compare apples to apples. Colmes and Van Susteran are not conservative. And CNN has? MSNBC has?

if you are looking for a 24x7 only news channel, try CHN. 30 second sound bytes 24 hours a day. And the same thing over and over and over.

Compare the News reporting. They all have them. And check how they label the politicians. How many say "Liberal Kerry" vs 'Conservative Bush"? That is where the fair and balanced comes in. In the slant of the news, not in the commentary. I know you dont have cable, but you can read the sites. Anyone right of center is "Conservative" or "Ultra conservative". Anyone left is just "Sen Kerry" or "Howard Dean".

Give me a break!
on Apr 26, 2006
Bush does give FOX News its credit by hiring one of FOX's commentators as his press secretary. I don't think this is a scathing indictment of FOX's political leanings, though.


It is no indictment. He was Bush 41's lieutenant before he was Fox. Stephanopolous did not make MSNBC liberal because he worked for Clinton.

And Baker, check out CHN. Mind numbing after an hour, but no commentary.
on Apr 27, 2006
mmm maybe we should wait for snow to say something before we condemn him.
on Apr 28, 2006
Gid, I agree with your measure of Fox to some extent, but not Tony Snow. TS has taken GWB to task a number of times, along with others in his admin. I believe the point of the selection was, GWB wants somebody with a public background of challenging GW in spit of party alignment..
on Apr 28, 2006
great post Gideon ...

you get more news watching John Stewart's Daily Show and Bil Maher' RealTime than all of MSNBC/CBS/ABC/DEF/GHI/XYZ combined.
I keep it all turned off ... unplugging is the only way to actually THINK

something thats not done much these days ... where we are spoonfed opinions as fact etc
on Apr 28, 2006
Watching the News I don't personally see a slant in it when they are covering the daily events. Unlike other news channels they allow the viewer to form an opinion on their own without labeling the story. I feel that's important in news coverage to have a certain amount of impartiality and neutrality. I get turned off by reporters that spout their opinions.
on Apr 29, 2006
"you get more news watching John Stewart's Daily Show and Bil Maher' RealTime than all of MSNBC/CBS/ABC/DEF/GHI/XYZ combined.
I keep it all turned off ... unplugging is the only way to actually THINK

something thats not done much these days ... where we are spoonfed opinions as fact etc"


Mmmm, you get no political opinion from Stewart and Maher... oh, no, never... besides, I mean, well, everything they do...
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