Fox News: Partisan Propaganda Machine

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By David Sirota

UPDATE: Not surprisingly, just as I was writing this post, Fox News did a "breaking news" segment that showed a crazed protestor screaming at Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter (D). Here's the screen shot from Fox's website. I'm sure the protestor will soon be an "exclusive guest" on a Fox News program. As I said, this is not merely a right-leaning news outlet - it is a partisan propaganda machine.

To understand how Fox News crosses the line from right-leaning news outlet into partisan propaganda machine (and there is a difference between the two), look no further than exactly how the network is driving (or at least trying to drive) the health care debate via the congressional town hall meetings.

As a PR tactic, Fox's three-tiered formula is absolutely ingenious:

1. First, Fox has given a huge amount of airtime to covering the lobbyist-organized protests at the town hall meetings, without, of course, mentioning that many of the protests are organized by lobbyists. Mind you, we know this interest in protest and "democracy" is completely politically motivated because we know it is completely new - it's not some ongoing Fox News principle. This is the same network that regularly pilloried anti-war protests during the Bush administration, and gave them almost no coverage, much less positive, whatsoever. So Fox it's safe to assume that Fox is only now interested in protest and democracy because it might hurt President Obama, Democrats and the progressive agenda.

2. Whenever one member of the protestors in the Khaki Pants Offensive makes an especially circus-like scene, Fox then has that particular protestor on for an interview - all under the pretense that the protestor has made him/herself "news." In the last two days alone, I've seen Fox aggressively promote "exclusive" interviews with screaming protestors from Rep. John Dingell's (D-MI) and Rep. David Scott's (D-GA) town meetings. Fox dutifully promotes these people as persecuted martyrs, and their actual claims about health care are barely - if ever - explored for their veracity (or lack thereof).

3. Finally, after helping create the media image of mass protests, Fox has manufactured a reason to continue covering the supposed mass protests. And the cycle starts over.

What this does is create a vicious cycle whereby the small group of conservative activists who are terrorizing these town halls have an incentive to be more and more aggressive. They know that if they can go further than the last supposed martyr, they might get their mug on Fox News. And so from protestors trying to shut down town hall meetings with screaming we get protestors shoving matches and then protestors arming themselves and then protestors making death threats. This is the Fox News Incentive System at work.

Let's be clear: I have absolutely no problem with conservative protestors - even those organized by corporate lobbyists - expressing their strong opposition to health care reform. While I happen to think most of these people are motivated from raw selfishness, and while polls show these people represent a tiny minority of Americans, I sincerely believe they have every right to make their voice heard. Indeed, my personal email signature is a Teddy Roosevelt quote which says, "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."

However, just because you have a right to speak, doesn't mean you have a right to block/intimidate others from speaking or a right to shut down town hall meetings. That's what the Me-First, Screw-Everyone-Else Crowd is trying to do in starting its World War Z. And the Fox News Incentive System is rewarding them for it.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/fox_new...machine/#141913

[GaryC 7]

Could this story be more slanted? It is amusing that a left leaning propaganda machine is complaining about Fox being a right leaning propaganda machine. Does this count as irony?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Could this story be more slanted? It is amusing that a left leaning propaganda machine is complaining about Fox being a right leaning propaganda machine. Does this count as irony?

Go back and read it if already did, Gary, because you completely missed his argument.

[GaryC 7]

Could this story be more slanted? It is amusing that a left leaning propaganda machine is complaining about Fox being a right leaning propaganda machine. Does this count as irony?

Go back and read it if already did, Gary, because you completely missed his argument.

I read it. He is nothing but a far left political hack. Anything he says can be ignored as political tripe.

Sirota worked as spokesperson for the House Appropriations Committee. While a fellow at the Center for American Progress, he created its Progress Report.[1]

Sirota's career in political campaigns began when he became a research director for Illinois State Senator Howard Carroll's unsuccessful run for U.S. Representative in Illinois's 9th congressional district in the 1998 election; Carroll lost in the Democratic primary to J. B. Pritzker and Illinois State Representative Jan Schakowsky.[2] Sirota then became a fundraiser for Joe Hoeffel in his first successful campaign for the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district.[3]

Later he moved to Washington, D.C. and worked in the political department of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).[citation needed] His next job was as press aide and then spokesperson for Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist/independent at-large U.S. Representative from Vermont.[3]

After serving as a senior strategist for Brian Schweitzer's unsuccessful 2000 Senate campaign and successful 2004 gubernatorial campaign, Sirota lived from 2004 to 2007 in Helena, Montana with his wife. In May 2006, Random House's Crown Publishers released his book Hostile Takeover, which argues that corporate interests are driving U.S. economic policy. The book became a New York Times bestseller on July 9, 2006, entering at #23 on the nonfiction list.[4] The paperback edition came out a year later.

Since May 2005, Sirota has been a contributor to The Huffington Post while writing his own blog (which is now at OpenLeft.com). He was a regular guest on The Al Franken Show and makes guest appearances on The Colbert Report, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, NOW, Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNBC, and NPR. He is a senior editor at In These Times, a regular columnist for The Nation, and a past contributor to The American Prospect. He has also been published in the Washington Post [5], the Los Angeles Times [6], the Baltimore Sun[7], and the San Francisco Chronicle [8]. Newsweek has profiled him.[9]

On August 31, 2006, Sirota announced that he would begin working after Labor Day as a consultant to Ned Lamont's U.S. Senate campaign. After Lamont's loss in the November election to the incumbent he had defeated in the Democratic primary, Joe Lieberman, Sirota discussed his own future in a blog post called "Will Work For Food... or At Least Beer":

"...I'd really like to continue writing/blogging, and will probably start working on another book proposal, but it can be a lonely, hapless existence, in which you are always scratching, clawing and fighting for opportunities even after you kill yourself to create a bestseller and take incessant criticism... So basically, if anyone out there has some suggestions for me for the next year, I'm all ears..."

Weeks later, Sirota announced that he had accepted another book deal with Crown Publishers.[10] This book, The Uprising, was released in June 2008 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller, entering the list at number 20 on June 15.[11]. The book was also listed on the New York Times Political Bestseller list for the month of July 2008. [12]

In June 2007, Sirota made two announcements. First, he would be replacing the late progressive columnist Molly Ivins with a column to be syndicated nationally by Creators Syndicate.[13] Second, he would be moving to Denver, Colorado so his wife could attend the School of Social Work at the University of Denver.[14] He has lived in Denver since the fall of 2007, where he continues to write for numerous publications, and has recently been a long-term interim host for the Jay Marvin Show on AM 760 Progressive Talk.

Sirota is also the founder and co-chair of the Progressive States Network (formerly the Progressive Legislative Action Network).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sirota

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Could this story be more slanted? It is amusing that a left leaning propaganda machine is complaining about Fox being a right leaning propaganda machine. Does this count as irony?

Go back and read it if already did, Gary, because you completely missed his argument.

I read it. He is nothing but a far left political hack. Anything he says can be ignored as political tripe.

Weak sauce.

[GaryC 7]

Could this story be more slanted? It is amusing that a left leaning propaganda machine is complaining about Fox being a right leaning propaganda machine. Does this count as irony?

Go back and read it if already did, Gary, because you completely missed his argument.

I read it. He is nothing but a far left political hack. Anything he says can be ignored as political tripe.

Weak sauce.

So was the story, next.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

Unfortunately Fox isn't right leaning enough. Its too forgiving of the socialists.

"Lobbyist-organized" protests is either a lie or a misinformed assertion. My guess is a lie.

Liberals only like free-speech when its disrupting a republican or conservative event. Liberalism must never be questioned.

[GabiandVi 34]

Please advise me of a national or an international TV news source that is not partisan. I've been looking, but I haven't found one yet. I'm ready to give up.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Fox News crosses the line from right-leaning news outlet into partisan propaganda machine (and there is a difference between the two)

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Please advise me of a national or an international TV news source that is not partisan. I've been looking, but I haven't found one yet. I'm ready to give up.

Give up - you won't find one.

Could this story be more slanted? It is amusing that a left leaning propaganda machine is complaining about Fox being a right leaning propaganda machine. Does this count as irony?

Go back and read it if already did, Gary, because you completely missed his argument.

I read it. He is nothing but a far left political hack. Anything he says can be ignored as political tripe.

Sirota worked as spokesperson for the House Appropriations Committee. While a fellow at the Center for American Progress, he created its Progress Report.[1]

Sirota's career in political campaigns began when he became a research director for Illinois State Senator Howard Carroll's unsuccessful run for U.S. Representative in Illinois's 9th congressional district in the 1998 election; Carroll lost in the Democratic primary to J. B. Pritzker and Illinois State Representative Jan Schakowsky.[2] Sirota then became a fundraiser for Joe Hoeffel in his first successful campaign for the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district.[3]

Later he moved to Washington, D.C. and worked in the political department of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).[citation needed] His next job was as press aide and then spokesperson for Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist/independent at-large U.S. Representative from Vermont.[3]

After serving as a senior strategist for Brian Schweitzer's unsuccessful 2000 Senate campaign and successful 2004 gubernatorial campaign, Sirota lived from 2004 to 2007 in Helena, Montana with his wife. In May 2006, Random House's Crown Publishers released his book Hostile Takeover, which argues that corporate interests are driving U.S. economic policy. The book became a New York Times bestseller on July 9, 2006, entering at #23 on the nonfiction list.[4] The paperback edition came out a year later.

Since May 2005, Sirota has been a contributor to The Huffington Post while writing his own blog (which is now at OpenLeft.com). He was a regular guest on The Al Franken Show and makes guest appearances on The Colbert Report, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, NOW, Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNBC, and NPR. He is a senior editor at In These Times, a regular columnist for The Nation, and a past contributor to The American Prospect. He has also been published in the Washington Post [5], the Los Angeles Times [6], the Baltimore Sun[7], and the San Francisco Chronicle [8]. Newsweek has profiled him.[9]

On August 31, 2006, Sirota announced that he would begin working after Labor Day as a consultant to Ned Lamont's U.S. Senate campaign. After Lamont's loss in the November election to the incumbent he had defeated in the Democratic primary, Joe Lieberman, Sirota discussed his own future in a blog post called "Will Work For Food... or At Least Beer":

"...I'd really like to continue writing/blogging, and will probably start working on another book proposal, but it can be a lonely, hapless existence, in which you are always scratching, clawing and fighting for opportunities even after you kill yourself to create a bestseller and take incessant criticism... So basically, if anyone out there has some suggestions for me for the next year, I'm all ears..."

Weeks later, Sirota announced that he had accepted another book deal with Crown Publishers.[10] This book, The Uprising, was released in June 2008 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller, entering the list at number 20 on June 15.[11]. The book was also listed on the New York Times Political Bestseller list for the month of July 2008. [12]

In June 2007, Sirota made two announcements. First, he would be replacing the late progressive columnist Molly Ivins with a column to be syndicated nationally by Creators Syndicate.[13] Second, he would be moving to Denver, Colorado so his wife could attend the School of Social Work at the University of Denver.[14] He has lived in Denver since the fall of 2007, where he continues to write for numerous publications, and has recently been a long-term interim host for the Jay Marvin Show on AM 760 Progressive Talk.

Sirota is also the founder and co-chair of the Progressive States Network (formerly the Progressive Legislative Action Network).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Sirota

In fairness Gary, highlighting the guy's background isn't necessary to refuting the claims of the article.

It *could* be true, but the guy doesn't make a very good case for what he's saying.

Edited August 12, 2009 by Private Pike

[one...two...tree 2,762]

In fairness Gary, highlighting the guy's background isn't necessary to refuting the claims of the article.

It *could* be true, but the guy doesn't make a very good case for what he's saying.

He most certainly did. He made the case that the anti-war protesters were pretty much ignore or vilified on Fox News when Bush was in office, but now, if you sponsor a tea bag party in your backyard, you get a special invitation as a guest on the Fox. Murdoch knows exactly what he's doing. That's why he put a Right Wing political operative in charge of Fox News - Roger Ailles. The man knows nothing but how to be a political hack and propagandist.

[GabiandVi 34]

Fox News crosses the line from right-leaning news outlet into partisan propaganda machine (and there is a difference between the two)

Have to say, I don't see a difference in the propaganda output of any of the other TV news sources. I've stopped watching the news for a while. Instead, I watch Backyardigans with my daughter. Much more entertaining.

[GaryC 7]

Fox News crosses the line from right-leaning news outlet into partisan propaganda machine (and there is a difference between the two)

Funny, I didn't see him complaining when ABC hosted the health care telethon. If that wasn't a propaganda show then there is no such thing.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

In fairness Gary, highlighting the guy's background isn't necessary to refuting the claims of the article.

It *could* be true, but the guy doesn't make a very good case for what he's saying.

He most certainly did. He made the case that the anti-war protesters were pretty much ignore or vilified on Fox News when Bush was in office, but now, if you sponsor a tea bag party in your backyard, you get a special invitation as a guest on the Fox. Murdoch knows exactly what he's doing. That's why he put a Right Wing political operative in charge of Fox News - Roger Ailles. The man knows nothing but how to be a political hack and propagandist.

Its all anecdotal, Steve. You or I could have written that.

[GaryC 7]

In fairness Gary, highlighting the guy's background isn't necessary to refuting the claims of the article.

It *could* be true, but the guy doesn't make a very good case for what he's saying.

I just wanted to show that the guy has a real partisan tilt to him. Listening to him talk about the right is like listening to me talk about the left........ Oh wait...... I just pawned myself!!