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Why the White House attack on Fox is backfiring

By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
10/21/09 10:14 AM EDT

There seems to be general agreement that the Obama White House's campaign against Fox News is actually directed at other news organizations -- to "get other journalists to think twice before following [Fox's] stories in their own coverage," according to an article in the Politico. Fox is beyond the pale, the White House is telling the press corps: You wouldn't want to have anything to do with that, would you?

But the White House campaign appears to be backfiring. A number of mainstream journalists are reacting badly to the attempt to declare a journalistic organization off-limits. Why the negative reaction? Is it because of solidarity among reporters? A reflexive defense of freedom of the press? Secret sympathy for Fox?

None of the above. The real reason the White House campaign is backfiring is that it offends journalistic self-esteem.

Most mainstream reporters are already ignoring stories critical of the Obama administration that Fox plays up. They famously stayed away from the Van Jones story, and the ACORN story, too, for as long as possible. They were doing exactly what the White House wanted, but they believed they were doing it for sound journalistic reasons, not as the result of any bias, and certainly not as the result of any directive from the White House.

Now, when the White House takes the too-obvious step of actually issuing them marching orders, they recoil. Such orders are an insult to their image of themselves as tough-but-fair journalists. Even if they were completely in the tank -- remember when Obama told them, "Most of you covered me; all of you voted for me" -- their most cherished image of themselves is of savvy, straight-shooting reporters, not taken in by the spin and talking points of the officials they cover.

The anti-Fox campaign offends that sense of self-esteem in the clumsiest way possible. That's why it's backfiring.

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Reader Comments

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flacracker

Oct 21, 2009

Interesting thesis. But, ObamaScare remains one of the most bizarre situations I've seen. No matter what the reason is every journalist in the United States ought to be on high alert over the White House attack on Fox News. Remember Martin Niemoller's poem:

"First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me."

good jouralists

Oct 21, 2009

I truly believe all good journalists will stand up and rebuke this slam on Fox News. Journalists don't want to think of their job as being "muzzled".
They realize if this happened to one News organization, it will happen to them. They really want to report "news" not just events that make Obama look good. This is a time that the mainstream media can redeem themselves. I hope they will do what is right and stop being manipulated.

StopSocialism

Oct 21, 2009

Proof that loony-left d-crat socialists CONTROL American news organizations (EXCEPT FOX NEWS!):

"Whether it was a David Plouffe video or an Obama speech, a huge part of our press strategy was focused on making the media cover what Obama was actually saying as opposed to why the campaign was saying it," she said. "One of the reasons we did so many of the David Plouffe videos was not just for our supporters, but also because it was a way for us to get our message out without having to actually talk to reporters. ... We just put that out there and made them write what Plouffe had said as opposed to Plouffe doing an interview with a reporter. So it was very much we controlled it as opposed to the press controlled it."

--12 Jan 2009, quote from Anita Dunn, hussein's Czar for Attacking Fox News And Anybody Else Who Tells The Truth About The Loony-Left D-crat Socialists.

ladybug

Oct 21, 2009

This White House has tried to portray the Administration as a reasonable and reasoning one; willing to work with many. But, it has actually been revealed to be a bunch of bullies hiding behind the bully wizard's curtain.

Many supporters have wanted to believe that the Chicago-style of politics were left in Illinois, but with each additional enemy called out, it must be harder to believe: Fox News, Chamber of Commerce...

I think that the journalists sitting on their hands while Fox News is beaten up may be trying to see themselves in a different category than Fox. However, Anita Dunn's talk in the Dominican Republic on how the campaign controlled the message and only fed the press what they wanted them to know during the campaign might be grating on some for not defending practitioners of their own journalistic craft now.

Wonder how many now secretly wish they had not been identified by the President as being in the tank for him?

Bianca Verita

Oct 21, 2009

This is how they do things in Africa. Can you say, "Idi Amin?"

Deborah

Oct 21, 2009

Isn't talking to reporters so that questions can be asked the very foundation of journalism?
Is is just me or do these people just continue to put their foot in their mouths? Is anyone listening to their Fascist rhetoric?
Bambi and admin continue to attack the American people. Millions watch Fox regularly and many more millions attend tea parties. These are people who are informed and involved in what the government is doing even if they don't agree with some of Fox's "opinions". Alot of us are sitting on the fence and because of things like this we are starting to really lean to the right.

Sandra

Oct 21, 2009

This is administration has more fools in it than I had thought.
Since when has it become seemly for the leader of a coountry to try debating with media....Reagan did not..neither Bush nor Clinton.....seems he is taking on local fights so as to appear to be doing something for the money.
This Obama is peeing on our backs and insisting it is raining.
He'd better start getting to work...2012 will have him unemployed as is typical of that kind....get hired for a job and then stand around scratching thier heads in amazement is what to do next!

JamesJ

Oct 21, 2009

Clinton did blame the Oklahoma bombings on "talk radio," but didn't mention names or networks. But we all knew who he meant.

Mick

Oct 21, 2009

I think a more accurate poem would be...

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist...
but that was a GOOD thing.
Because there was no one left
to come for the rest of us, and we
lived happily ever after.

moptop

Oct 21, 2009

You are still laboring under the delusion that the bias is unconscious. They have been peeing on us and telling us it's raining for so long, they think that is their real job. We are all Winston Smith on the right.

moptop

Oct 21, 2009

They were proud to help in and proud they got him elected. They have no shame, shame is for fools in flyover country.

real yellow journalism fair and balanced

Oct 21, 2009

In order to have "journalistic self-esteem", you have to have journalists.

FoxNews only has commentators.

Oct 21, 2009

More like OBAMU -GABE "BV"

ilovefox

Oct 21, 2009

if they go after Fox news, what will they do to us. that is a scary thought and i think people are now starting to realize that.

kingoftheslidez

Oct 21, 2009

Is that the same Fox noise that banged the drum night and day for the illeagal invasion of Iraq?[Dont these people ever get tired of being wrong?]Lies and disinformation-got bad news for you this is our country now and truth and decency reign supreme. Thank God for President Obama.

Concerned_citizen

Oct 21, 2009

Actually, "Kingoftheslidez" the Fox News channel were repeatedly speaking against the Bush administration and his policies as well. You should stop watching MSNBC.

Secondly, this is troubling. The ridiculous spending and lack of action was bad enough, but now DIRECTLY ATTACKING freedom of the press? This reminds me of what Nixon tried to do and it didn't turn out well for him, if I recall correctly.

kingoftheslidez

Oct 22, 2009

Typical conservative-its the truth because I said so.If you actually believe that Fox noise took the Bush administration to task for the illegal invasion of Iraq then I feel the most sorry for you.Faux news is of no consequence-even with all their ranting President Obama was overwhelming elected and I thank God I can visit foreign countries and be proud to be an American again.

amused

Oct 22, 2009

Hey King of the Slidez, time to get off the slide and go back to class. Your fifth grade teacher is calling, and you're late for your grammar and punctuation lesson.

jealousy

Oct 22, 2009

Jealousy is a terrible thing. Fox News
has the highest ratings and that is why
the other journalists aren't backing
them. Journalists from other networks
should stand up and speak out.

LiveFreeAmerica

Oct 22, 2009

Journalistic integrity has died in the alphabet media so the fact that the White House is patting them on the head for good behavior is beyond their reckoning.

Personally, if they told me the wind was blowing during a hurricane, I wouldn't believe a word the White House or the Media spouted.

bobc

Oct 22, 2009

I am not sure the reporters of the MSM have any self-esteem! Ego's maybe, but not self-esteem.

Barely About Barack

Oct 22, 2009

Enough about Fox News already. If they were as professional as C-Span, or even NPR, the White House wouldn't complain as much. Fox has done little to suggest that they are welcoming to center-left voices, much less the President. Who among them could fairly be considered moderate and/or respectful? Say what you will about NPR, at least President Bush wouldn't be berated by their interviewers. Fox is a step above Pacifica, in term of professionalism, but simply not in the same league.

Deep Thinker

Oct 22, 2009

Hey "Barely About Barack", maybe if you ever watched Fox, you would realize how ignorant your claim is that there are no center-left voices on the network. Mara Liasson, Juan Williams, Mort Kondracke, Susan Estrich, Alan Colmes, Bob Beckel, Jeff Birnbaum, and Geraldo Rivera are just some of the moderate or liberal voices you will find on Fox. There are more left-of-center voices on Fox than there are right-of-center voices on CNN and MSNBC combined.

kingoftheslidez

Oct 22, 2009

Well Hello"amused" Thank you for your well thought out comments. I dont know your politics as you offered no opinion just attacked me personally.You cant touch my argument so you attack me.Hows this for puntuation-Fixed News lies.Period.

Atomic

Oct 22, 2009

I had not watched Fox News, but due to this publicity, I started watching it. I find it refreshing. Keep up the good work!

American Girl

Oct 22, 2009

Gives the other journalists a look in the mirror and they see just how much they have been bought.

Barely About Barack

Oct 22, 2009

I saw Mara and Juan on Fox News Sunday all of the time. They were part of the roundtable discussion, not serving as the impartial analysts that they usually are on NPR. They don't have to be professional on Fox News, because FN prefers to be the right-leaning CNN.

Barely About Barack

Oct 22, 2009

Deep Thinker, the above post was for you.

Still Amused

Oct 23, 2009

King of the Slidez - I didn't touch your comment because it was asinine and well... juvenile, very much like your writing style. Please, by all means, keep up the "neener neener" stuff. You'll change a lot of minds that way.

Mad Monica

Oct 23, 2009

This has been handled as badly as everything else this administration touches. No finesse, no class, no brains it would seem. And I have to thank God for it. Were this behavior conducted by a group more conniving and smart, we'd be in deep doo doo.

Mad Monica

Oct 23, 2009

I love watching folks like K of the S respond to these issues, however. They're so incensed that the people have caught on they can't stand it. And then when someone treats them in kind, they get all self-righteous and indignant. It's a SCREAM! Thanks for the laughs!

kingoftheslidez

Oct 23, 2009

I know I know I get it Im stupid I truly believe you watch Faux News-target an irrelevent flaw and then hammer away over and over with the same caustic message of a personal nature. Hey i dont have to persuade anybody President Obama was overwhelming elected 70% of Americans,now armed with the truth,you know your worst nightmare the truth,feel the illegal invasion of Iraq was a mistake. 72 % of Americans think Bush was a failure.The Republican party has been reduced to a cult with Faux News being the propaganda arm of the organization.In short you have been rendered irrelevent and grasping at the last straw devoid of any argument.Dude you guys are easy. Thank God we took back our country and our national nightmare is over.

johnstanaland

Oct 24, 2009

Foxnews will win out because the truth always prevails! The lies of the left will destroy them as I think Americans are awakening from their long nap that they have been on.

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Why the White House attack on Fox is backfiring

By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
10/21/09 10:14 AM EDT