As if any further evidence was needed…..
Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post wrote a profile of Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer. The piece began by making a completely unsupported assertion that Hemmer was “a middle-of-the-road guy.” However, Kurtz quickly redeemed himself by pointing out that Hemmer’s record of fairness and/or balance was something less than pure.
“The first solo guest on every show but one, from June 1 through July 2, was a Republican or conservative — including Karl Rove (twice), Steve Forbes (twice), House GOP leaders John Boehner and Eric Cantor, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, economist Art Laffer and officials from the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. Conservative commentators, such as John Fund and Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal and Byron York and Chris Stirewalt of the Washington Examiner, appeared by themselves. Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce, a Republican who is a leading opponent of illegal immigration, was on three times. By contrast, a relative handful of Democratic lawmakers were given solo spots, while Democratic strategists were generally paired in debates with Republican counterparts.”
The rest of the article pretty much receded back into the sort of mushy puff piece for which Kurtz is well known. Kurtz didn’t even challenge the anchor, whom he described as having an “infectious grin and golly-gee demeanor,” when Hemmer noted that…
“A viewer needs to understand a story in a short period of time, otherwise they will zone out or they will change the station. Complexities are difficult to sell.”
It’s a good thing Hemmer doesn’t have to report on anything complex like a war in Afghanistan, a Supreme Court nomination, a teetering economy, or an environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.
You might also recall that Michael Clemente, senior vice president of Fox News, defines the hours of 9am to 4pm, and 6pm to 8pm, as the dayparts that air straight news. So Hemmer’s 9:00am program is the springboard to Fox’s news day. And like the rest of the Fox News schedule, it is infested with right-wing bias. In this case the bias is delivered with “boyish enthusiasm” and a comforting simplicity.
Update: Hemmer ventured off to Brian Kilmeade’s radio show to respond to charges of partisanship on his program. He blamed it on Democrats who, he says, refuse his invitations to appear.
I hope he’s right. Democrats should refuse to appear on Fox News. And for the same reason they wouldn’t appear on the Lyndon Larouche Network. Fox is not a legitimate news enterprise and should not be treated as one.
It is a sad however true statement describing much of the viewer ship on both sides of the isle. Tart it up and Dumb it down is the current news media industry guideline.
We see the value in News Corpse and other sites where these complexities are explored and discussed by people with some grey matter. (Qualifier: Most of the respondents have active brain cells.)
Fox News’ new tag line?
I agree that much of the media plays by these rules, and it is sad, but how often do you hear anyone brag about it as Hemmer did? He admits to doing and and is proud that he is “rewarded with viewers.” He is also insulting his audience, isn’t he?
Coined several years ago (passé phrase now) when some of the true journalists, Walter Cronkite and Peter Jennings to name a few, left the scene and the industry began it’s downward slide adding in an entertainment “Value” (Tart) to the news.
I take exception to your false equivalency – “both sides dumb it down.” Keith and Rachel absolutely don’t, plus they cop to their lack of objectivity. And they get ratings.
I didn’t claim that they did. But you are invited to think about it and make your nominations from MSNBC’s cast of intellectuals.
Keith is a complete joke.
HERE’S PROOF HOW WRONG YOUR ARE !!!
Comedians are funny, Olderman is a Clown without make-up.
“A viewer needs to understand a story in a short period of time, otherwise they will zone out or they will change the station. Complexities are difficult to sell.”
Mark and Wally, I think you both illustrate one part of the meaning of this quote, that is that this philosophy creates an uninformed viewer, but you miss what is to me the most insidious part. Hemmer says a viewer needs to “understand” without complexity. Without the inherent complexity of even the most simple news story,what does a viewer need to understand, or, more importantly, how can a viewer understand? While admitting a necessary understanding Hemmer further admits he is curtailing complexity. In short, a viewer needs to understand those issues or aspects Hemmer deems important. That is the partisan political simplicity Hemmer and FOX news want to emphasize. By highlighting a few key facts at the expense of others the viewer “understands” what they are supposed to. It’s called propaganda and Hemmer’s statement is huge. Did Kurtz follow up on this admission?
You made an excellent point by pulling the spot light to the empirical meaning of the statement. And then there’s Glenn Beck who’s often complex commentary is bashed as non-sense rants. If Hemmer comprised the entire Fox line up, your argument would be Iron-Clad.
But again, Beck’s seeming complexity is simplistic. Say Mr. A knows President O. and infer that Mr. A is responsible in some way for policy. By highlighting a mere relationship Beck proposes a conspiracy. His “expose” on Petro-Bras and Soros was so simplified it was an outright lie. Take Megyn Kelly’s current crusade against the DOJ in regards to the New Black Panther voter intimidation case. Give simplistic details without background or historical context and you get the story she wants told. How about Fox and Friends recent “Pledge of Allegiance” outrage. Interview the teenager and limit all extenuating facts.
The simplicity of the story serves the political bias by eschewing the complexity of counter evidence. The only sinister tie to the oil company is Soros’ tie to socialist Brazil’s oil company; the only racism is black racism against whites; the only controversy about the Pledge of Allegiance is that a young child is not allowed to say it. Hemmer is one more symptom of an overall disease on FOX: discard complexity for the simplicity of the understanding we want to be understood.
So you are you claiming Beck is a racist?
If Fox News is not news, then what the hell is MSNBC?