Earlier this year, Fox News dropped its well-known “fair and balanced” motto. Of course they never were “fair and balanced” when it came to how they cover politics and news in general, but under the Trump administration, the network has lurched dramatically toward outright propaganda. For evidence of this, look no further than these two graphs compiled by Vox. They prove that Fox News is covering special prosecutor Robert Mueller, but they are systematically tying nearly all mentions of him to Hillary Clinton. Look at the incredible discrepancy compared to other networks:
And yesterday, while every single network and news outlet in America was banging away on the bombshell news that Trump campaign staffer George Papadopoulos had already secretly been arrested back in July and pled guilty to a charge of lying to federal agents, how did Fox News report on the story? Compared to other networks, they barely mentioned it at all.
We know Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham are in the bag for Trump. Their loyalty is so fierce that Sean Hannity loaned Donald Trump his private plane to fly in a VP candidate during the campaign. Meanwhile, Laura Ingraham was a keynote speaker at Trump’s RNC convention last summer. Both have been rumored for positions in the Trump administration. Both are given prime time on the former “fair and balanced” news network.
So how are the real journalists at Fox News handling this lurch toward state propaganda? They are so fed up, several of them lashed out to their peers at rival CNN. From Oliver Darcy's report at CNN:
"I'm watching now and screaming," one Fox News personality said in a text message to CNN as the person watched their network's coverage. "I want to quit."
"It is another blow to journalists at Fox who come in every day wanting to cover the news in a fair and objective way," one senior Fox News employee told CNN of their outlet's coverage, adding that there were "many eye rolls" in the newsroom over how the news was covered.
The person said, "Fox feels like an extension of the Trump White House."
Their coverage, or lack thereof, was widely slammed yesterday and even their own Fox News colleagues say the Fox News ridicule is well deserved:
"That segment on Outbumbered [questioning Mueller's integrity] was absurd and deserves all the scorn it can get," a Fox News employee told CNN, referring to the network's noontime talk show.
If it feels like an extension of the White House, that’s because it is fully operating as one. And they aren’t the only Rupert Murdoch-owned outlet to suddenly and in unison, suddenly bashing special prosecutor Robert Mueller. The Wall Street Journal did an about-face on Mueller, suggesting Trump pardon himself and everyone involved. The proposition was rightly and immediately shredded by many:
“WSJ edit page has gone full bats--t, now hosting an op-ed suggesting Trump pardon everyone, including himself,” tweeted Columbia Journalism School professor and former high-ranking Wall Street Journal editor Bill Grueskin.
“This is embarrassing for every good reporter at that paper,” New York Times reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones tweeted of the Journal editorial board’s call for Mueller to resign and Democrats to be investigated.
If Fox News employees have had enough, they should salvage their reputations and do us all a favor and quit the network. Nobody would blame you (cough, Shep Smith, cough.) In fact, your audience would likely grow at another more balanced network. And this country will be better for your stand.
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