The Democrats will not be able to defeat Trump until they can find a counter for his signature move of Tweeting Whatever He Just Saw On TV, Whenever He Saw It. My suggestion: maybe pour some soup or whatever into the back of his TV. That should do it.
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) March 6, 2019
It’s time — high time — to take Fox News’s destructive role in America seriously, @sulliview writes https://t.co/WJw5BiyVop
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 7, 2019
… Given First Amendment protections, Fox News can do pretty much what it wants on the air. It can shrug at Hannity’s excesses. It can allow Tucker Carlson’s misleading rants on immigrants and crime. It can constantly undermine special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of Trump.
But for mainstream journalists to suggest that there be no consequences or even recognition is willfully blind — and smacks of an unseemly inside-the-Beltway solidarity.
What Fox News has become is destructive. To state the obvious: Democracy, if it’s going to function, needs to be based on a shared set of facts, and the news media’s role is to seek out and deliver those facts…
… Fox News can continue to function as something close to Trump TV. It can go on spreading disinformation.
But everyone ought to see it for what it is: Not a normal news organization with inevitable screw-ups, flaws and commercial interests, which sometimes fail to serve the public interest.
But a shameless propaganda outfit, which makes billions of dollars a year as it chips away at the core democratic values we ought to hold dear: truth, accountability and the rule of law…
Did someone say ‘Tucker Carlson’?
The leaked chats from members of white supremacist group Identity Evropa show a gross degree of sycophancy for Fox's Tucker Carlson that includes active fantasizing for a Carlson presidential run. Read here: https://t.co/464Tiog9ps
— cristina lópez g. (@crislopezg) March 8, 2019
debbie
The only defense is one of vast, open mockery.
SiubhanDuinne
If you didn’t hear Terry Gross’ interview with Jane Mayer yesterday, you owe it to yourself to listen.
ETA: link
npr.org/2019/03/07/701189433/jane-mayer-on-the-fox-news-white-house
debbie
@SiubhanDuinne:
It was awesome! I seriously believe Jane ranks up there as one of the best reporters in forever.
Millard Filmore
Since the Equal Time rule is dead, and not applicable, how about another approach. Claiming to be a doctor or nurse without proper credentials is prohibited. In some states companies cannot have the word “engineer” or engineering” in their name without having actual credentialed engineers on hand or in management. The same can be applied to “news” organizations. In order to have the word “news” in their name, some large percent of their programming must be verifiable news.
There is no censorship, Fox can keep doing what they are doing now. They cannot fraudulently claim to be a NEWS company and must change their name.
debbie
@Millard Filmore:
Fox did drop “fair and balanced”…
chopper
god, it’s like someone pinched my nose and puked in my mouth.
The Midnight Lurker
@debbie:
Works on offense too.
rikyrah
@debbie:
She really is. She is wonderful ??
Ohio Dad
The threat to “open up” the libel laws for politicians may come to backfire where Faux News is concerned.
Anonymous At Work
Does the WaPo know that taking Fox seriously would actually mean listening to…gasp…liberals??!!?!
Or are we saving that shock for later?
SFAW
Eto pravda
NB: Gin & Tonic or zhena gogolia, please to correct my Russkiy as necessary, since my “command” (so to speak) of the language is limited to “da,” “nyet,” and “Ein Bier, bitte.”
debbie
JFC:
chris
@debbie:
Chyron HR
@debbie:
Yes, but keep in mind that these noble members of the proletariat would have voted for Bernie instead if he’d been on the ballot.
debbie
@chris:
It’s still blasphemy.
debbie
I was just listening to BBC headlines. They’re saying Shine left because of friction with Trump. Maybe at some point Fox will come to regret their “partnership” with Trump.
chris
@debbie: There was ajoke about him finally cracking a bible. He didn’t, he just put his name in the author’s place.
The Midnight Lurker
@debbie:
Amen, sister. First commandment with a fucking bullet.
lollipopguild
@The Midnight Lurker: The Ten Commandments do not apply to the gop and never have. Rules, laws, taxes and Commandments are for the little people and all those other people.
Bill Arnold
@The Midnight Lurker:
Martin won a thread this afternoon with this: Jealous. Having a book signed by the author always increases its value considerably.
You might have won though.
Anne Laurie
@chris: He was afraid that if he opened one, it’d burst into flames.
Villago Delenda Est
My nym. Over and over and over again.
Wipe them out. All of them.
wenchacha
It would be really funny to learn that Identity Evropa is sock puppetry by Tucker. A girl can dream.