QUICKLINK U.S. · October 20, 2009 · Broadcasting
With Fox dispute intensifying, White House pledges to cooperate
Keywords: White House
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Just days after the White House excluded Fox News from the roster of networks that hosted senior aides on weekend news shows, administration officials have pledged to book representatives on the network going forward, the Associated Press reported.
The move was a conciliatory gesture towards Fox News, which Pres. Obama avoided during his tour of five Sunday morning news programs last month on CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS. For months, the Obama administration and Fox personalities have thrown punches about czar appointments, health care, Chicago’s Olympics bid and other political issues.
The dispute began to ramp up in June, when Obama appeared on CNBC, saying, “I've got one television station entirely devoted to attacking my administration.” He said the network had a “big megaphone” and that “you'd be hard-pressed, if you watched the entire day, to find a positive story about me on that front.”
Fox was the only major network that refused to broadcast Obama’s health care address in September. Instead, Fox broadcast a dance program, former Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe said this weekend on “Fox News Sunday.”
Later in September, the White House’s Briefing Room blog said Fox’s Glenn Beck lied during his coverage of Chicago’s Olympic bid. The Web post referred readers to Politifact “for even more Fox lies.”
About a week later, Time Magazine reported that White House Communications Director Anita Dunn regularly follows conservative media and fiercely criticizes Fox’s coverage. She told the magazine Fox’s coverage is “opinion journalism masquerading as news.”
On Oct. 11, Dunn appeared on CNN and criticized Fox for being “a wing of the Republican Party.” Days later, the Washington Post profiled Dunn and quoted a “source inside the White House, who was not authorized to speak about strategy meetings” who “said Dunn went out front against Fox first and foremost because it was her job, but also because it potentially gave the administration the opportunity to distance itself from the flap with the Roger Ailes-led news channel once she leaves the communications job.”
White House officials joined the fray on Sunday but conceded they would cooperate with the network in the future.
The Wall Street Journal reported that when White House adviser David Axelrod appeared on the ABC News program “This Week” he said Fox is "not really a news organization" but "we're going to participate, but understanding they have a point of view."
— Ansley Schrimpf, 6:58 pm
Comments: (4)
Comment by David E. Connolly, Jr., Tue, Oct 20, 2009, 10:19pm
The only problem is that the white house has come out and said it is Beck, and other opinion pieces like his that are not news. Well, duh, that's why they are called opinion pieces. Beyond that, some news organizations are liberal, and a couple are conservative, and what the hell is wrong with that? That we have different slants on the news is testament to America's freedom of speech, and of the press. Politicians in communist countries routinely have reporters killed, and imprisoned, but in the free world, politicians have to have a lot thicker skin. Finally, as Saturday Night Live pointed out, I think someone has more important things to do...
Comment by Rodney Jenkins, Tue, Oct 20, 2009, 11:14pm
For years, I have marveled at the "news" on Fox. "Unwavering Far Right Propaganda" should have been their slogan. The words on that show were so blatently and blindly one sided, I was simply astounded at their audacity. I find the White House statements about "Fox not really a news organization" to be a breath of fresh air. And for the few cerebral folks out there, consider what it means for general health when one part of the body continually and viciously attacks the head.
Comment by dianne in NC, Wed, Oct 21, 2009, 12:37am
There is nothing wrong with having a conservative station- that also reports news no one else will. The other networks spend so much time on non-news. Beck has uncovered major corruption and people are beginning to see this administration for what it is- an attempt to totally transform America toward a global government where individual freedoms will be gone. Beck used to be funny - but as his team has researched and torn into the facade of the Federal government, he no longer is the comedian, he is the bell-ringer , trying to wake up ordinary people before it's too late. THAT'S why the attack is mounting- the show is uncovering things that were supposed to be "overlooked" and have been by the regular networks.
Comment by William Assad, Wed, Oct 28, 2009, 12:11pm
Glen Beck should run for the presidency to save this country.
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