FOX News Plots Ultra-Partisan Election Night Coverage

FOX/GOP Tea PartyThe FOX News Channel has announced their plans for coverage of the midterm election results next Tuesday. And it should surprise no one that they are plotting to skew their reporting by putting overtly partisan, activist personalities in the anchor chair and over-weighting their analysts with avowed conservatives and Republican operatives.

When election results start to roll in, Fox will have Bret Baier co-hosting a special edition of America’s Election HQ with Megyn Kelly. Kelly is one of the most reliably biased and aggressive advocates of GOP doctrine on Fox News. She is arguably worse than Glenn Beck in many respects. Her trademark is sensationalizing otherwise obscure “controversies” to smear Democrats or progressive issues. Her coverage of the New Black Panther Party and the non-mosque that is not at ground zero are two examples of her hyperactive approach to trivialities in the news.

At the analyst’s table Fox will feature weak pseudo-Democrats like Juan Williams, Joe Trippi, Geraldine Ferraro, and Kirsten Powers. Those are names that are unlikely to make any Republican nervous. They will also have neo-neanderthal Pat Caddell, whom they continue to identify as a Democrat despite his open hostility to the party. He is the poster child for Fox News Democrats who fail to represent the party’s views and are more often critical than supportive.

On the other hand, Fox News is bringing out their big guns to represent the GOP: Karl Rove, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, and Charles Krauthammer. And if that’s not enough uber-conservative firepower, they can turn to their primetime attack-dogs Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren. The notoriety of FOX’s hard right flank on election night, as compared to their tepid roster of “lefties,” puts the lie to their ludicrous claim of being “fair and balanced.” It also contradicts their prior assertion that ideologues like O’Reilly would ever have a role in election night coverage:

Irena Briganti, FOX News VP of Media Relations: The notion that O’Reilly would anchor election coverage of any kind is beyond absurd and wildly inaccurate.

Beyond absurd is just the tip of the iceberg. The FOX press release for their election coverage plans notes that they will also include stories from Eric Shawn and Mike Tobin. Shawn’s beat will be “reporting on voter irregularities in New York.” For a preview of his reporting, refer to his previous coverage of the issue that was aimed exclusively at alleged Democratic irregularities. Tobin’s duties are described as “reporting on the Tea Party influence.” So FOX is dedicating a reporter to cover the phony Tea Baggers, but they have no similar assignment for anyone to report on the influence of progressive activists like labor (or civil rights, or seniors, or gays, or environmentalists, etc).

I don’t think any fair observer expected FOX to cover the election in a manner that was remotely impartial. After all, this is the network whose parent company actually donated a $1 million to the Republican Governor’s Association, and another million to the conservative/GOP affiliated U.S. Chamber of Commerce. But they have really outdone themselves with this lineup. If it tells us anything, it is that they have stopped sporting any pretense of neutrality.

So look for FOX’s coverage to be sharply skewed to the right (as usual). And look for them to gleefully cheer Republican victories and maliciously charge that any Democratic gains were the result of fraud.

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6 thoughts on “FOX News Plots Ultra-Partisan Election Night Coverage

  1. First of all, O’Reilly and Hannity will have the night off. That has happened for the past several elections in November. So the main opinionators will not be in the mix.

    “…phony tea baggers…”

    Lie. Tea partiers are going to win several elections next Tuesday.

    “…Megyn Kelly is worse than Glenn beck…”

    Another lie. Her work is exemplary.

    And for ultra-partisan election coverage, that will be happening over at MSNBC. Olbermann and Maddow and Matthews will be sitting their butts in the anchor chairs. It promises to be the biggest cry-fest in TV history when the results roll in.

    • Oh Scott…..

      First of all, your assertion that O’Reilly and Hannity will have the night off contradicts Fox’s press release which says that they will be there. I know Fox lies a lot, but I’m gonna go with their press release on this.

      Secondly, there will be NO Tea Party winners in this election because there is no Tea “Party.” There will be some GOP winners – and losers too.

      Thirdly, you enjoy calling me a liar even when I’m expressing an opinion. That’s very childish. I happen to think that Kelly is, in many ways, worse than Beck. I’m sure you think her work is exemplary, but that’s just your opinion and it probably means you didn’t even bother to read the link I provided.

      Finally, I agree there will be some partisanship at MSNBC. That shows that I am living in the real world, while you cannot admit the simple and obvious fact that Fox is also partisan. Enjoy your Fantasyland.

    • “The Cronicle of Media Decay, top of the page.” Do you get it yet?

    • Scott says:

      Lie. Tea partiers are going to win several elections next Tuesday.

      Actually, they’re Republicans, Scott. If they were with the “Tea Party,” they would be running under that banner. They are not.
      Question: If the Tea Party, as they have said in interviews, is made up of roughly 1/3 (R), 1/3 (D), and 1/3 (I), how is it that 100% are running as Republicans?

      11/05/08 “It’s all on Obama now!” -The Radio Factor w/Bill O’Reilly
      By “all” he means Bush’s disasterous Economic, Foreign, and Domestic Policies which had sent the USA over the cliff.

  2. The FOX News Channel has announced their plans for coverage of the midterm election results next Tuesday. And it should surprise no one that they are plotting to skew their reporting by putting overtly partisan, activist

    Someone remind these hypocrites that MSNBC and Rachal Maddog are FAR from fair and balanced. As in Obama walks on water LOL You can toss in CNN as well. Hmmmmm wonder why they don’t mention how partisan these stations are? Tea Party Express!!!

    • MSNBC is not NBC.

      Why do I have to keep reminding people like you that MSNBC does not advertise themselves as “Fair and Balanced.” They are open and honest about their editorial policy. What’s more, they may have opinions, but they are based on facts, as opposed to the lies and disinformation that Fox bases their reporting on.

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