By Rowan Wolf
Sometimes I wonder that a channel like Fox News can be taken seriously, but for millions of people in this country they are the "real" news. While the lies and hype have been revealed a number of times. That doesn't seem to matter. After Fox coordinated the "Teabaggers," we should have known that they were going to continue. They did with Glenn Beck's "9/12 Protest."
Kudos to Media Matters for making this available. They received the behind the scenes clip from an anonymous "tipster."
This is what was happening while the Fox "News" reporter - Griff Jenkins - was on the air.
This is what was shown on Fox by Glenn Beck
So what about Beck. Is he as way right as he seems, or is it entertainment hype? Well, it would seem that he is as way right as he seems. One of his political heroes is apparently W Cleon Skousen, as presented in a 9/16/09 Salon article by Alexander Zaitchik. Skousen was one of the intellectual founders of the contemporary ultra right wing - even to the right of the John Birch Society. This is an association which is affirmed by Beliefnet "Conservative politics and religion" writer Rod Dreher (who shows a Republican icon as part of his by-line) in his article "Glenn Beck, Cleon Skousen, Evan Mecham." Dreher, who is actually arguing against this type of "crackpot" activity notes:Glenn Beck is now the best-known devotee of the radical rightist Cleon Skousen. However, Dreher also partially recanted on Skousen with "I was wrong about "5,000 Year Leap"" a re-released book by Skousen, and which Beck has written the forward for (and pushed over the last year).
Where did Beck come from, and how did he land a gig on FOX? Well, he comes from a DJ and radio background. Which seems to be the pool that cable channels are fishing (for MSNBC, both Maddow and Schultz come in from radio). While being born and raised a Catholic, he converted to Mormonism - not surprising given how Skousen (a Mormon) "changed his life." Like another railing provocateur - Limbaugh - Beck has struggled with alcoholism and drug abuse.
As the Media Matters clips clearly show, despite Beck's alleged religiosity, he is not above deceiving to make his play. The current renditions of "conservatism" have clearly demonstrated that "the ends justify the means." This is where I am most dumbfounded by these supposed "religious" leaders of modern day conservatism. There is a seeming total embrace of this anti-Christian belief. Apparently lying, cheating, manipulating, are fine for "the cause" - even if people get killed (as with the Bush deceptions). Creating a propaganda at an event that was manufactured out of thin air and promoted by a media outlet that promotes itself as "news" is small potatoes I guess. One has to wonder though what Beck, and Murdoch, and Limbaugh, and O'Reilly, and Dobbs (to name a handful) see as "The Cause."
I saw your latest post via flowplayer and thought I'd check out your site.
The videos here, I could not get to play... They stop at 1 second.
I don't watch any of the MSM channels...
Fox news, CNN, MSNBC, etc all have their biases... We as human beings have biases, presuppositions... It is impossible to get away from that. Everything we do we interpret in light of our worldview. One might say they are objective, but still... they are being "objective" in light of their worldview. MM too... You right now are interpreting Fox in light of your worldview...
I think we as human beings need to examine these biases/presuppositions to see if our worldview is consistent and rational starting with the most basic thing we can logically think about which is that of existence. Must something be eternal? If so what is it? If not does that mean there are uncaused events, which is a contradiction?
It may seem that I made a jump from your talking about the media to basic philosophical principles, but it seems as if we build starting from the most basic concepts which are that of existence and then move up step by step to the less basic such as politics, religion, etc... we can come to agreement on things. Can we have an understanding of calculus without basic arithmetic in place. No.
=rw=
Thanks for the comment reformed.
I can't agree with the premise that "objectivity" occurs in the frame of outright bias - which is what you seem to say. Now I am not trying to argue that true objectivity is possible because there are inherent biases - beyond political worldview to culture etc. However, hopefully, most people realize when they are being objective and when they are speaking totally within the frame of their "worldview." With FOX, there seems to be no aim at objectivity - or fact. Saying something is true (which various FOX hosts say on a regular basis) does not make something true or fact. In the case of the producer coaching the crowd during the "report," that is done to present a certain tenor and image. It is manufactured. It is a blatant attempt to shape perception. Therefore, it is in a totally different ball park from anything "objective."
I think you pose an interesting question. I also think that there is a need for reshaping the way we talk about and conceptualize the world. I do not think that "agreement" is one thing, or one point.