Friday, July 18, 2008

Netroots want "Opinion Media" label for Fox News

The kids running the show at "Netroots Nation" (formerly known as the "Yearly Kos" convention) want reporters covering the convention from Fox News Channel to have press credentials identifying Fox as "Opinion Media".
Planners of the conference want to force representatives of the cable news network to wear credentials identifying them as opinion media rather than providing them with the regular press passes other news outlets will receive.

[ ... ]

The Netroots, however, may not get their way.

A spokeswoman for Fox News called the policy a “predictable stunt and a moot point” since the network would not be sending anyone to cover the four-day conference that kicked off in Austin, Texas, on Thursday.
As I read the NYT item, I was chuckling to myself and wondering if the Nutroots would require the same of MSNBC just as I got to this part:
The idea to label Fox journalists as opinion media is, in fact, not a new one. It’s been tossed around on blogs, and MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann also mentioned the idea on his show last summer.
Stunning.

Setting aside for a moment the opinion shows on FNC, such as Hannity & Colmes, O'Reilly Factor, etc., if one actually watches the news reporting on FNC, there's nothing ideologically remarkable about it. It is - for lack of a better phrase - fair and balanced. OK, so maybe they don't do the Democrats any favors by repeatedly having the buffoonish Bob Beckel representing their side so often, but nobody's perfect.

I've written before about the ideological totalitarianism of the left, and this is just further evidence of it.

Update: More ideological totalitarianism at Nutroots Nation. Former Democratic Congressman Harold Ford was booed for offering up some kind words for his former colleagues at Fox News, where he was a regular contributor.
"I used to work for Fox News. I no longer am there," he said after an audience member, during the Q&A session, accused him of smearing Democrats and echoing right-wing talking points. "I have great, great respect and admiration for my former colleagues there..."

Some in the crowd were incredulous, hissing Ford, asking (err... screaming) "why and who," and offering a scattering of boos.
Hat tip to Hot Air headlines.

3 comments:

Tyler said...

Tip of the hat to you, Eric. I've been involved in a Forum war on FNC for a while now (of course defending it) and this is just another good point of how the wacky left tries to portray it as some far right fuck facts corporation. They think that because the people of Fox and Friends have the balls to call Jesse Ventura "Jesse" and Mr. Former Governor. I applaud them for taking such a stance on live television.
I wouldn't even call H&C opinion, they have Alan "the wee man" Colmes sitting in the dark corner.
You bring up a good point, Beckel is on far too often. Let's just remove him and have no representation for the other side and then call it "Objective news". Americans overweight problem might change itself overnight.

Tyler said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Eric said...

Yeah, the lefties are obsessed with Fox News. They get their pick of lefty drivel on any of a zillion news channels, and you get ONE news channel which airs any right-wing views, and they go all frothing at the mouth.

In the immortal words of Markos Moulitsas, screw 'em.