: Outfoxed the Movie; Showing Fox for the Extreme Right Wing Propaganda Machine it is

Outfoxed the Movie; Showing Fox for the Extreme Right Wing Propaganda Machine it is By Anthony Wade

OpEdNews.com

The silence remains deafening from the media over the firestorm that should have been Outfoxed. As previously discussed, this documentary sheds light on the fact that not only is the FOX News channel right wing leaning, but they are actually nothing more than a propaganda tool of the Bush White House. Director Robert Greenwald creates a pattern that proves this by using four separate areas. In part one we looked at his use of actual FOX News clips, testimony from former FOX employees, and a study commissioned by Greenwald, conducted by FAIR, which exposed an 83% republican bias on the flagship news program on FOX, Special Report with Brit Hume. For details of these areas, see part one at this link: This article is examining the fourth area, the internal memos leaked by FOX employees, which clearly show the leaders of FOX News as trying to slant the news. Some may be curious what the issue is here, because FOX is obviously a conservative channel. There are essentially three major problems. The first is the false advertising, which comes along with their packaging. There is nothing "Fair and Balanced" about FOX news, and as was pointed out in Outfoxed, no channel has ever "reported" less than this station with the tag line: "We report, you decide". The second point is that they blur the line. Commentary shows are fine to express opinion, but disguising commentary shows as hard news shows is despicable, and is the norm at FOX. These two problems combine to mislead the American public who may be tuning in to get their news, and then form their opinion. However, FOX has removed that annoying second step, because they have already made your opinion for you, and present it as news. That is what is so insidious. The third aspect of these problems is that FOX is not just espousing a conservative viewpoint; they are actually parroting the administration's talking points. True conservatives do not agree with this President on matters such as the ballooning deficits and rampant spending. However, you do not hear that on FOX, because they will never have a negative spin on this administration or it's policies. This amounts to government media, which exists in communist societies, to keep the people at ease, by hiding the truth. These memos were passed out by the Senior Vice President of FOX News, to the employees at FOX, as daily marching orders. These were the talking points of the day, meant to be used throughout the day, on the various FOX programs. Now, the issue is if the memos are instructing staff to slant the news and if they are, which way is the slant and who stands to gain. Here are some of the excerpts, directly from the memos: "Let's keep in mind that the G-8 contains the most obstreperous dissidents against the war on terror. Bush has a long memory and new friends in Poland the rest of Eastern Europe." "Two style notes: Rudolph is charged with bombing an abortion clinic, not a "health clinic." "The president is doing something that few of his predecessors dared undertake: putting the US case for mideast peace to an Arab summit. It's a distinctly skeptical crowd that Bush faces. His political courage and tactical cunning are worth noting in our reporting through the day." "Scary thought of the day: what if it's a consortium of terrorist groups working together?" "John Kerry may wish he'd taken off his microphone before trashing the GOP. Though he insists he meant republican "attack squads," his coarse description of his opponents has cast a lurid glow over the campaign." "Gas prices are at all time highs in the US. There are reasons for the surge, some economic, some mere business tactics. Remember: US prices, while they seem high to us, are a half or less the cost of gasoline elsewhere." "Kerry, starting to feel the heat for his flip-flop voting record, is in West Virginia." "The so-called 9/11 commission has already been meeting. In fact, this is the eighth session. The fact that former Clinton and both former and current Bush administration officials are testifying gives it a certain tension, but this is not "what did he know and when did he know it" stuff. Do not turn this into Watergate." --let the ACLU stick it where the sun don't shine" "As the witness list indicates, today is likely to be the apex of the so-called 9/11 commission hearings. Tenet, Clarke, and Clinton NSC advisor Berger all testify. We will carry their statements, along with he Q&A, live. Remember that while there are obvious political implications for Bush, the commission is looking at eight years of the Clinton Administration versus eight months (the time prior to 9/11 that Bush was in office) for the incumbent." "As is often the case, the real news is Iraq is being obscured by temporary tragedy." "The Laci and Conner Act passed the Senate and the Prez will sign it. What does this mean for law enforcement and what does it say about the status of the unborn?" "Into Fallujah: It's called Operation Vigilant Resolve and it began Monday morning (NY time) with the US and Iraqi military surrounding Fallujah. We will cover this hour by hour today, explaining repeatedly why it is happening. It won't be long before some people start to decry the use of "excessive force." We won't be among that group." "The continuing carnage in Iraq -- mostly the deaths of seven US troops in Sadr City -- is leaving the American military little choice but to punish perpetrators. When this happens, we should be ready to put in context the events that led to it. More than 600 US military dead, attacks on the UN headquarters last year, assassination of Iraqi officials who work with the coalition, the deaths of Spanish troops last fall, the outrage in Fallujah: whatever happens, it is richly deserved." "The President goes to Charlotte to talk about job training. Buoyed by the 300K job figure last week, he can boast his policies are working." "Air America, featuring Al Franken and other liberals, got on the air last week, but at what cost? Well, in New York, it took the place of an ethnic show. In LA, it knocked off a Korean program. And in Chicago, a Spanish language broadcast was replaced. None of these people are happy." "Err on the side of doing too much Iraq rather than not enough. Do not fall into the easy trap of mourning the loss of US lives and asking out loud why are we there?" "American deaths in this renewed fighting are an important element, but not the only element of the conflict. A battle is more than a macabre statistics report." "The inconsistencies in the Woodward book are beginning to mount to the point of questioning the accuracy of the Watergate hero's latest tome. Brian Wilson is looking through the book, what was said, and what's been denied and what's just plain wrong." "More serious and more important is the US military's end of waiting game for Fallujah. If, as promised, the coalition decides to take Fallujah back by force, it will not be for lack of opportunities for terrorists holed up there to negotiate. Let's not get lost in breast-beating about the sadness of the loss of life. They had a chance." 'John Kerry has positioned himself squarely on the fight over abortion. He attends a pro-choice rally in DC, then addresses newspaper editors. We'll take the latter live" At the Vatican, which operates behind closed doors, Catholic theologians are discussing the moral responsibility of lawmakers who claim to be Catholics. While John Kerry's name will probably never be mentioned specifically, the debate includes his candidacy.' "Ribbons or medals? Which did John Kerry throw away after he returned from Vietnam. This may become an issue for him today. His perceived disrespect for the military could be more damaging to the candidate than questions about his actions in uniform." "Let's not overdo the appearances by Kerry's swiftboat mate John O'Neil. While his appearances so far have been OK, he represents one side of the 30 year recollections of what Kerry did, or didn't do, in uniform. Other people have different recollections." "let's refer to the US marines we see in the foreground as "sharpshooters" not snipers, which carries a negative connotation." "The president and VP are MEETING with the 9/11 commission. They are NOT testifying before it as did witnesses last week. It is an important distinction that we need to make." "We'll get to the electronic voting machine debate, making the point that it has the POTENTIAL to delay elections in many states." "The president goes to Michigan, accompanied by a powerful campaign asset, the first lady." "It is important that we keep the Abu Graeb situation in perspective. The story is beginning to live on its own momentum. The facts of the story may develop into the need to do much more in the days ahead. For the moment, however, the focus appears to be changing to finger pointing within the administration and how it plays out as an issue in the presidential campaign." It is fairly obvious to any impartial person that these quotes represent someone with an agenda, and the truth is not on that agenda. News outlets are supposed to investigate stories, find the truth and report it, not decide for their viewers what is the truth and how coverage will be framed. The slants are always pro-Bush, anti-democrat, and often are straight out of the White House talking points. These memos and the Outfoxed movie go to the heart of one of the largest problems facing this us today. That is the media consolidation in this country, where about ten companies own all mainstream media. The truth is that CBS or ABC are not much better substantively than FOX, they just aren't as deceptive. People spend so much time analyzing what is on the media, we often don't realize what is not, and that is more telling. This past week we see four stories, which should be big news, yet there is barely a blip. They are: Clear Channel denying a billboard ad in midtown Manhattan which is critical of war, during the Republican National Convention. The fact that the administration is looking at how the election can be postponed. The story about how Larry King tried to get Michael Moore to come on his show to meet with a representative from the Bush administration and defend his movie. When Moore agreed, King backed out, possibly at the behest of the White House. The premier of Outfoxed, exposing the corruption of FOX News. Murdoch threatened his counterparts in the media to not make Outfoxed a story, and they apparently have bowed. The Larry King Story has gotten minimal attention at best. The Clear Channel debacle is paid lip service and the potential postponing of an election has been buried. It all points to the dangers of media consolidation. Most people are left to the Internet to find reputable news. FOX News has perpetrated an injustice to all of us for a long time now. Don't lose sight of the fact that they had Bush's cousin, John Ellis working election 2000, and it was his call of the election for Bush, that gave Bush the credibility he needed. The fact is that the AP knew it was too close to call, yet FOX News, throwing all journalistic ethics out the window had the cousin of Bush, call the election for Bush. When you see facts such as these, with statements from ex-employees, independent studies, and the actual FOX clips you begin to see the pattern Robert Greenwald was talking about. When you then see the actual memos passed out by the people who run FOX news, you see that pattern for what it really is. FOX News is nothing more than a shill for Bush. They have lost whatever credibility they may have had. Thanks to Robert Greenwald, they have been Outfoxed. Anthony Wade takebacktheus@gmail.com is an independent writer from New York.