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Tag(s): Ideology; Lies; Lies Bush; Lies Cheney; Lies Media; Lies Neocon; Lies Republican; News Categories; Propaganda; Propaganda Wars; (more...) Spin; Wars (less...)
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October 25, 2007 at 15:56:41

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Are Fox News and Right-Wing Pundits Illegally Supporting Blatant Lies and Propaganda

by Justanothercoverup Page 1 of 2 page(s)

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Does freedom of speech allow Fox News and their hate mongering right-wing pundits to pollute America’s airwaves with propaganda disguised as news? I have serious doubts that propaganda is legal in any form, however, the government may use it disguised as a ploy to promote “National Security” – but a lie cannot be disguised as truth without committing fraud, and we as a nation should demand truth. However, as it pertains to Fox News and their daily dose of hatred, they cannot claim to be a government entity, and promoting lies and political spin that borders on fraud should be illegal, and in this writer’s opinion, it is detrimental to the public and helps to promote hate and fascism, the obvious goal(s) of the Bush administration and Rupert Murdoch.

We are now faced with the real danger of another war, and heading the charge in attempting to sway public opinion to support another illegal and immoral war is Fox News – and I believe it’s illegal and should be challenged in Federal Court. RAW Story ran this article, and it’s apparent that the march towards war is gaining momentum, and we as Americans must do something to stop the lies and propaganda, demand truth and facts, and allow us to make up our own minds without the incessant opinions of right-wing pundits that border on the absurd:

Media pundits ask: Should the US bomb Iran now?

10/23/2007 @ 8:49 am
Filed by David Edwards and Muriel Kane

In the wake of Vice President Cheney’s saber-rattling statements over the weekend warning Iran of “serious consequences” if it attempts to develop nuclear weapons, the cable news networks have focused heavily on the prospect of imminent war against Iran.

Fox News spoke with military analysts Lt. Col. Bill Cowan and Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney. Both men are members of the Iran Policy Committee, which was founded in 2005 to press for more aggressive action against Iran.
Cowan told Fox that he believes we are heading for war with Iran, though he suggested it might be more effective to support the “positive, forward-leaning political resistance against the regime” — an apparent reference to the terrorist MEK group of which the Iran Policy Committee has been a supporter.

McInerney, however, said, “We, in fact, should. There are enough dots out there that we have more than enough rationale to do it.” He claimed that Iranian President Ahmadinejad has killed more than 300 Americans in the last 8 months — a figure which, if correct, would amount to roughly half of all US deaths in Iraq during that period.

Muravchik — who has been a leading exponent of overthrowing the Iranian government since 1993, when he co-founded the Foundation for Democracy in Iran — described Iran as “the biggest international sponsor of terrorism.” He asserted that Iran is “on a mission that starts with hegemony over the Middle East … It sees itself, in a sense, at war with us. … If it gets a nuclear weapon, it will use that as a kind of umbrella with which to push forth its quest for dominance.” MUCH MORE

The above exchange, which you can watch if you follow the above link, is somewhat “fair and balanced” – but that’s the way the Iraq War began, as Fox News also lead the charge back then to raise the specter of war, and were a major contributor in swaying public opinion to invade a country that had nothing to do with 9-11.

Media Matters has one of the best descriptions of Fox News I could find, and as you read their synopsis, it’s easy to see that “Fair and Balanced” cannot be applied to Fox News with a straight-face, and if it isn’t fair (Media Matters has a huge amount of documented falsehoods emanating from Fox News) how do they deserve to entitle their broadcast as “News” when at best, it’s Republican spin and propaganda only disguised as news, and it’s harming our country:

Fox News Channel

Launched in 1996, Fox News has in recent years consistently earned higher viewer ratings than the other cable news networks. It is owned by News Corp., which also owns Fox Broadcasting Co. The media empire of News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch also includes the conservative New York Post and The Weekly Standard. Roger Ailes, the chairman, CEO, and president of Fox News Channel, is a former aide to President Nixon, a consultant to President Reagan, and worked for George H. W. Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign.

Fox News’ programming features numerous on-air personalities who have furthered conservative misinformation, including Bill O’Reilly on The O’Reilly Factor, who labels himself “a traditionalist”; Sean Hannity, who with Alan Colmes co-hosts Hannity & Colmes; and Brit Hume, host of Special Report, which is largely presented as straight news, though Hume injects his conservative perspective into much of the program’s coverage. As a July 2004 Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting study has documented, Special Report regularly features one-on-one interviews with subjects who are conservative far more often than liberal or moderate. The show also includes a discussion panel that often repeats Republican talking points. The morning program Fox & Friends features three hosts with conservative perspectives. Carl Cameron, the network’s chief White House correspondent, and congressional correspondent Brian Wilson have both often presented ostensibly straight news programming with a slant that favors conservatives. Fox’s other daytime programs (The Big Story with John Gibson, Fox News Live, and Your World with Neil Cavuto) and its marquee weekend news show (Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, which also airs on Fox Broadcasting Co. affiliates) also are presented as objective news sources, yet Media Matters for America has compiled substantial research indicating the network’s coverage most often favors the conservative viewpoint and often blatantly misinforms viewers.

Fox’s featured programs (Fox & Friends, The O’Reilly Factor, and Hannity & Colmes) often advance misinformation that furthers the conservative position on an entire slate of issues. Besides the network’s self-identified conservatives, Fox’s “straight news” anchors and reporters continually amplify misinformation that favors the conservative viewpoint and on occasion have even admitted their own conservative perspective. MUCH MORE

The above paragraphs are loaded with links to substantiate what they have written, and I suggest following the link for a better understanding of how Fox is polluting our airwaves.

The danger we face is the segment of the population that count on Fox News to understand politics and world events that affect our nation, and unfortunately, are beguiled into believing they are listening to the truth, and that others with differing opinions are somehow unpatriotic or don’t support our troops, which is a blatant falsehood. As an American that supports our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Rule of Law, I’m getting sick and tired of knowing that a major news network is poisoning a huge swath of our population with hate and propaganda, all of which make it exceptionally hard for Liberals, Progressives, and even Democrats to disseminate truth and facts when we are at a point in history when fascism is rapidly taking-over our country. If there was ever a time the people of the United States were entitled to the truth, it’s now, as we stand on the brink of another war and our country itself is being re-made to resemble Hitler’s Third Reich, all compliments of Bush and Cheney, and the unwavering support of Fox News and their slew of hate spewing right-wing pundits.

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http://justanothercoverup.com/

I am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today's world where we can't trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer to meld several relevant stories together, that each taken alone may not expose the entire situation, but when taken-in as a whole, tend to give the reader a better understanding of the subject. One article or story alone does not represent the "Big Picture" - but when several are effectively tied-together it often reveals a trend or broader view of the subject matter that is important to completely understand any given situation. http://justanothercoverup.com/

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6 comments

Charlie Levenson is a writer and activist in Portland, Oregon. In addition to serving as the Manager of Electronic Communications for a social/athletic club in Portland, he instructs in Digital Media at Portland State University, consults on communications strategy, and occasionally writes/directs videos.
Charlie LCharlie Levenson is a writer and activist in Portland, Oregon. In addition to serving as the Manager of Electronic Communications for a social/athletic club in Portland, he instructs in Digital Media at Portland State University, consults on communications strategy, and occasionally writes/directs videos.

The Short Answer...

"Does freedom of speech allow Fox News and their hate mongering right-wing pundits to pollute America’s airwaves with propaganda disguised as news?"

Yes. And "Corporate Freedom" as well.

by Charlie L (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 720 comments) on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 6:18:30 PM

I am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today's world where we can't trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name
William CormierI am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today's world where we can't trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name

If the short answer is Yes, Then Congress should address it

A comment was posted on Buzzflash where this article is also linked, and I was surprised to see that you are probably correct:

#1 what about the trial a few years ago (two FOX reporters that got canned after refusing to edit their investigative piece in a way that they knew would tell false info)? If I understand it correctly, a federal appeals court said FOX can knowingly provide false information as "news" LINK

I haven't had time to reseach this allegation, but I have little doubt it's true. If Congress is truly intent on representing the people, then this is a matter that should be brought before Congress. Right-wing pundits may have the right under our belief in freedom of speech to express their opinions, but when the media is allowed to lie to the public and pass it off as news, that is fraud, pure and simple. Slanting a report is one thing, however blatant lies and misinformation are contrary to the welfare and safety of the people.

The government has been caught several times lately running spots on TV that appear to be news, but were in reality slick propagada pieces disguised as news, and again, that is the essence of fraud. We have to quit accepting the status quo and stand-up for ourselves and attempt to bring back creibility to the MSM as a whole, and simply accepting that a Federal Judge ruled it's OK doesn't mean it is, and the ruling should be challenged in the Supreme Court as well as legislation passed by Congress.

If the general public knew the actual truth as do those who find their information and news on the Internet, running these scoundrls out of office would be easy, but as long as we allow the news media to pass off lies and propaganda as news, the public will never wake-up until it's too late.

JAC

by William Cormier (133 articles, 7 quicklinks, 18 diaries, 332 comments) on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 7:31:21 PM

I am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today's world where we can't trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name
William CormierI am nothing more than a patriotic American that is doing whatever I can to further the cause of democracy, the rule of law, and am absolutely outraged on how the Bush administration is defying our Congress, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights! Footnote: I write in a style that I believe is appropriate in today's world where we can't trust the Mainstream News Media, and rather than concentrating on one article alone, which may or may not receive the exposure and emphasis it should, I prefer...

to see more of bio, click on member name

And here goes Fox again, attempting to scare America

With no new evidence, Fox continues to ask: Did al Qaeda burn California?

David Edwards and Nick Juliano
Published: Thursday October 25, 2007

For the second straight day, Fox News stood virtually alone in advancing thinly supported speculation to raise fears that the wildfires ravaging California are not the result of a confluence of arid heat and high winds but were set deliberately by al Qaeda terrorists bent on destroying America.

Fox & Friends, the conservative cable channel, was panned Wednesday for breathlessly reporting a sketchy, four-year-old FBI memo as if it offered new information linking America's enemies in the "Global War on Terror" with a plot to burn down southern California.

The morning team was back at it Thursday, as anchor Alisyn Camerota introduced a segment on the fires that again mischaracterized and over-inflated warnings from a 2003 interview with an al Qaeda detainee.

Camerota said Fox's fear-mongering was "based on some information the FBI sent to local law enforcement in California and other Western states ... that there was a plot afoot to set three or four different" fires. Left unsaid by the Fox news-reader was that the FBI warning was sent more than four years ago, described a potential plot that made no mention of California, could not be proven accurate and did not raise alarms from forrest-fire officials at the time. (Such caveats all were included in an Associated Press report on the warning at the time.) MUCH MORE PLUS VIDEO

JAC

by William Cormier (133 articles, 7 quicklinks, 18 diaries, 332 comments) on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 7:50:21 PM

Mail carrier who drives the rest of my colleagues nuts with my politics.
ScottMail carrier who drives the rest of my colleagues nuts with my politics.

Turn that question around

Does freedom of speech allow Keith Olbermann to spew his lies and hatred and hypocrisy? And what about the stuff that I could call hate speech found on Air America and Nova M? And I have seen despicable crap on Indymedia and other left-wing blogs, just as I'm sure you have found objectionable stuff on Free Republic. The First Amendment covers all of this.

by Scott (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 586 comments) on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 8:19:31 PM

I am a black woman who is a progressive and which to find a way to get this country back on its feet by shaking up the status quo.
chip90043I am a black woman who is a progressive and which to find a way to get this country back on its feet by shaking up the status quo.

Turn that question around

To Scott:

When is it hate and when is it telling the truth. I have never heard Keith Olbermann or anyone on Air America lie about anything. And they sure dont go around personally attacking people and their families. I think you dont want to hear the truth about your on party. I try to find ways to make them look like alter boys. You are a right wing tool. Freedom of speech should not give anyone the right to spill propaganda all over the airwaves.

by chip90043 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 60 comments) on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 11:24:34 AM

Mail carrier who drives the rest of my colleagues nuts with my politics.
ScottMail carrier who drives the rest of my colleagues nuts with my politics.

Examples

Examples abound. Most recently, Olbermann spewed out that Michelle Malkin got fired from "The O'Reilly Factor". That was a lie; she quit over a feud with Geraldo Rivera. Randi Rhodes heavily insinuated that the California fires were set by Blackwater. From Nova M, Mike Malloy said that President Bush started the fires.

Attacks: Sam Seder called FNC's Brit Hume a scumbag who was partially responsible for his own son's suicide. Rhodes has told kill-Bush jokes on the air. Mike Malloy said the Blogs For Bush website founder should get the crap kicked out of him; he also called Bush supporters "red-state morons".

Olbermann responded to a couple of critical e-mailers in classy fashion : "Kill yourself"... "Go f### your mother".

Right wing tool, my butt. I am a proud conservative and a proud American, speaking real truth to power.

by Scott (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 586 comments) on Friday, October 26, 2007 at 9:43:55 PM