George Rebane
‘Fair, balanced, and unafraid’ has been the smug, self-preening tagline for Fox News, most prominently used by Bret Baier as the sign-off to his daily flagship Special Report program. Perhaps that was once true, but during the last couple of years FN has changed by markedly migrating toward the lamestream media. While still covering news items totally absent or buried on leftwing outlets, the network bends over backward to feature as many progressive guests and commentators as possible on every issue of current interest. Today it is literally impossible for a middle-road viewer to determine the ideological bent of most of FN’s programming during the 24-hour cycle. The only exceptions to this are perhaps Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham. These, however, are balanced with other FN stars such as Chris Wallace with a marked and longstanding tilt to port.
The biggest change is that the palpable lies and propaganda narratives of leftwing guests and interviewees are no longer challenged for their verity. These days the leftwinger can tell an obvious whopper, and the FN host will go on to the next question or subject without so much as lifting an eyebrow. Led by Baier and Martha McCallum, the remaining daytime FN personalities do everything they can to avoid controversy on the air, and therefore leave its viewers to sort things out as they witness equal time and voice given to leftwing opinions and interpretations that not only go unchallenged, but are presented as having equal weight with any and all opposing opinions and interpretations. Is it really fair to present obvious falsehoods without so-much as giving the audience some factual context within which to interpret such assertions?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not asking FN to limit featuring its parade of leftwingers making news and shaping opinions. But I am asking all so-called journalists to have the guts, then and there, to call out the obvious lies and baseless opinions of their guests, be they from the Right or Left. (As RR’s polarized commenters have been doing for years.) And here’s the critical question every media interviewer should have the timely wits and courage to ask their guests each time they land a load of crap onto the airwaves –
‘Your viewpoint is fairly controversial, where can our viewers go to see the evidence that made you say that?’
Timidly scurrying on to the next question or topic doesn’t cut it for the claim of being ‘Fair, balanced, and unafraid.’ Time to reinstall that backbone.
[25may20 update] ‘The ‘Liberal Leaning’ Media Has Passed Its Tipping Point’, so confirms Van Gordon Sauter, former president of CBS News. This is the belated point that many on the national scene are finally beginning to recognize. A phenomenon that became apparent to many of us at the grassroots level years ago (RR stands on its 14-year record). No one well-read on the socio-politics of America for the last 50 years believes that the country’s Fourth Estate will ever regain its credibility – journalists are all biased ideologues lying to their audiences about being ‘fair and balanced’. All we are now doing is the Great Divide two-step that is becoming more pronounced with every passing month. Any semblance of a middle ground disappeared years ago. Look at the 14-year record of RR comment streams, which confirm an unpretentious, simple yet significant reflection of Main Street America’s understanding, beliefs, and sentiments.
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