Fox News Producers resign over biased media-coverage

Nom Chompsky

Nom Chompsky

High Tory
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
54,583
Reaction score
39,431
Location
Cape Town
Democracy Now

Two weeks ago, two producers working for Fox News in Amman, Jordan resigned in protest of the network's coverage. In their resignation letter, Serene Sabbagh and Jomana Karadsheh wrote "We can no longer work with a news organization that claims to be fair and balanced when you are so far from that." We go to Amman to speak with producer Serene Sabbagh.

AMY GOODMAN: Why did you leave Fox?

SERENE SABBAGH: After three years and watching their coverage, I thought I could make a difference working with them. I could influence some of the people that are coming into the region, because they have recently just, you know, come into this part of the world. I thought that I could give them an insight of how things are run here, the politics of -- the complicated politics and history of politics in this part of the region.

But from the onset of the war in Lebanon, I was devastated at the way that Fox was handling the coverage from Lebanon in the U.S., and I felt there was bias, the slant, the racist remarks, the use of the word “we” meaning Israel, and it was just unbearable up until basically the massacre at Qana. And as a mother of three, watching the images, the raw images of children being pulled out of the rubble, and then I switched to Fox News to hear some of their anchors claiming that these little kids that were killed, these innocent victims that were killed, were human shields used by Hezbollah. And one of the anchors went as far as saying they were planted there by Hezbollah to win support in this war. And it was unbelievable. For me, that was the breaking point, and this is when I decided, me and my colleague Jomana, to hand in our resignation.
Click to expand...

I wish some people [at the SABC] had the same moral values that these people have. :rolleyes:
 
fox is known even in the states for being a little too enthusiastic in promoting the bush point of view
 
dominic said:
fox is known even in the states for being a little too enthusiastic in promoting the bush point of view
Click to expand...

Said who? Other media? Think about it...

If you haven't seen it yourself, why believe it? At least you can make up your own mind with the SABC here in SA. :)

The two people in questions seem (judging by their names) both Muslim. I'd think they have their own sympathies that might be clouding their judgement. Perhaps they just want higher positions...
 
Last edited:
antowan said:
Said who? Other media? Think about it...
Click to expand...
ant - there has been a huge debate raging from the time of the invasion of iraq and there is a consensus amongst media watchers that fox intentionally adopted an aggressively patriotic platform echoing the whole "if you're not with us then you're against us" sentiment

this resulted in a shift to the right from competing networks who feared being perceived as unpatriotic

edit 4 yr edit: i have seen examples of their stars-and-stripesy get-up and tub-thumping. as for SA..we have snuki zikalala and he enquiry need not go further
 
Last edited:
dominic said:
ant - there has been a huge debate raging from the time of the invasion of iraq and there is a consensus amongst media watchers that fox intentionally adopted an aggressively patriotic platform echoing the whole "if you're not with us then you're against us" sentiment

this resulted in a shift to the right from competing networks who feared being perceived as unpatriotic

edit 4 yr edit: i have seen examples of their stars-and-stripesy get-up and tub-thumping. as for SA..we have snuki zikalala and he enquiry need not go further
Click to expand...

I have seen bits of fox, but not enough to make up an opinion on them. Generally their entertainment tv is VERY good though...

It isn't wrong to be patriotic and fly your national flag on tv. It belongs to every American, not so?
 
Well, CNN has thus far yet to cover any of the Israeli victims. This could be because the Saudi's have quite of substantial shareholding in CNN.

All media is biased in actual fact, just follow the shareholders.
 
Antowan: watch the documetary "Outfoxed" for some VERY disturbing insights into the Fox network.
 
It is pretty well understood that FOX is biased to the coservative/Republican wing of politics in the states. My father watches it everyday (in the states) and I could never handle being in the same room while it was on. Drove me crazy how blatant their anchors and 'experts' were with their bias.

FAIR search on FOX

This is what always drives me crazy though:

FOX News = Conservative, family values, religion (christian), etc.

FOX TV Shows = Trading Spouses:Meet your new Mommy, The Simpsons (that show that demonstrated kids can disrespect their parents ;) ), Married with Children, Cops, etc, etc, etc....

The Top Ten Worst Shows for family viewing on prime time broadcast television are:

WORST

1. The War at Home Fox/8:30 Sunday - 1st Season
2. The Family Guy Fox/9:00 Sunday - Returning show
3. American Dad Fox/9:30 Sunday - Returning show
4. The O.C. Fox/8:00 Thursday - Returning show
5. C.S.I. (Crime Scene Investigation) CBS/9:00 Thursday - Returning show
6. Desperate Housewives ABC/9:00 Sunday - Returning show
7. Two and a Half Men CBS/9:00 Monday - Returning show
8. That ‘70s Show Fox/Returning in November ‘05
9. Arrested Development Fox/8:00 Monday - Returning show
10. Cold Case CBS/8:00 Sunday - Returning show

http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/main.asp

The Parents Television Council named Fox "the worst network to watch with your children", describing many of the shows as "100% immoral."
 
antowan said:
Said who? Other media? Think about it...

If you haven't seen it yourself, why believe it? At least you can make up your own mind with the SABC here in SA. :)

The two people in questions seem (judging by their names) both Muslim. I'd think they have their own sympathies that might be clouding their judgement. Perhaps they just want higher positions...
Click to expand...

That's ridiculous, you critisise someone for jumping to a conclusion without having watched fox news and then make a assumption based on the names of the people who have resigned (nice work).

Check out http://www.outfoxed.org/

It has plenty of supporting material from various sources. Fox news IS so far right you almost want to adjust your television. I don't think Rupert Murdoch has a political agenda as much as he is pandering to Americans who want to hear all the crap he is dishing out on fox - it's all about the ratings and the money at the end of the day.
 
Everyone on this forum has their own political agenda - stop making like you don't
 
Fox is at worst no more biased than the BBC or CNN. One has to wonder why there is such a large orchestrated attempt to undermine FOX. What happend to freedom of speech. Let people decide which network they choose to believe.
 
Fox is a lot more biased than the BBC or CNN alan. Have you ever seen a news anchor tell an interviewee to "shut up" becasue the interviewee's opinion doffers from that of the anchor (and the network). It's happened on Fox a couple of times.
 
Liberals love to bring up that Rupert Murdoch has a political agenda. As if Ted Turner doesn't. You just have to look at what he has said:

"We are the ones that determine what the people's attitudes are. It's in our hands"

"Christianity is a religion for losers."

Plus he was married too Jane Fonda aka Hanoi Jane. Who surprise surprise now lives in a red state.
 
Ant, being in the radio industry yourself I was wondering if you have ever listened to contemporary US conservative talk radio? Such talk radio shows are on a par with what Fox presents as "news" (yes I have watched Fox news since 9/11).

Also, a distinction has to be made between Fox entertainment and Fox news. Fox entertainment - ie their television shows - are generally simply shows sometimes commissioned but generally bought from third parties television production houses. Fox entertainment is generaly pretty good - they used to show a lot of David E Kelly shows, a producer who will push a liberal political agenda in his tv shows where he can get away with it (i.e. when his shows are bought by other networks).

I agree with what dominic said.
 
alanf85 said:
Plus he was married too Jane Fonda aka Hanoi Jane. Who surprise surprise now lives in a red state.
Click to expand...

I think this has been explained:

"In Vietnam, Fonda was photographed multiple times seated on an anti-aircraft battery used against American aircrews.[11] She also participated in several radio broadcasts on behalf of the Communist regime, asking US aircrews to turn around without dropping their bombs. In her 2005 autobiography, she states that she was manipulated into sitting on the battery, and claims to have been immediately horrified at the implications of the pictures. She expressed regret for her actions sixteen years later, though there is continued hostility shown towards her by many Americans."
link

Red state/blue state...It is a deceptive use of cartography with regards to election patterns. Each state is really both with a little independent/comunist/green party mixed in. Give her a break, what 30...35 years ago?

bluecollar said:
Fox is a lot more biased than the BBC or CNN alan. Have you ever seen a news anchor tell an interviewee to "shut up" becasue the interviewee's opinion doffers from that of the anchor (and the network). It's happened on Fox a couple of times.
Click to expand...

Are you referring to Mr. Shutup Himself? Warning: biased link. ;)
 
Waron said:
That's ridiculous, you critisise someone for jumping to a conclusion without having watched fox news and then make a assumption based on the names of the people who have resigned (nice work).

Check out http://www.outfoxed.org/

It has plenty of supporting material from various sources. Fox news IS so far right you almost want to adjust your television. I don't think Rupert Murdoch has a political agenda as much as he is pandering to Americans who want to hear all the crap he is dishing out on fox - it's all about the ratings and the money at the end of the day.
Click to expand...

Well, I didn't come to any conclusion actually. I just put forward a possibility. I tried to verify my suspicion. :)

Seeing as Fox isn't the ABC, it doesn't have to have the neautrality everybody expects of it. It would be good practice to be neutral from a "perfect" media perspective. Did anybody think for a second that if Fox really is THAT pro Repubican, then perhaps its worst critics could be pro Democrat? There isn't always just one wrong side. It is like one thief reporting another thief to the police...

The ABC on the other hand has a huge responsibility to be fair. Above and beyond any other private sector news agency.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X