Thursday, September 10, 2009

Fox Network: Reality TV Show More Important than Obama's Speech


So President Barack Obama on Wednesday night gave the most important speech of his presidency on an issue, health-care reform, which has taken center-stage in American politics over the past several months. Every single major network and cable-tv news network carried the prime-time address live...except the Fox Television Network, which chose instead to air its hit reality program "So You Think You Can Dance." Talk about side-steps.

How better to continue dumbing-down your audience than to censor what they see and hear that just might spoil their partisan delusion. Why give them another side of an issue? Why expose them to a radical/socialist/communist/fascist/terrorist like Obama, right? (can you actually be all of those things at the same time, as he's been accused?) Why let your viewers see the speech and make up their own minds? Because that would spoil the fun and prevent despicable blatant liars like Sean Hannity, of the Fox News "Fair and Balanced" cable network, from deceiving its audience with its decidedly unfair and unbalanced reporting.

For example, on his program after Obama's speech, Hannity, during an interview with Republican pollster/analyst Frank Luntz, said that Obama"said tonight that insurance company executives are bad people!" " But if his viewers had actually seen the speech, they'd know what the president actually said: "Insurance executives don't treat their customers badly because they're bad people; they do it because it's profitable." Really Hannity? The president called insurance company executives bad people? Seems to the rest of the non-lying world that he actually said just the opposite. But I suppose the truth doesn't matter when you're the unfair and unbalanced network.

At least Obama had a good-natured sense of humor about it all as he rehashed his key points to attendees at a rally Thursday:

"Just in case folks weren't tuned in last night ... if they were watching So You Think You Can Dance. A show Michelle likes, by the way."

So You Think You Can Dance. Need I say more....


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23 comments:

Athena Smith said...

I wonder how anyone can oppose health care reform? Do they really think they are that protected against bankruptcy if a serious illness occurs? Do they believe that their insurance may not drop them or may not raise the premiums to unaffordable levels? And even if they are that safe in their own net, what about their kids or grand kids? And even if their kids are that well protected, what kind of society are we having when we say if you are rich you are protected, if you are lower middle class, tough.
When Obama said that insurance executives testified that not only were they encouraged to drop seriously ill patients but were also rewarded to do so, I felt sick.
Shame to all those who oppose. To my mind they lack basic humanity and compassion, the basis of our western civilization. At least don’t play Christian in your free time.

Anonymous said...

Those who really believe Fox News are ignorant, hateful, racist and lack critical thinking skills.

We must keep the independents on our side or we will be held hostage by the Repubs in 2010.

Unknown said...

The Fox News demographic didn't want to watch the speech. They want to hear people like Lutz tell them their feelings about Obama are "right," damn the facts.

Oh and the demographic really doesn't want their kids listening to him.

Fox News is making a smart business decision, just like the insurance execs who don't want your pre-existing conditions if it's legal to not take them.

Cecelia said...

Someone has to break this to you, Einstein.

You've confused Fox News Channels, which airs Brit Hume, Hannity, Cavuto, etc. (and also aired the president's speech), with Fox the cable channel that carries reruns of
"Charmed" and "Buffy the vampire Slayer" (and did not air the speech).

The Ostroy Report said...

Duly noted and corrected. Inadvertent error, as the main text of the post indicates. Thanks for the catch though. Nice to know you;re a real truth-seeker. Now go over to your Fox News pals, Sparky, and get them to stop lying 24/7

Cecelia said...

Speaking of lying, if it had been an "inadvertent" mistake, why would you argue that Fox had intentionally not carried the speech in order to keep their viewers ignorant of the facts, and then follow THAT point by stating that Hannity's viewers hadn't seen Pres. Obama's address, when it had just aired on the very same network?

Putting aside the argument that being a "bad" person and doing "bad things for profit" are one and the same to quite a few people (so one COULD see the speech AND come to a different conclusion about what the president was saying about insurance execs), you pretty well exposed that you DID think the speech wasn't aired on FNC by using Hannity as your example.

Realist said...

Fox got away with legal verbal murder several years ago when they got a verdict against them for wrongful termination of two producers overturned. These producers had refused to air lies about a large Fox sponsor to "correct" an investigative report they had submitted just a few days prior. The appellate court agreed with the Fox lawyers, who claimed that the FCC had issued no statement with any legally enforceable provision that Fox must present the verifiable truth when it presents "news". It has been thus with them ever since.

Ergo, they are pretty much free and clear to do and say the vile things that they do without any fear of retribution - except from Glen Beck's sponsors!

Bob said...

Andy,

Cecelia is NOT right. The FOX channel that airs "So You Think You Can Dance" is the FOX Broadcasting Company which is ALSO owned by Rupert Murdoch. Im sick of people saying they are completely under different umbrellas as if they have different owners...they dont.

See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Broadcasting_Company#Prime_time

I have no idea what shes talking about concerning Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed--arent they on the WB network and UPN? Dont apologize to her, you were right---Murdoch owns the FOX Broadcasting Network

StewartIII said...

FOX in the White House: Cable ratings
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/09/fox_news_obama_coverage.html

HT: J$P

Dan said...

Amazing! The Fox Network chooses not to interrupt their schedule on one of three of their stations and you accuse them of censorship. That's rich! I don't think a whole lot of conservatives are glued to that channel watching The Simpsons and King of the Hill. What you so conveniently left out of your article is the fact that the President's address aired on Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Channel. Good try at attempting to smear Fox because you don't like them. You should also check with the three networks that lose revenue when Obama chooses to grandstand on television. They are not at all happy about up-ending their prime time schedules so often.

Grammie said...

"Now go over to your Fox News pals, Sparky, and get them to stop lying 24/7"

Perhaps you should climb down from that high horse you're on and make a correction to your own post on your own blog before flailing away in high dudgeon towards those who have the temerity to point out a, gasp, stupid mistake you made.

Of course if you had caught Sparky or FNC in the same error I have no doubt that you would scream liar. It seems to roll so easily off your tongue, don't you know?

The Ostroy Report said...

Last time I checked, Sparky, I've quickly corrected my error while Hannity and the rest of the Republican liars still proudly claim theirs. You see, that's the difference between disingenuous snarks like Hannity and people like me. When we make an honest error, it's quickly rectified. Despite Obama's clear words about insurance execs/companies, we're still waiting for Hannity's apology for intentionally misrepresenting the president's words. I'm not holding my breath.

Anonymous said...

The TWO biggest LIARS on any news station-with this I include the 3 major networks,NBC,CBS,ABC,-FOX,CNN,MSNBC,CNBC,PBS and any other station you'd like to include-even toss the radio stations in-are by far and away Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow.Its not even close.
I watch them all to get the proper perspective.Again,it's not even a horserace.Olbermann and Maddow lie and never present an opposing view.

Sparky Anderson said...

I dont have anything to say. I just wanted Andy to call me Sparky---but with me, it's my real name! Go Reds! Go Tigers!

By the way, why didnt anyone in the Congress stand up and yell "You lie!" at any of the 300-400 lies Bush told in his speeches?? Know why? Because there would have been so many of them, they would have blended together and made a melody and it would have sounded like a 40-minute version of "Bohemian Rhapsody"

American Teacher said...

Cecelia - People who make profits are not "bad," but people who profit by stealing from others, lying to others, or scamming others ARE bad. And those who make obscene profits on the backs (and at the expense) of Americans are EVIL. Your oil companies, your health insurance companies, your bankers, credit card companies, etc. I never understand why poor and middle class working stiffs don't get that.

To anonymous: Olbermann and Maddow may share news with a biased style of presentation, but they are NOT liars. The present unedited transcripts or videos. They are truth seekers, and when they realize they have misspoken, they correct their mistake immediately or the next night. They both take pride in the honesty of what they present. If you can give me a list of lies they have told, I'd love to see it. And I'll give you a list of 30 lies FOX has broadcast for every one you mention. It'll be fun.

Cecelia said...

As with the picture of Brit Hume and the Scooter Libby verdict, shown on Huff-Po and here on your blog, the facts aren't what you picked up from media Matters or some such, Mr. Ostroy.

Hannity played the video of the president's remarks on insurance executeives (in their entirity) on THAT VERY show!

As for the Scooter Libby verdict, it was a screen shot of a label that changed as Hume read the counts against Libby.

Libby was acquitted on all counts, thus that particular shot.

That particular picture that has made the rounds all over the internet, was debunked long ago.

Again, it is most certainly arguable for Hannity to imply that making a distinction that insurance execs do things "bad" because of mercenary reasons rather than out of personal animus, is NO distinction at all.

That may be lost on you, but not on everyone.

Cecelia said...

Make that-- Libby was not convicted on all counts, he was acquitted on ONE count --please.

Cecelia said...

http://tinyurl.com/qnm9kj

This is the link to the transcript of the Hannity-Luntz discussion that shows that Hannity played the video of Pres. Obama making his remarks about insurance executives.

Realist said...

Wrong again, Ceece!

If Libby was "acquitted on all counts", why did Bush commute his sentence? He was convicted, and Bush only took away the requirement that Libby serve the sentence. Libby was NOT pardoned.

So pull your cranium out of your dorsal port and plug some intellect into it. You won't find any inside your colon, and looking for knowledge there might be deemed a "pre-existing condition" by your health insurance provider.

The Ostroy Report said...

REALIST...the issue isn't whether Hannity played the speech video or not. The issue is, after the clip ended, he chose to put words in the president's mouth and twisy what he said:

Obama: ..."Insurance executives don't treat their customers badly because they're bad people; they do it because it's profitable."

Hannity: "Obama said tonight that insurance company executives are bad people!"

Are we really discussing this as if there's something vague or uncertain here? Hannity is a blatant liar. Period.

Cecelia said...

Oh, hogwash!

If this was Charles Gibson reciting the text of a presidential speech it might be a "blatant" lie, but in the context of pundit doing analysis where the president has accused insurance executives of treating the sickest of individuals "badly" (shown to the audience via the video), it's a statement of interpretation that is entirely arguable.

Cecelia said...

Scroll up a bit, Realist.

Cecelia said...

BTW-- Mr. Ostroy, since you said you knew that Fox News Channel (rather than Fox Broadcast) had aired the president's address, and since you seem to know too that Hannity not only followed the address, but played video from it, would these statement of yours from your piece make you a blatant liar?:


"How better to continue dumbing-down your audience than to censor what they see and hear that just might spoil their partisan delusion. Why give them another side of an issue? Why expose them to a radical/socialist/communist/fascist/terrorist like Obama, right? (can you actually be all of those things at the same time, as he's been accused?) Why let your viewers see the speech and make up their own minds? Because that would spoil the fun and prevent despicable blatant liars like Sean Hannity, of the Fox News "Fair and Balanced" cable network, from deceiving its audience with its decidedly unfair and unbalanced reporting."