The Internet's Chronicle of Media Decay
About News Corpse
News Corpse RSS Feed
News Corpse Book Club
News Corpse Movie Club
Play At News Corpse
Stalking Points Memos
The Gospel According To Beck
The Collected Hate Speech Of The Fox News Community
It's Official: Fox News and the GOP have merged into a single political media enterprise
Posted by Mark NC on October 19, 2017 at 3:24 pm. 1	Comments :
It's no secret that Fox News has been serving as the de facto PR division of the Republican Party since its inception. It was founded by an arch-conservative newspaper baron (Rupert Murdoch) and a former GOP media strategist (Roger Ailes). It's schedule is replete with twenty-four straight hours of right-wing propaganda delivered by devoted partisans like Sean Hannity. It is, in fact, Donald Trump's preferred network with his favorite show, Fox and Friends.
As chummy as this relationship has been for many years, on Thursday morning it took a big step. This political love story advanced from it's long engagement to a blissful marriage. The wedding took place on Fox's Outnumbered. This program usually features a rotating cast of female co-hosts from the Fox News roster, plus "one lucky guy" in the guest's chair. But in this episode one of the co-hosts was not a Fox regular. It was Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) who also happens to be a candidate for the Senate in Tennessee.
Blackburn was not a guest. She was seated in a chair reserved for co-hosts and was introduced as one. That's an uncommon position for a sitting congressperson and active candidate to take on an alleged news network. In effect, the network is admitting her into the Fox News family of partisan pundits. It's a "privilege" that no Democratic representative is ever likely to enjoy. And especially during a contested election for a vacant senate seat, it's a campaign bonus that is worth millions of dollars. Will Fox give her Democratic opponent equal time? Don't hold your breath.
In addition to that appearance, Blackburn was on Fox and Friends earlier the same morning. In the teaser for the segment she was brought onto the set and greeted with kisses by the show's hosts. When was the last you saw a politician arriving for an interview on a "news" network get a wet one planted on her by the people who would be conducting the interview. Imagine the outcry if Nancy Pelosi was greeted that way by Chuck Todd when she showed up for a segment on Meet the Press.
This has become the new normal for Fox News. They hardly even try to live up to the "fair and balanced" slogan (that they dropped earlier this year) anymore. Fox and Friends is the source of many of Donald Trump's tweets. This morning, for example, they did a story on the long ago debunked conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton approved a give-away of uranium to the Russians. A few minutes later it showed up on Trump's Twitter feed.
With the advent of GOP politicians and candidates taking up hosting duties on Fox News, it is impossible to deny the depth of their embrace. It was bad enough when Republicans simply moved back and forth between the two entities between official government jobs. For instance, former GOP Oversight Committee chair, Jason Chaffetz, is now a Fox News contributor. And former Fox and Friends co-host, Heather Nauert, is now the spokesperson for the State Department. They have completely dropped the requirement that these partisans be "former" anything. They are openly mixing up the roles that politicians and pundits are playing. And it's a gross perversion of the the ethical principles of both.
How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.
This entry was posted in General, Media Bias, Politics and tagged Fox & Friends, Fox News, Marsha Blackburn, Republicans. Bookmark the permalink.	Short URL: https://wp.me/p4Ijg-9lD
← POLL: Ignorant Trump-loving Republicans are cool with government shutting down media it doesn't like
Fox News Anchor Scolds His Fox News Colleagues for 'Bashing the Media' →
One thought on "It's Official: Fox News and the GOP have merged into a single political media enterprise"
longtail on 10/20/2017
If Fox gets any more cozy with the GOP they may have to merge with Russia Today.
Reality TV Law: Trump Recruits His Impeachment Defense Team from Fox News
Sean Hannity and Fox News are Up to Their Hair Plugs in the Lev Parnas Affair
Trump Fluffs Lou Dobbs of Fox News for Feeding His Mad Lust for Flattery
After Years of Backing Trump's Denials, Fox News Asks If America is 'Ready for Russia' in 2020
Trump's Press 'Slackretary' Runs to Fox News to Slander Democrats as Terrorist Supporters
Big Media
Stalking Points
Wankery
Guardian UK
Independent Media Center
Media Education Foundation
News Hounds
TV Newser
Like News Corpse on Facebook
Archives Select Month January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 February 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004
Enter your email address below and click the subscribe button to receive notifications of new posts by email.
All content and images © Crass Commerce. Excerpts of any written content on News Corpse may be reprinted with attribution (and preferably a link back). Articles in their entirety may only be reprinted for non-profit publication, and with attribution, unless other arrangements are made with News Corpse. All written content and artwork remain the property of News Corpse, its publisher, and Crass Commerce.