So Roger Ailes’ joke about Barack Obama "went too far" for Sen. Harry Reid and the Nevada State Dem Chair Tom Collins, forcing them to cancel the debate.
Fox News promoting the failed Bush policies in Iraq and at home and Swiftboating Democrats and any other administration critics – that didn’t go too far.
Providing the soundtrack and special effects for the Iraq War - that didn’t go too far.
Circulating editorial memos that parroted White House spin – that didn’t go too far.
Building a right wing media empire that threatens our democracy – that didn’t go too far.
Now we’re supposed to applaud the NV debate pullout as a victory of truth over tyranny or something. I’m not. If we leave it where it is the frame will be "left wing bloggers punish Fox for harmless joke."
That would be a shame, and a wasted opportunity.
Fox is on the defensive over the NV debate issue. They’re fighting back like cornered dogs – rabid and irrational. What "legitimate" news organization would ever say:
News organizations will want to think twice before getting involved in the Nevada Democratic Caucus which appears to be controlled by radical fringe out-of -state interest groups, not the Nevada Democratic Party.
Now it’s time to pounce.
Congress wants to investigate the Bush administration and how we got into this mess? Investigate the media too – Fox in particular, but the others don’t get off the hook either. The best of them were derelict in their duties to ask the tough questions throughout the last six years. The worst of them demonized critics and actively promoted Bush’s war.
Show those internal Fox editorial memosthat frame story, regardless of the facts.
Show video of Fox "journalists" drilling WH talking points into the heads of Fox viewers.
Haul up Murdoch and present them with his own quotes that Fox was supporting the Bush policy in the Middle East"
Take the testimony of current and former Fox – the ones with integrity will come, at least.
In fact, Outfoxed should be required viewing for every member of Congress (and every American). From the interviews to the video to the internal editorial memos, you can't walk away from that documentary unconvinced about what Fox really is.
What's the Congressional oversight justification? Media ownership and the public trust. The FCC is considering further easing cross ownership rules. Democrats need to show where current deregulation has gotten us, and start the process of more regulation for the public good, not less.
Will the Democrats have the guts to see it through? There are plenty who are licking their lips at a chance to expose this travesty. But too many (including leadership and presidential candidates) quake at the mere thought of taking on a major media organization.
There is always a lot of hand wringing over whether it is better to appear on Fox to get try to get the truth out to a large segment of the population, or simply boycott it. That debate will be a lot easier when Fox is exposed - including to its own viewers - for what it really is. Then, anyone associated with Fox, from guests, to paid experts to "journalists" will by definition be seen as enabling the Bush propaganda machine.
And should Congress hold hearings, how will supposedly objective opinion-shaping news outlets react and cover such a story? When shown what a cancer Fox news is on the media and body politic, will they look at the evidence, recognize it for what it is, and cut it out before it metastasizes? Or will they turn away and look for the next shiny, amusing non-story to lull us back to sleep.
Americans know they were misled into war. They know our leaders are out of control and incompetent. They know Congress failed to reign them in. They even suspect the media are biased. What they don't know is how bad it really is, and how deep it really goes.
They're ready to find out.