New Lows For Fox News

I am not a huge fan of Fox News, I feel that, for the most part, it is exploitive and uses scare tactics rather then actual journalism to get its point across. Fortunately I can get my news from about 200 other channels so I am not stuck listening to them blather on pushing their right wing agenda for Rupert Murdoch.

Unfortunately I catch little tidbits from and about Fox News that just get me all riled up. I hesitated to write up this most recent one since as the old saying goes “All news is good news” and folks might turn on Fox News or click on the website based on what I wrote (which is why I am leaving off any links to their website), but then there is the part of me who wants people to know about how ridiculous they actually are.

MediaMatters caught Fox recently in a segment they did on “Fox & Friends,” Fox News’ morning show. The hosts of the show were bad mouthing the New York Times, specifically reporter Jacques Steinberg and editor Steven Reddicliffe, claiming that despite all the good press Fox News has been getting recently, the NY Times was out to get them, writing a ‘hit piece’ on the “ominous trend” in Fox News’ ratings. They even went as far as showing Reddicliffe holding a leash of a Photoshopped poodle with the face of Steinberg.

Though maybe they went a little overboard with their Photoshopping fun. As the piece aired head-shots of the two NY Times employees were shown on screen, both altered, yellowed teeth, expanded foreheads, circles added under the eyes, chins widened, heads narrowed. This seems more like the work of a middle-schooler then a ‘reputable’ news outlet. I mean I know it is the morning show and all, but shouldn’t there still be some standards for the shows airing on ‘News’ networks? On top of all that Reddicliffe even used to work for Fox, if the NY Times piece really a ‘hit piece’ as they claim, where do they think he learn that type of stuff?