"OutFoxed": How Fox News Is Destroying American Journalism

O'Reilly is not a newscaster, nor are Hannity, Colmes, Rivera, or Susteren. They're commentators, opinion mongers, performers, entertainers, as are Al Franken and Andy Rooney. Of course, I understand that's a difficult distinction for Democrats to grasp.

Fox is not news then.

But they say they are,

and they say they are the "fair and balanced" news station.

That's called lying, but I understand that's a difficult distinction for republican apologists to grasp

The Independent Media Institute ( IMI), parent organization of AlterNet, filed a legal challenge with the U.S. Trademark Office that seeks to strip Fox of its "Fair and Balanced" trademark registration on the grounds that it was "merely descriptive" (making it ineligible for trademark registration) as well as "false and misleading." AlterNet (which is a project of the Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent journalism) filed its challenge with the U.S. Trademark Office on December 23, 2003, just under the wire - only hours before the clock was scheduled to run out on Fox's "contestability period," which is the legally mandated 5-year window during which a trademark registration can be challenged. After that period the right to use the trademark becomes "incontestable" and virtually invulnerable, and its holder is entitled to prevent anyone else from using it, under penalty of legal prosecution, virtually forever, and regardless of whether the trademark was legitimately registered or not. Now, for the first time, AlterNet is making that legal challenge public. We are also joining MoveOn.org in launching an international campaign to confront Fox News in its blatant efforts to use the airwaves for political gain and to promote right-wing politics. This weekend, MoveOn.org sponsored more than 2,700 house parties to view "Outfoxed," Greenwald's documentary, and included dialogue with Greenwald and MoveOn.org's leadership and this writer to announce our legal challenge to Fox.

Might look to you like squirming, c.i. , but it feels more like spikin' the gameball to me :wink:

blatant efforts to use the airwaves for political gain and to promote right-wing politics ...

"My first priority is to get sued by a right wing jerk in order to generate interest in my new show, The O¹'Franken Factor," Franken said. Our hope is to do drug-free talk radio, although I understand it¹s never been done.

"Quite simply, my plan is to alter the political landscape, drive this radical right-wing president from office and stand as a beacon for ordinary Americans who work hard and play by the rules. Short of that, I'd just like to get on in Albany," added Franken.

Might look to you like squirming, c.i. , but it feels more like spikin' the gameball to me :wink:

Kinda amusing too is that FOX has generated as much alarm in some quarters as it has. While it is the cable news leader...

O'Reilly is not a newscaster, nor are Hannity, Colmes, Rivera, or Susteren. They're commentators, opinion mongers, performers, entertainers...

timberlandko wrote:

Kinda amusing too is that FOX has generated as much alarm in some quarters as it has. While it is the cable news leader...

timberlandko wrote:

O'Reilly is not a newscaster, nor are Hannity, Colmes, Rivera, or Susteren. They're commentators, opinion mongers, performers, entertainers...

So it's a cable news leader, but it's newscasters are not newscasters.

Ratings for Basic Cable Networks


Rankings for the top 15 programs on basic cable networks as compiled by Nielsen Media Research for the week of July 5-11. Each ratings point represents 1,084,000 households. Day and start time (EDT) are in parentheses.

1. ``The Pilot, Parts One and Two'' (Sunday, 9 p.m.), USA, 4.6, 4.99 million homes.

2. ``Law & Order'' (Monday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 3.2, 3.48 million homes.

3. ``WWE Raw Zone'' (Monday, 10 p.m.), Spike, 3.1, 3.37 million homes.


4. ``Law & Order'' (Tuesday, 9 p.m.), TNT, 3.1, 3.34 million homes.


5. ``Monk'' (Friday, 10 p.m.), USA, 3.0, 3.23 million homes.


6. ``WWE Raw'' (Monday, 9 p.m.), Spike, 2.7, 2.95 million homes.


7. ``Law & Order'' (Monday, 8 p.m.), TNT, 2.6, 2.85 million homes.


8. ``Law & Order: SVU'' (Sunday, 8 p.m.), USA, 2.6, 2.82 million homes.


9. ``Law & Order'' (Monday, 10 p.m.), TNT, 2.6, 2.8 million homes.


10. ``Law & Order: SVU'' (Sunday, 11 p.m.), USA, 2.6, 2.77 million homes.


11. ``Fairly Odd Parents'' (Sunday, 10 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.5, 2.67 million homes.


12. ``Law & Order'' (Tuesday, 8 p.m.), TNT, 2.4, 2.65 million homes.


13. ``Fairly Odd Parents'' (Sunday, 10:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.4, 2.59 million homes.


14. ``Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica'' (Wednesday, 10 p.m.), MTV, 2.4, 2.58 million homes.


15. ``SpongeBob SquarePants'' (Sunday, 9:30 a.m.), Nickelodeon, 2.4, 2.57 million homes.



07/15/04 18:48


© Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained In this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Paint by Numbers
How Repeated Reportage Colors Perceptions
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 12, 2004; Page C01


The good news for President Bush is that he has dominated media coverage in recent months, a new study says.

The bad news is that much of the reporting has focused on the president's character -- and has been negative by more than a 3-to-1 margin.

The bad news for John Kerry is that the media assessments of his character have been negative by a margin of more than 5 to 1. The good news is he's been so overshadowed that there haven't been that many stories about him.

In an era when both Republicans and Democrats increasingly view the media with distrust, the findings could spark a renewed debate on biased coverage in the final months of a tight campaign. But there's no question, based on an accompanying poll, that the press is having an impact on the 2004 election. The more people read and watch, the study says, the more likely they are to echo the themes emphasized by journalists.

The report by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, Pew Research Center and University of Missouri journalism school looked at newspaper, broadcast and cable coverage from late March through early June. Researchers found that coverage often revolved around news events, such as the struggle in Iraq, and not campaign activities.

The most prevalent message about Bush, says the study, is that he is "stubborn and arrogant." Second most prevalent: Bush "lacks credibility." Third: The president is a "strong and decisive leader." Of all the comments about character, 56 percent were negative toward Bush, and 16 percent positive.

The most commonly reported theme about Kerry: he "flip-flops" on issues. Second: He's "very liberal." Third: "A tough guy who won't back down from a fight."

Of all the characterizations, 23 percent were negative toward Kerry, and 4 percent positive.

And where are these judgments coming from? In many cases, journalists themselves. The assessments of Bush's arrogance came from reporters more often than the Kerry campaign (46 to 28 percent), and at about the same rate on credibility, the study found.

For example, CBS's John Roberts reported in April: "At stake tonight, the president's credibility, chipped away at in recent weeks by the twin issues of Iraq and the 9/11 investigation."

"The fact that reporters feel pretty free to just infer things, or interpret from other people's statements, makes it easier for the campaigns to spin," says Tom Rosenstiel, the project's director. Campaign strategists "can say these things, even anonymously, and reporters will put it in their own words."

Negative characterizations of the Massachusetts senator were driven far more often by GOP attacks than journalists themselves, such as NBC's Tim Russert saying in April: "And the Republicans pounding away on the flip-flops of John Kerry, day after day."

Possible explanations, according to Rosenstiel: The Bush camp is more aggressive in going after Kerry, or journalists are biased in the Democrat's favor.

The negative reporting seems to have had a limited impact on Bush. According to the poll, 53 percent see him as tough and 48 percent as strong and decisive -- followed by 44 percent who say he's stubborn, 33 percent who say he twists the facts and 27 percent who call him a wealthy elitist.

The image of Kerry is less distinct but more negative: 36 percent say he flip-flops, 28 percent say he twists the facts and 20 percent call him a wealthy elitist -- followed by 18 percent who say Kerry is strong and decisive and 15 percent who call him tough.

A blizzard of ads has had relatively little impact on the public, despite the two campaigns' combined spending of $150 million, the project found. But the more ads viewers see, the more likely they are to say that Kerry flip-flops, a constant theme of the Bush ad blitz.

The researchers dutifully crunched the numbers on late-night political jokes. Jay Leno was the "least edgy," although the only one to zing Kerry as an elitist. David Letterman was "more pointed" and "probably harder on the president." Jon Stewart was the most likely to jab the administration as a whole, especially over Iraq, but his "digs at Kerry are less frequent."