Fox News reporters being biased isn’t news, but what about the bias of its critics?
I’ll be honest with you: I’m an avid Fox News watcher. Go ahead, judge me as you wish, but I prefer to put that on the table immediately so there can be no misconceptions about where my prejudices lie. Yes, I admit it – I have a bias, just like everyone else in the world. Objectivity does not exist, and as sad as that may be, we need to accept that reality.
In one of my classes last week I watched the film “Outfoxed,” a production by liberal activist Robert Greenwald about how Fox News is undermining journalism with its right-wing propaganda. The film draws on accounts from former Fox reporters as well as commentary by credible media experts. It shows clips of Bill O’Reilly’s outbursts at liberal guests, as well as Sean Hannity counting down the days until George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004.
Also shown is a detailed account of Fox’s owner, Rupert Murdoch’s conservative political leanings. Video evidence, the scoop from insiders themselves, plus expert analysis sounds like it should create one solid report, doesn’t it?
It appears that way until Al Franken graces the screen to add his two cents. For any of you who live under a rock, Al Franken is not what you would call objective, or even moderate. Besides his stint on SNL, he’s most known for conservative-bashing and his New York Times’ bestseller Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations. Also offering his insight in the film is Eric Alterman, author of What Liberal Bias? the left’s response to Bernard Goldberg’s books Bias and Arrogance that detail the liberal slant in the media.
As I watched the film (I don’t know if it deserves the title documentary), I couldn’t help but be struck by the irony of it all. “Outfoxed” attempts to demonstrate that Fox News is nothing but a manipulative machine that invites only Republican-approved guests, shows only news footage that will support conservative policies and devotes little time to liberal viewpoints.
But “Outfoxed” tries to accomplish this goal by interviewing only those experts who support this view, piecing together clips from Fox where conservative policies are being championed and devoting absolutely no time to defenders of Fox. Am I the only one who sees the irony in this?
I am not asserting that Fox lives up to its “fair and balanced” motto; in fact, the film’s observation that Fox leans to the right is arguably correct (and fairly well-known, too). What amazes me, however, is that “Outfoxed” makes its point using the exact same tactics it criticizes about Fox.
The film picks out soundbites and clips that support its claims and completely ignores context. It also features Franken and Alterman’s viewpoints, but where are their opponents, Rush Limbaugh and Bernard Goldberg, to defend their ideas? I thought fairness was the goal.
Fox News may be arguably biased, but let us not forget that “exposés” that attempt to expose such bias have their angles, too. It’s not possible to be objective even when we’re arguing against prejudice.
The fact that Fox is micromanaged by its conservative owner is a problem for objective journalism, but Greenwald is one of the most outspoken critics of the right; are we supposed to trust his “documentary” to present a truly objective and informed view of Fox?
In addition, every network has bias to deal with. Andy Rooney of “60 Minutes” hasn’t exactly been shy about his dislike of Bush, and SNL once mocked Chris Matthews’ adoration for Hillary Clinton by dedicating a whole sketch to it. Fox has no monopoly on bias; there is plenty to go around.
In reality, most Americans are smart enough to discern that Fox likes Bush and CNN isn’t fond of the Iraq war. Nothing we hear from any media source will ever be objective, and perhaps that piece of knowledge is more important that anything we can learn from the news.
It’s unfortunate that we will never have one objective source of information, but we don’t need films like “Outfoxed” masquerading as our saving grace from the monster of prejudiced news. Of course, that just my opinion — and like I said, I’m biased.
Kathryn Manning is a senior political science and history major.
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