Taking Sides…
Mediaite’s Noah Rothman nails Fox and Friends to the wall for going all in against Obama with a ridiculously partisan in house campaign style ad…
It is a fine line between cheerleading for one side and contributing actively towards a campaign – it is hard not to view this package piece as anything but a negative ad against President Obama. In my estimation, that crosses a line from merely voicing support for a candidate or cause to advocacy and campaigning. While no law prohibits this behavior, it is slightly distasteful and at least partially negligent of the mission of any morning news program — which should be to inform the political debate but not become the subject of it.
One quibble: FNC steadfastly cops out maintains that Fox and Friends is not a news show but an entertainment show, particularly whenever that show is caught doing something it probably shouldn’t have been. Yes, you know it’s BS that it’s not a news show and I know it’s BS but that’s the ludicrous talking point FNC routinely trots out.
Update: TVNewser reports that FNC’s Bill Shine has issued a statement regarding the matter…
A statement from Bill Shine, EVP of programming for Fox News: “The package that aired on FOX & Friends was created by an associate producer and was not authorized at the senior executive level of the network. This has been addressed with the show’s producers.”
Inside Cable News 
May 30, 2012 at 7:48 am
It’s not a news show, like all opinion programs aren’t news shows. And really, if we’re going to quibble over the difference between “opinion” and “advocacy,” we need to have a much larger and expansive conversation.
That said, I tend to trust Rothman’s opinions (at least, for the moment)… and knowing that he’s on the right side of the aisle, yet still calling out F&F, I’ll take his opinion to heart. Add in a little of Spud’s even-handed non-partisan opinion… and wow, I’m damn near certain! And I haven’t even bothered to watch the thing!
May 30, 2012 at 7:53 am
F&F is not just any morning news program. What have we been harping on for the last 3 weeks about “news” vs “POV” (which I think is better described as Propoganda)?
F&F also stands out for been absolutely horrible.
Current best morning program for news devoid of Propoganda is CBS THIS MORNING program.
May 30, 2012 at 8:12 am
“Taking Sides”
Sides have already been taken. Who still pretends otherwise? CNN does and prefers covert activities.
May 30, 2012 at 10:17 am
Fox and Friends definitely has POV to it. A lot of POV. But it’s more of a news show than say “Now” or “Martin Bashir”.
May 30, 2012 at 10:42 am
^ Why? Why isn’t in the same category?
May 30, 2012 at 11:12 am
Wah! So Fox News/Fox and Friends goes anti Obama. So what! I certainly am sick and tired of the BS that comes out of MSNBC and CNN all these years!
May 30, 2012 at 12:29 pm
^ Here you have the truth behind Roger Ailes’ grand experiment in destroying the news. Right is good, anything not Right is Left, and we can do anything we want as long as it serves the Right. Fox News: If You Don’t Like It, Screw You.
May 30, 2012 at 12:48 pm
I’ve seen the Fox And Friends crew go over Obama’s broken promises and such before…..nothing new here. Doing it with a video that looks like it was made by a Conservative PAC, however, was a mistake.
The bigger problem I have with this is the complaining they will do about how biased the “mainstream media” is…..to a large extent I agree but they are the #1 cable morning show on the #1 cable news network so they are not out of the mainstream anymore and you cannot complain about something that you engage in yourself.
May 30, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Nailed it, BL. I’ve been arguing this for years: how can the right gain such a major foothold in the mainstream media, yet continue to pretend they’re not part of it? Listen to any conservative commentator on any channel..you’ll hear the same refrain. “The mainstream media does this or that against us.” You’re RUNNING the narrative, you idiots! You’re the MSM!
May 30, 2012 at 2:06 pm
Anybody seen the MSNBC LEAN FORWARD PROMOS? there just pro Dem ads so please give me a break with the false outrage…yes FOX leans Right and MSNBC,CNN,ABC,NBC,CBS AND CNBC lean left. nuff said.
May 30, 2012 at 3:40 pm
mlong – I agree that MSNBC has gone full-tilt to the Left (spare Joe Scarborough and, on many issues, Dylan Ratigan). But you are buying into the “it’s us against the world” meme that Conservative outlets push. Seriously, CNBC, a financial network, leans left? I’ll try to remember that the next time Rick Santelli goes on one of his rants.