Matt Stoller's column about Fox News being a tool of the Republicans doesn't make any sense. His argument is this:
Fox News is a direct pipeline of misinformation from the GOP leadership into the traditional press.
"Misinformation," like referring to lefty bloggers and Moveon.org "radical," and "fringe," in a press release, for one thing. I know it might seem an accurate description of individuals and organizations at the far left spectrum, but just because other organizations won't use it doesn't mean Stoller should take it out on Fox.
By the way, Stoller's "pipeline" includes three examples:
Specific examples are breathtakingly dishonest, including the Obama Madrassa smear, Carl Cameron's false claims that John Kerry referred to himself as a “metrosexual” and “news anchor” Brit Hume repeating the false canard that the public does not trust the Democratic Party on national defense.
Sure, I bought into the madrassa story hook, line, an sinker. Ditto for the metrosexual story. Carl Cameron is infallible as far as I'm concerned and that story changed my vote. But when Hume gives that tired old line about the public and defense, I just shake my head and chuckle. That crazy Hume. Crazy. Phew.
Does Stoller really want to start counting "smears" and "false candards?" And is his to be the standard for "breathtaking?" I don't get it.
Here's another argument I don't get:
More than 80 percent of Fox News viewers had a basic factual misconception about the war in Iraq, which were coincidentally used by the Bush administration to justify their policies at the time.
Who cares? What if the same 80 percent believed in man made global warming? Stoller would be trumpeting that America "understands, overwhelmingly, the need to act," or some such nonsense. The quoting of polls is such a lousy argument. The genius 70 percent that support smoking bans are the same ugly fascist 70 that support traditional marriage. It's all the same batch of people who are either lionized or demonized, depending on how they affect popular support.
I wonder how many people watching a "legitimate" news source still think Joe Wilson "debunked" the Bush administration? How many think man made global warming is a "fact." It's not likely we have poll data on that.
Another argument I don't get is Stoller's highlight of conservatives involved with Fox News as evidence of a cabal.
If you agree, than you defacto surrender that virtually all other main stream news is as deeply tainted by the same thing, from the other side of the aisle. The MSM is crawling with people tied in some way to the Democrats or left causes. That, of course, would mean that conservatives have been right all along, and the networks, CNN, NYT, et al, are "propoganda outlets," and should be stripped of all credibility.
Okay by me. That's what we've been saying all along.
Stoller has somehow managed to take what could have been an honest indictment against major media as a whole, and managed to twist it into a Fox trash piece devoid of even the slightest hint of context.
Yet, despite his naked display of partisan vitriol for Fox, his dishonest approach, and his insinuation that Fox viewers (the largest group by far of any cable news network) are largely disinformed, we are supposed to take his word for it that Fox News is Bushhitler Media Vomit.
Fox should be more concerned if the likes of Stoller ever start praising the network. I'm sure he can identify a right-wing slant from 1000 paces, but I don't think he has any concept of what "fair and balanced" really means.
And yes, that means that his entire column is a crock.
Yet here you are.
No comments:
Post a Comment