Here's something I ran across while perusing news on CNN's website.
I bet they do! But I'm sure it has nothing to do with polls that indicate Fox is one of America's most trusted news sources.
Remember the days when the media understood that its role was to act as a watchdog of government? When Woodward and Bernstein exposed the corruption in the Nixon Administration and helped bring it down? The Enemies List?
Grizzled, chain-smoking newspaper editors viewed themselves as the only people protecting America against totalitarianism, acting as the country's ombudsmen. White House Press Corps veterans are supposed to report on the President's policies with a healthy skepticism, taking pride in adopting a contrarian stance to act as a counterbalance against that powerful office.
You would think, then, that news organizations would have a sense of kinship with each other, and if the President tried to freeze one of them out for asking too many questions, the others would protest--not join in on eliminating their competition.
A brand-new poll shows that 81 percent of Americans get their election information from cable news sources, with Fox News Channel blowing away the competition. Millions of people tune into FNC, which is the only major news source that has adopted the contrarian stance with the President that the other news organizations used to do with other presidents.
Consequently, FNC is killing CNN and MSNBC in the ratings, and the damage they are doing has resulted in President Obama singling them out for attack.
He's so outraged at their coverage of his presidency that he told Rolling Stone that FNC is "destructive" to U.S. growth.
They scrutinize his policies and that's bad? That's their job, and frankly the rest of the media isn't picking up the slack.
It's a bit disturbing to anyone who knows what the Commerce Clause is to hear him say they are a threat to the economy.
But aside from that, shouldn't the other members of the press sort of speak up in the name of Freedom of the Press, like they did earlier this year when Obama tried to exclude Fox from the White House Press Corps?
Instead, they are silent because Obama is helping to wound a competitor of theirs. Some journalists they are, siding with the people they are supposed to watch to help kill a news organization that dared to ask too many questions.
If Obama succeeds in diminishing Fox, who's next? Anybody else who questions the administration, I suppose.
Eric Ingemunson's commentary has been featured on Hannity, CNN, NBC, Inside Edition, and KFI's The John and Ken Show.
Eric was born and raised in Ventura County and currently resides in Moorpark. He earned a master's degree in Public Policy and Administration from California Lutheran University. As a conservative, Eric supports smaller government, less taxation, more individual freedom, the rule of law, and a strict adherence to the Constitution.
Eric,
Please explain how their coverage of the type of mustard Barack Obama likes or their smear that a hand bump is a "terrorist fist jab" helps America.
The poll does not state that Fox is the most trusted news source. It satates that more people watch Fox. Not the same thing.
Now who's the one distorting facts.
louie: The poll was not taken on trust, but one might reasonably infer that the massive stampede to Fox and away from the Lie-beral media just might be related to that.
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Rachel Dykow, Keith Olderman, and Ed Schmuck are hardly competition.
You're right Brian, they cover Obama's mustard and his fists 24 hours a day--no other content in between, like elections, his policies, etc.
Brian,
About two months ago President Obama appeared on The View. During the conversation with the President the panel discussed Justin Bieber, Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, and Snooki. They also talked about his Blackberry and his family vacation to Maine.
It seems to me that all of the networks engage in some level of "fluff" journalism. Why then do you only criticize FNC? How exactly does having a conversation with our president about Snooki help America? Are you suggesting that every story run by networks like CNN and MSNBC are important to America?