The Obama war against Fox News: Risky business?

The Obama White House is making no secret of its distaste for Fox News.

In a round of Sunday talk show appearances, the administration escalated its war against the network that likes to call itself "fair and balanced" but that happens to feature quite a few conservative voices.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said on CNN that Fox News isn't even a news organization.

And White House political guru David Axelrod, who had coffee a few weeks ago in New York with Fox News founder Roger Ailes, told ABC that Fox News is "really not news. ... Other news organizations like yours ought not to treat them that way. We're not going to treat them that way."

But some are wondering if this is smart politics. Given that Fox News boasts a far larger audience than cable competitors CNN and MSNBC, and given that most elections are decided by independents who might occasionally watch FNC, the strategy could backfire.

“It's a very risky strategy,” perennial presidential advisor David Gergen said recently on CNN. “It's not one I would advocate.”

For its part, the administration seems content to keep the battle going, even though the wars have already claimed a few victims. Glenn Beck pounded the lectern relentlessly about green jobs czar Van Jones for signing a petition suggesting government conspiracy in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Jones resigned.

Now Beck has turned his furor on White House communications director Anita Dunn for saying that China's Mao Tse-tung was one of her favorite philosophers. Firing back, Dunn said she picked up the line from renowned Republican strategist Lee Atwater and that it was meant as irony.

"The use of the phrase 'favorite political philosophers' was intended as irony, but clearly the effort fell flat -- at least with a certain Fox commentator whose sense of irony may be missing," she said. Keeping up the White House attack, Dunn also charged that Fox serves as "the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party."

Now Beck is charging that the White House attack is akin to media genocide, like going after the Jews during the Holocaust.

I dunno, don't these folks have something better to do?

-- Johanna Neuman

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Comments

[Tony]

Given the liberal nature of other media sources and their continuous attempts to make news rather than report it, I welcome a conservative voice.
The media in general should review the definition and origin of the term "Yellow Journalism".

[Joe]

As far as im concerned this is just the precursor to the state run news (propaganda machine) they would like to put in place. Get this sorry commy and his sorry commy friends out of office while we still can people.

[Michael Levine]

No, they don't have "anything better to do." Fox uses the time honored tactic of The Big Lie: repeat something enough times - i.e. "Obama's Death Panel Would Kill My Downs Baby" - and people begin to believe there must be something to it. History has shown that the ONLY way to combat this is to call it for what it is, early and loudly. When you don't...well, just ask John Kerry how that Swift Boat thing turned out. The only embarrassing thing here is how passive the rest of the media is to the wolf in its fold. The administration is doing your job.

[Francis Hopkinson]

Yes, nothing that is critical of The Won could *possibly* be news!

Wake up America!

[D]

Glen Beck is certifiable.

[Mike Reagan]

The White House versus Fox News smacks too much of Hugo Chavez and how he is attempting to silence critical media in Venezuela. Fortunately for us, the current White House is not experiencing the success that Hugo is...so far. Better keep a close eye on this one, folks. It is troubling indeed.

[Rob]

I think Americans should be very concerned with our President and his staff to spend their precious cycles (time and energy) on criticizing TV networks vs. solving National Issues (rising deficit, declining job opportunities being lost to more cross border outsourcing, and national security). The bottom line is we are wasting massive amounts of tax dollars by have our president and his staff focus on critisim and commentary vs. real national issues. Is this what we all voted for? So much for feeling comfortable about change. This isn't the change I voted for...

[Bud Miller]

This unwarranted attack against a legitimate news organization smacks of sour grapes and is a bare knuckled attempt at censorship. Americans may have voted for President Obama, but they got Richard Nixon!

[tommyzax]

Let's go hypothetical and leave behind for a moment whether Fox "deserves" this treatment or whether Washington is right or wrong. Hypothetically... let's say Fox is destroyed or cowed into submission. What does this say about Washington's power? The gross misuse of it? Suppression of speech and press? What does it bode for other news outlets? Does Fox provide a good example of "what will happen to you" by Chicago thug politics? Answer honestly... after Fox, who next?

[Charlie McDaniel]

The White House is running scared because Fox News is exposing their hidden radical agenda. The truth is never popular!

[South Florida John]

The White House is beginning to really concern me, not so much for it's stumbling approaches to broken campaign promises, but it's appearing as if it is run by the local high school debate team. Do we want this as our representative to other nuclear welding powers around the world in life or death matters? I don't think so!

[Doug]

Well, the bottom line is that Emanuel and Axelrod are correct. If one wants right-wing editorializing and slanted coverage, then Fox is the place to go. As a non-affiliated independent, I long ago was turned off by Fox's blatant Republican bias and as a result quit watching them (or at the very least cast a skeptical eye at their assertions). I prefer the facts so that I can make up my own mind, so I'll stick to CNN and other legitimate news outlets.

[Bob]

Fox news is to the right, most of the other news is to the left. The White House just dislikes fox because they exposed acorn and acorn is Obamas pals. I have less respect for the administration than ever.

[mullingitover]

This is an interesting editorial slant. The Obama administration 'declares war on fox news.'

Right.

Because Fox was a totally neutral party before the White House randomly started attacking them. Seriously, is this what we, your readers, are expected to believe?

Fox news is to journalism what the WWE is to sports, and to pretend otherwise is an insult to your readers.

[Madman2001]

It's a sad day when the President of the U.S. goes to "war" with a news organization.

[Carol]

I never bought into the Messiah image, but nevertheless I had a fairly positive image of Obama. He at least seemed fair and reasonable -- someone who would listen to both sides of an argument. I am sad to see how quickly power corrupts....

I think it prudent to get one's news from a variety of sources, including FOX. But what is this I read....? The Obama administration is bent out of shape because Fox did a fact check on the stuff that one of its officials spouted...?

Shouldn't ALL media be doing such fact checks...? Does this mean the media HAVEN'T been fact checking -- and have been just taking the words of POLITICIANS (!!!) at face value...?

Time for ALL media to ramp up those facts checks -- and do some critical thinking about what comes out of this guy's mouth.

[Ed Apodaca]

So does the the Obama regine want to run are news media now, or just get rid of one's that do not agree with him.

[Dean]

If we had no religion or Fox News the world would be a better place.

[j3161usa]

Here we go, now foxnews is the victim. Everybody knows that the republicans have been clamering for an all republican-rush limbaugh-like news network for years. I also know that the only people who beleive that foxnews is fair and balanced are republicans. I also know that the republcans need those upcoming democratic seats in 2010. Any normal independant thinker who watches foxnews for 1 day can tell you it is republican leaning. And as for Obama going to war with foxnews---ITS ABOUT TIME! Foxnews has been "picking" on obama since last year. relentlessing beating him up on almost every issue, celebrating his failures and hating his successes. Foxnews we are not fooled, lie if you want to, but you're no victim.

[edge]

I think that FOX should escalate!

Bring up legit questions about Admin. policy ( perhaps questions from a public poll )and ask:

" why won't the administration answer these questions, WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?"

When Obama has a Press Conference ask what he is hiding that he won't let his people on FOX!
Embarrass him in the public's eye!
IMO the ONLY thing he cares about is his EGO!

[JOHN]

I watch a number of talking head during the week but I've found myself gravitating to the FOX NEWS Network because:
They present all the news and facts.
They don't try and taint the news like CNN and CMBC did on the Rush Limbaugh story over the last few weeks.
They aren't so damed bias as the LEFT Wing Media.
I'am just one of the millions who would rather listen to FOX then the other so called media stations. The only thing they are good for is corrupting our youth and disgracing our country and what we were founded on.

[Ray]

So I was expecting some insane comment from Glenn Beck after this article and the headline above the clip, " Like going after Jews at the Holocaust" and then it ended and I thought...wtf? Really? I listened...twice...and all he talked about was when you let censorship start and people don't do anything because it doesn't affect them it will come back to haunt them. Like in Germany when they started rounding up the Jewish community and people sat by because they though, "I'm not Jewish" until the Germans came back and said how about the gypsies, etc... So sad the White House has to play this game, it's so juvenile and does not reflect well on the professionalism of the staff.

[jim]

Go Fox News we independents are behind your news service
100 %. How else will we know what the government is
doing. The other news station never report about
the government actions. So keep up the great work
and don't let the White House control you also.

[Andrew Perkins]

I don't think the Fox position is being portrayed accurately by anybody but Fox. Glenn Beck is saying Obama is a Marxist and Communist by nature of the fact that he surrounds himself with professed and outspoken Communists in his governmental appointments and political affiliations. If this charge is false, it is the duty of the White House and of the "free" media to question Fox's false position. This has not happened yet -- only avoidance, from everyone. You can say you are not going to play Fox's game and so avoid the serious questions, but that is not what a real journalist does. They address truth, even if it is unfriendly. So, ask the questions and get to the bottom of our government. Keep us a free society, and earn your "first amendment salt". Ask boldly.

[JErry]

I guess a polital agenda among news channels is OK as long as it suits Axelrods agenda....what a joke.