Fox News is either evil or stupid for not mentioning that Alwaleed bin Talal is News Corp.’s largest shareholder:
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Both.
Exactly. Evil, because they know exactly what they’re doing (burying the unflattering part of the story they’re choosing to pursue), and stupid, because they think it’s going to work.
Well, maybe just evil… because while those who watch TDS and read this kind of blog are going to see their shenanigans exposed, I suppose your average FOX viewer won’t – and maybe won’t even care if they did. And FOX really seems to *only* care about its target audience.
Defiantly evil. When they push these stories they are completely aware that they have no relation to reality what so ever. They just count on their audience to stay within the rightwing media so they won’t come across Jon Stewart or Rachel Maddow digging up videos of Glenn Beck spearing on good morning america with Rauf and hailing him as a moderate who is fighting radical islamists who, and I quote, hijacked a beautiful religion.
Could someone give, y’know, an outline of what the broadcast says, since video is blocked in the UK?
Basically, Fox News is talking about how part of the funding for the “ground zero mosque” comes from the Kingdom Foundation’s leader, who they say also funds extremist organizations. They fail to mention that he is also a majority shareholder in Fox News and is basically partners with Rupert Murdoch. They then debate over whether Fox News intentionally hid this info, making them terrifyingly evil, or whether they didn’t know, making them mind-numbingly stupid.
“since video is blocked in the UK”
Because fox hunting is banned in the UK.
Here you go, watch Tuesday’s episode.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/4od#3113378
@confused: Fox News talked about a certain person who gave millions of dollars to fund the “ground zero mosque” and accuses said person of being an al-qaida supporter. They didn’t show a name or a picture, so Jon Stewart pointed out that the man (Alwaleed bin Talal) owns a fairly large part of News Corp.
Team Evil and Team Stupid debate whether Fox News is Evil or Stupid.
My money is on “evilstupid.”
Second-largest, I believe; I’d be amazed if anyone but Rupert Murdoch was the largest shareholder. However, the point remains — if the Park 51 project is tainted, then Fox News is tainted in exactly the same way.
As the truth – facts are not too important for Fox. Don’t tell me you’re surprised.
Why is it that Jon Stewart is the only source for truth? WTF is wrong with the MSM? Bob Schieffer once said to Jon Stewart, “Boy, I wish we could do what you do.” Stewart replied, “Then why DON’T you!!??!!”
I weep.
Part of the problem, I suspect, is that reporting on other news agencies’ hypocrisies is a bit too meta to qualify as news as it is normally understood. Jon Stewart engages in Media Criticism, which is a different animal than news.
Not to get too meta, but the real problem is that the news is now pushing politics. That’s why people like me (us?) see The Daily Show as real news, not just entertainment. Sure it’s funny, but they really hit at the core of what’s driving politics today. And politics is such a joke in our world, who better to report on it than a comedian?
Uh, what? MSN DOES do the shit-slinging song and dance with Fox. Both Maddow and Olberman are all too quick to jump down Fox’s throat when they get out of line.
But like Nope said, it’s debatable how newsworthy any of that is.
DDM, you’re right that Keith and Rachael call Fox to task. But the nets do not: I cringe when I watch David Gregory on MTP let Rove or whomever use his 13 minutes to regurgitate his talking points without challenge or follow up. PLEASE, NBC, give MTP to Rachael!!! That will be “news”.
3rd option evil and stupid :)
I’d have to go with evil. They know their target audience is stupid and they exploit the sh*t out of that stupidity, but fox news is hands down the most well organized propaganda machine ever. The vatican, the nazis, and the CIA have nothing on Murdoch and Ailes. No matter how many stupid things I hear on that channel I’m inclined to think they are most certainly not stupid.
I do find it interesting that the channel that gave so much airtime to the Obama muslim story and the ground zero mosque is partially owned by the prince of Saudi Arabia. I’m sure Hannity and O’Reilly know that a muslim is signing their paycheck, but I wonder how their viewers would react.
That video was brilliant absolutely brilliant. And yes, I think that FOX is evil.
Neither, don’t forget, Fax News is a corporation. As corporations go, their ONLY purpose is to make money( by any legal means) and distribute it to the shareholders. To do anything else would open themselves up to shareholder litigation.
As far as the Kingdom Foundation goes, it is an enterprise set up by members of the Saudi royal family to further their grip on power, resources and money. They do this in a multifaceted approach – direct investment into companies like any mutual funds, by significantly investing in certain companies, the Foundation will have a voice in the direction of the company. The Foundation also has enormous stakes in media outlets both in the western world and in the middle east. This is where they can excert their economic might to sway the political disccussions and shape public opinons, primarily in the Muslim world. And they also are major financial backer of ultra conservative Islamic schools throughout the mideast and south Asia. They do this to extend their influence to the radicals who may view the House of Saud as corrupt and un-muslim. At least they will develop a financial dependency from these radical outfit that they may think twice about turning on the Saudi Royal family.
Follow the money my fellow free thinkers. Google Koch Industries and you will be surprised to see they are major sponsors of the Tea Party movement and their offshoots. The Teabaggers seek to weaken government regulation in business which in turn will bring millions if not billions in savings to the Koch family. Insidious? yes, but totally within the norm of how a coporation should and must operate which is to maximize profits by any legal means.
They are like weeds, it’s not their fault that they take over our garden because that is what they do. Instead, it is our fault not regulating them.
But if we conclude that fox is evil that’s mean that bin-talal is a known supporter of an evil organization and the good people on fox have a reason to be concerned about his contacts with rauf.
This is pretty bad logic. First, as the previous commentor notes, if Fox really is “evil,” shouldn’t the analysts be correct in being concerned. The fact that Bin-Talal is a minority share-holder is irrelevant in that Bin-Talal doesn’t have enough power to directly (or indirectly) influence the analysts/ news anchors. If he did, would the analysts be questioning his beliefs? In fact logically this contradiction only proves Fox’s analysts are free fro, his influence. (And by the way the purpose of a corporation is to make money. Bin-Talal doesn’t necessarily have to be involved with what goes on in Fox)