Eric Boehlert: Two new reasons Fox shouldn't have White House press credentials

[babylonsister]

Two new reasons Fox shouldn't have White House press credentials
Tucker racism, covering up Gaetz
Eric Boehlert
2 hr ago


Blogger Heather Digby Parton tweeted a perpetual truth last week: "I didn't think Fox could go any lower. I was wrong."

Rupert Murdoch's propaganda network dove towards new depths recently when its most-watched host, Tucker Carlson, openly promoted white supremacy conspiracies, and the entire Fox News staff tried to cover up the raging Matt Gaetz sex scandal. In the process, Fox News again confirmed it has no business being allowed in the White House press briefing room, where legitimate news outlets are given the opportunity to pose questions.

Fox News isn't a newsgathering organization, therefore it does not need White House access. Giving them prestigious 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. press passes just delays the much-needed Beltway discussion that’s needed about the crooked network and its place in our political culture.

It's clear the Biden White House doesn't want to pick a fight with Fox News right now, which would inflame the entire Republican Party and the billion-dollar right-wing media industry. Not when Democrats are dealing with a country still reeling from a deadly health crisis and millions of out work. And having Fox News in the briefing room does help brandish the image that the Biden team is willing to engage with the other side, as White House press secretary Jen Psaki often does, patiently unplugging Fox News correspondents' attempted gotcha questions.

That's the politics of the situation — the optics. But the reality is that Fox News continues to be a deliberate cancer on this country, and any attempts to help legitimize it — by pretending it deserves to be alongside CNN in the White House briefing room — is not only wrong, it's dangerous.

In fact, it's deadly. We know that from the pandemic and watching Fox churn out lies about the Covid-19 virus for more than a year — raising doubts about wearing masks, about the seriousness of the pandemic, and suggesting viewers not get the vaccine. There's little question the network killed thousands by airing dangerous lies about a public health crisis, and pushing blatant disinformation about how the pandemic is a "Deep State" creation.

more...

https://pressrun.media/p/two-new-reasons-fox-shouldnt-have

[joetheman]

1. Shouldn't the Biden administration ban FOX in all gov't installations, buildings and places receivin

Federal funds to cover more than 50% of their expenses?

[Dustlawyer]

2. We have to stop the propaganda from TV, radio, and social media if we want the country to heal and

move forward.

[mountain grammy]

3. Eric Boehlert is a treasure

Listening to him right now on the Stephanie Miller show.

[PatSeg]

4. Actually, I like Fox out there where we can all see them

and know what they are doing, especially being that Psaki handles them beautifully. Let them keep asking their inane questions, so Jen Psaki can keep revealing them for who they really are.

Side note - Tucker Carlson is their "most-watched host"? What the hell!

[Harker]

11. That's where my thinking led me.

She's quite deft, and shutting them out would give them a huge, grievance-studded cross to bear.

Better to keep revealing, with dignity and calm assurance, the inanity of their loaded questions.

[PatSeg]

17. I don't think she could be any more perfect

for this job. They'll keep trying to push her buttons and Psaki will keep calmly and deftly throwing it back at them. Who knows, maybe they will even start asking reasonable questions. It must get tiresome looking like the fool every day.

[Harker]

19. Some fools seem indefatigable. n/t

[PatSeg]

20. Ha, ha, ha!!!

They couldn't be more dedicated to their brand of stupidity. I can't even begin to imagine what it is like to be like that, but they are consistent.

[KPN]

14. Me too. If Biden were to ban them, you can be damn sure the reich-wing GQP would damn sure ban the

entire media if they didn't kowtow to GQP Party line if they ever regain (legitimately or not) the WH -- which isn't out of the question given the insanity of so many Americans. Instead, we are far better off exposing their hypocrisy to their toolish base. In the meantime, we would do well to restore the Fairness Doctrine in order to ensure the MSM doesn't swing further right, and pressuring all cable news networks through whatever legal and fair means available to be truthful and transparent in their"reporting'.

[PatSeg]

18. I agree

We always need to think in terms of what the right would do if they regained power. We know that anything we do, they will twist and use against us in unreasonable and ridiculous ways. Everything for them is payback and they are probably keeping a tally to use down the road. They are truly that petty.

[cstanleytech]

5. He is right as Fox News is the direct propaganda arm of the GOP and they work hand in hand with them

as a 24/7 political ad agency rather than as a legitimate news agency.

[RainCaster]

9. IMO, Faux News is the propaganda arm for Putin

That's the prime mover, it just happens to be the same priorities for the GOP right now.

[PortTack]

6. Agree! After all they are licensed as an entertainment not news! You don't see TMC or ESPEN

In the WH briefing room..why should this be any different?!

[mac2766]

7. It should all be about the charter...

If you are a news organization - a real news organization, with the correct charter and everything - then you are allowed into the press conference. If not, you won't be.

[housecat]

8. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

[Ford_Prefect]

10. Fox needs to be stripped off of Armed Forces TV as well.

Same for OANN and Newsmax and double it.

[Mr. Ected]

12. Keep isolating and ridiculing them

Over and over and over again. Let them be the butt of a continuing joke. They thrive on conflict; they want us to fear them. Laughing at them defuses their mojo and robs them of what they crave.

[tiptonic]

13. Rupert Murdoch

Rupert should go back to Australia and take his National Enquirer network with him.

[wnylib]

16. Wasn't he shut down in Australia?

I thought I read something about that a while ago.

[BobTheSubgenius]

15. As politics and the media edge closer and closer to being nothing but satire and irony.

Being constantly buffeted by it leaves one with a sort of disinformation overload, sense and reason knocked so badly askew that it's hard to focus on what's going on and make proper sense of it. Trying to step outside the storm and reading - really reading - the conflicting, often nonsensical drone and doing one's best to put it in perspective is completely necessary, from time to time. It's difficult to always separate the wheat from the chaff.

[Danascot]

21. Yes but

Jen needs them to sharpen her claws on.