Posted on 11/21/2004 9:13:15 AM PST by UpHereEh
Bring on the Bias, Bring on the Bluster
Before the CRTC's decision to allow the Fox News Channel into Canada, there was some speculation about whether conditions might be attached.
I wonder what conditions might possibly apply -- that it be less hilarious? After all the fuss and anticipation, I think most Canadians who are curious about the Fox phenomenon will be a tad disappointed with the alleged news coverage. What they'll see is a lot of blustering and badgering, a good deal of boasting, and not a lot of news. But they will be entertained.
This is, after all, the channel whose star pundit, Bill O'Reilly, referred to this newspaper as the "far-left Toronto Globe and Mail." The same gent (and I use the term advisedly) roused himself to comment on the coverage of Fox News in this paper by declaring, "Hey you pinheads up there, I may be pompous, but at least I'm honest."
Later, when the "pinheads" comment was taken to refer to Canadians, O'Reilly declared he was referring to staff at The Globe, not Canadians. As for me, he called me "a Canadian intellectual." It was meant to be an insult. I was very flattered and amused.
It was all very amusing. But the core of the Fox News attitude and its bullying, often barking-mad pseudo-news style was revealed to everybody earlier this year when Fox News began its mad dance with Canada and Canadians. Bizarrely, it started when remarks in my column came to the attention of O'Reilly and the matter snowballed.
Me, I simply welcomed the possibility of Fox News arriving in Canada, because its biases and bluster are so darn funny. O'Reilly took umbrage and started name-calling. On air, he said of The Globe, "That paper has consistently taken liberal positions on almost every issue."
"And," added O'Reilly, "Doyle strikes up the band."
Over the next few days I was inundated with e-mails from the United States. Most were abusive and some were outrageously so. I was called "a douche nozzle," "a douche bag" and many variations on the theme. I wrote about the mail, pointing out that it was both nasty and unimaginative. This story received some attention in the United States. I began hearing from Americans by the thousands. Most apologized for their fellow citizens, declared their admiration for Canada, and bemoaned the idiocy of Fox News and its supporters.
Next, The New York Times stepped in. Intrigued by the story, the Times wanted to know more. I gave the Times access to the mail I'd received. In a Sunday feature, the Times then chronicled the back-and-forth between O'Reilly and me, and printed examples of the sort of American mail that came my way. The Times provides stories to newspapers around the world, and this story duly went international. Soon, I was hearing from people in Australia, Britain, France and many other countries.
On Fox, O'Reilly mentioned the Times story. Somewhat chastened by the ignorant, poisonous vitriol of his supporters, he tut-tutted about that sort of behaviour. That was it, really. But the upshot was clear: O'Reilly was revealed as a buffoon, and fans of Fox News were shown to be belligerent crackpots.
Can anybody here possibly take Fox News seriously? Hardly. The channel describes itself as "fair and balanced" when it clearly is not. Its other slogan is "We report -- You decide." That, too, is a joke. There isn't much on Fox News that most reasonable people would describe as "reporting." There is an awful lot of talk. There is shouting, bullying and blather. It is all so ostentatiously over-the-top and biased that it's wonderfully funny.
While it's funny, it is also important that we see it. Fox News Channel has easily overtaken CNN as the most-watched news channel in the United States. It didn't achieve that position by being a sober, diligently objective newsgathering operation. It achieved it by adding an operatic quality to the news -- apparently the future of civilization hangs in the balance, and if the Fox News pundits don't get their way, democracy and decency will disappear.
A lot of Americans are afraid of the rest of the world, afraid of change, and ignorant about what happens in other countries. What they want to hear is a news service that agrees with their suspicions and tells them that, basically, people in other countries are stupid and envious of the United States. Fox News does precisely that.
Fox News undoubtedly helped re-elect George W. Bush. In one instance, O'Reilly interviewed Bush and reminded viewers that the President was brave because he had agreed to be interviewed.
In another instance, a report by a Fox News correspondent was posted on the network's website, just after the first presidential debate. The story claimed that John Kerry had boasted about his manicure and described himself as "a metrosexual." The story was bogus; not a word of it was true. Yet, for a time, Fox News presented it as a legitimate report.
Now in Canada, we're not so small-minded, petty and unsophisticated that we'd even consider making an issue about some guy's manicure. Also, we don't hate France. Loathing of France seems to be the bedrock of Fox News.
I've got a funny feeling that it would be a head-slapper of a revelation to the Fox News Channel that Canada is officially a bilingual country and, for many Canadians, French is their first language.
In fact, I've got lots of funny feelings about Fox. It's going to be hilarious to have daily access to its preposterous view of the world.
By JOHN DOYLE
Saturday, November 20, 2004 - Page R1
Hang on Canada, help is on the way!
O'reilly? Yeah, he's a jerk and he is unwatchable. But, the other FOX stuff (most of it) is better at news than any other outlet around. Doyle's paper resists FOX because the left wing bias on everything they report will quickly becaome apparent.
It is not that Doyle is a prick or a fairy, it is just that he is afraid, very afraid of an honest competition that he's always had the government protect him from.
John Doyle is The Globe and Mail's resident idiot.
Don't pay him any attention.
The Globe and Mail once was a respectable newspaper.
Now one reads it to laugh or to fall asleep.
Why would I email irrelevant Canadian "journalists"?
I spend alot of time in the US and have watched Fox News many, many times. The truth (that you won't hear in the media) is that Global and the CCTA have been pounding away at the CRTC because of thousands of letters demanding the Fox News Channel. In addition, since the announcment of the approval, Rogers, Bell ExpressVu, etc... have been bombarded with requests to order the channel. The CBC (Canadian Brainwashing Channel) have already put in a request for an additional $100 million of taxpayer funds in an attempt to improve their pathetic broadcasts, knowing that they don't stand a chance when Fox arrives. The best part about this whole media smear job of Fox is in the end, more of the public will want the channel just to see what all the fuss is about. In effect, it's free promotional press for Fox, which suits me just fine.
My mother always said, when referring to idiotic comments by "less-than-intelligent" people: Consider the source.
This guy and the "news"paper he writes for are not worth the bandwidth to comment to.
Frankly, I think "douche nozzle" is wonderfully appropriate.
The joke of the article is that it wasn't printed as an editorial, but as a "Top News Story". Consider the source, indeed.
What is a semi-legal satellite system?
Canada has two licensed satellite providers. All others are illegal. Many, many homes have illegal Direct Tv and "pirate" the signal. Although, Direct Tv has scrambled their signal and it has not been cracked for close to 6 months, rendering the satellite useless.
I wonder what Johnny boy will have to say after the ratings come out and show Fox as the leading channel in Canada.
Don't bother giving them the attention.
They are threatened by FNC and they absolutely have every right to be.
"The joke of the article is that it wasn't printed as an editorial, but as a "Top News Story". Consider the source, indeed."
"Top News Story"? More like a fairy tale. *ahem* The sad thing is that there are people who will read his words and BELIEVE.
All the more reason for Free Republic to flourish!
But you're the guy complaining about Fox now be allowed into your country. LOL.
BTW, the "right-wing" Matt Drudge has links to AFP; XINHUA; Pravda & a whole s-load of British papers.
The last time a little kid tried to insult me I didn't even notice...
Bla bla bla. This is just a set-up. The minute FNC starts getting 5x the viewers of their combined Canadian competition, this same weenie will start crying that Canadians have become 'stupid and afraid just like Americans.'
The Canadian government apparently thought Canadians were too stupid to judge Fox's broadcasts for themselves.
"The best part about this whole media smear job of Fox is in the end, more of the public will want the channel just to see what all the fuss is about."
No kidding. I can't imagine that the Canadian people will stand for being kept dumb for their own good. The people are able to make their own decisions and they will. The longer it takes for the government to give in and let the people see the other side, the stronger the backlash will be.
"In fact, I've got lots of funny feelings about Fox. It's going to be hilarious to have daily access to its preposterous view of the world".
....not a thing like our trusted 'State Media', which we all agree knows what's best for us....
Unholy Alliance is an excellent read.
Um...of course "A lot of Americans are afraid of the rest of the world, afraid of change, and ignorant about what happens in other countries."
And this is different than the rest of the world how?
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