Obama: Fox News is 'destructive' to America

[zulater]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...merica/?hpt=T2

(CNN) - President Obama is pulling no punches when it comes to Fox News, declaring the cable news outlet to be "destructive to [America's] long-term growth."

In a more than 8,000-word interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Obama compared the cable news channel to papers owned by William Randolph Hearst at the turn of the 20th century that unabashedly pushed the media titan's own political views.

"You had folks like Hearst who used their newspapers very intentionally to promote their viewpoints. I think Fox is part of that tradition – it is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view," Obama told the magazine.


Officials in the Obama White House have long made Fox News a punching bag, launching a full blown offensive last year when aides declared the network to be "opinion journalism masquerading as news." Then-White House Communications Director Anita Dunn said the cable outlet "operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party," and top aide Valerie Jarret called Fox "clearly biased."

But the new comments from Obama constitute the president's most direct attack yet on the network owned by business mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Fox News pushes "a point of view that I disagree with. It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world," Obama said.

Could you imagine if Bush had said this about NBC or CBS? Damn this guy is thin skinned, he's got 80% of the media in his pocket and that's not enough.

[X-Terminator]

Don't really care because I don't watch Fox or any of the other news networks. Besides, ALL media is biased in some way, whether it's right or left. It's important for everyone to understand that, because it would save people a great deal of consternation and hand-wringing.

[SCSTILLER]

What's destructive to America's long term growth is the Obama presidency!

[Craic]

I guess CBS making fabricating military records to discredit President Bush isn't bias though.

Also, if you look at the their poll averages, Fox news usually comes in about 1-3 points to Obama's positive against Rasmussen, USA today, Gallup, etc. Which means, they play it down the line... as opposed to say, newsweek, ABC, CBS, and NBC, that seems to consistently put up the best approval numbers in polls.

No, Mr President. Fox News isn't bad for America, your demands that everyone adhere to YOUR metanarrative because it is the RIGHT one and damning those who don't is bad for America.

Something tells me you aren't quite enjoying the first amendment when YOU are the one in power.

[GBMelBlount]

Fox News pushes "a point of view that I disagree with. It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world," Obama said.

I am curious exactly what "point of view" he is disagreeing with....and how it is "destructive"?

Obama's beliefs and agenda run completely contrary to the principles this country was founded upon...freedom, liberty and an accountable government....

FOX is the the only major news network that consistently points this out.....so it is no wonder Obama is attacking them.

[venom]

What's destructive to America's long term growth is the Obama presidency!

Post of the Day !!

[BnG_Hevn]

Quinn's Rule #1 - Dems actions generate the exact opposite of what they intend.

When CDs with "vulgar lyrics" etc came out, there was a group of mothers that wanted them banned or censored so they put the "warning labels" on the packaging. I remember an interview with 80s rock groups saying that was the best thing for them because all the kids gravitated towards the albums that were censored.

Well, now he will push people who don't watch Fox TO Fox to see what the hub-bub is about.

[GBMelBlount]

Quinn's Rule #1 - Dems actions generate the exact opposite of what they intend.

Great point. There are many examples of this.

For instance. Welfare was ostensibly created to get people through a rough patch.

The actual result is that it has also created a great amount of entrenched and generational welfare by many who milk the system and have lost the desire to work.

Same with extending unemployment. I know people who could have full time work but view unemployment as a free source of income and are careful not to work more than a certain amount of hours to ensure they do not lose it.

Another good example is corporate taxes. The U.S. has the highest corporate tax rate in the world to pay for their multi trillion dollar budgets and massive deficits. This undoubtedly contributes to massive layoffs and corporations moving overseas.

Am I anti welfare, unemployment assistance or taxes. No. Just pointing out there are often unintended and very costly consequences.

[Craic]

Quinn's Rule #1 - Dems actions generate the exact opposite of what they intend.

When CDs with "vulgar lyrics" etc came out, there was a group of mothers that wanted them banned or censored so they put the "warning labels" on the packaging. I remember an interview with 80s rock groups saying that was the best thing for them because all the kids gravitated towards the albums that were censored.

Well, now he will push people who don't watch Fox TO Fox to see what the hub-bub is about.

Yep, it was called the PMRC. It was headed up by . . . Tipper Gore.

Funny thing though... I really didn't mind it. I do think the parents should be able to have more knowledge over what their child buys. Same thing as a ratings system for movies. It's not a freedom of speech issue IMO, rather, almost a Freedom of Information issue for parents. I also find it quite funny that in doing however, by demonizing bands and types of music (which was quite stupid), they made it so much more popular as "the music to rebel with".

[BPS3akaWirels3]

Post of the Day !!

I wondered why I love Fox news so much.. Thanks for pointing it out Nobama..

[JonM229]

I wondered why I love Fox news so much.. Thanks for pointing it out Nobama..

More like Faux News

[Craic]

More like Faux News

Really? I am really confused now because as far as I know, fox news has never manufactured and FORGED evidence. BTW, I gotta wonder when was the last time one of the "mainline" or even "cable news" programs actually BROKE a story hurtful about a Democrat.

Do you remember the "October surprise" about Bush and the DWI? That was broken.... BY FOX NEWS.

[The Patriot]

Really? I am really confused now because as far as I know, fox news has never manufactured and FORGED evidence. BTW, I gotta wonder when was the last time one of the "mainline" or even "cable news" programs actually BROKE a story hurtful about a Democrat.

Do you remember the "October surprise" about Bush and the DWI? That was broken.... BY FOX NEWS.

I remember watching "Fox and Friends" when Obama was having that dumb pick-nick with the police officer and the black professor, and (of all things) they criticized Obama for choosing to drink Budweiser, because Anheuser Busch is technically now owned by the Dutch and the President should always buy American.

That's Fox News journalism for you. Call it whatever you want.

[Wallace108]

Fox News gets a bad rap because their anchors tend to editorialize a bit too much. I'm not talking about Hannity, Beck, and O'Reilly ... I'm talking about morning/midday anchors like Megyn Kelly, Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum who are supposed to be objective.

But even if they do editorialize too much, at least they report the stories and bring up both sides ... unlike CNN and network news shows that ignore or alter stories that don't fit their agenda.

Case in point: When eight officials in a city in California were recently nailed in a scandal, NONE of the major networks were reporting that they were all Democrats ... except Fox. If they had been Republicans, you KNOW it would have been mentioned as soon as the story broke. The same thing happened when the Rod Blagojevich story broke. The mainstream media went out of its way to avoid identifying him as a Democrat. Yet when Republicans get caught up in a scandal, Fox always identifies their party affiliation in their reports. And so do the other news outlets ...if it's a Republican.

A news outlet doesn't have to be biased in what it reports ... it can be biased in what it DOESN'T report.

[Wallace108]

I remember watching "Fox and Friends" when Obama was having that dumb pick-nick with the police officer and the black professor, and (of all things) they criticized Obama for choosing to drink Budweiser, because Anheuser Busch is technically now owned by the Dutch and the President should always buy American.

That's Fox News journalism for you. Call it whatever you want.

"Fox and Friends" isn't really a news show. It's a lighthearted morning show, sorta like "The View."

[JonM229]

Really? I am really confused now because as far as I know, fox news has never manufactured and FORGED evidence.

They don't seem to have any problem showing manufactured evidence as news. Let's not forget how they pumped up the Shirley Sherrod incident. They were the first ones to report it and continued to do so many times that day. Then they criticised the other media outlets after it turned out that the clip edited out the part where she wasn't actually promoting racism.

[JonM229]

"Fox and Friends" isn't really a news show. It's a lighthearted morning show, sorta like "The View."

So lighthearted

[Mach1]

Waaaaa, Fox News reports the facts, Waaaaa.

Hurry change the channel to any of the other lame stream news channels so you can get that chill up your leg from the obaaama love fest.

[Wallace108]

So lighthearted

Ahh, come on, Jon. Do you think "The View" is a serious news show? And do you think things have never gotten heated on that show?

[beSteelmyheart]

Its the Blaaaame Gaaame...
Iman-a mana Obama fe fi fo Bama, me mi No Bama, Obama!!

[SteelerEmpire]

I'm so freakin' tired of politics... Will the "Kings of Kings" please step up !!!

[JonM229]

I'm so freakin' tired of politics... Will the "Kings of Kings" please step up !!!

...you're talking about the first go-round, right?

[SteelerEmpire]

...you're talking about the first go-round, right?

Bear with me J.... I'm tryin to "keep it gentile" as much as possible... lol... bear with me... lol...

[7SteelGal43]

waaaaaaa Fox News hurt his wittle feewins ?!!

[steeldawg]

I guess that makes msnbc america's savior?

[Wallace108]

I guess that makes msnbc america's savior?

Yep. And this is our queen:

[Godfather]

But even if they do editorialize too much, at least they report the stories and bring up both sides ... unlike CNN and network news shows that ignore or alter stories that don't fit their agenda.

In fairness to CNN, Jeannie Moos and Drew Griffin are fair, nonpartisan journalists.

Griffin did an expose on Obama's history of Rove-like tactics and did a piece on Troopergate that left no doubt that firing him was the right thing to do.

Moos did a piece on "refudiate" that showed clips of verbal flubs by multiple politicians from both sides, including "corpse-man". She did one shortly after the election where a psychologist analyzed a notebook page with doodles by Palin, and the shrink concluded that Palin is highly intelligent, very economical (she used pretty much every square centimeter of the page), but has a chaotic thought process.

[Mach1]

Yep. And this is our queen:

And the king.

[Dino 6 Rings]

Free Speech and a Free Press is destructive? I guess it is if you're a communist that fears any counter argument. I bet the folks in North Korea or Iran or Venezuala would love to have a station like "Fox News".

[Wallace108]

In fairness to CNN, Jeannie Moos and Drew Griffin are fair, nonpartisan journalists.

I agree, Godfather. CNN does have good journalists, but so does Fox. As a conservative, I'll be the first to admit that Fox leans right. Too bad liberals can't admit that CNN and the major network news shows lean left.