For decades, news channels have been known for the bias they exhibit toward each successive president and his administration. When Barack Obama was in office he received continuous, overwhelming, and glowing support from CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS, and the like. Frustration with the one-sided media landscape helped to create a marketplace for Fox, not to mention a multitude of online news and commentary sites dedicated to the conservative cause.
Since his time on the 2016 campaign trail, President Trump has, for the most part, enjoyed the praise and protection of Fox News. Routinely, he criticizes their competitors, the “fake news media,” for their attacks on him. Often, he’ll praise Fox as the only major news channel that dares to place his administration in a positive light. The us vs. them feature of this presidency is hardly surprising given the nature of the man himself. But when long-established personalities on Fox deviate from the expected norm, it can be shocking to both Trump supporters and critics alike.
Veteran political commentator Chris Wallace’s condemnation of the administration over Trump’s phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has been treated with disdain by some of the president’s tireless defenders. However, this objectivity in the face of documented wrongdoing is not only refreshing, given the intensely partisan climate, but absolutely necessary.
On Friday, Wallace disagreed on-air with Fox colleague Sandra Smith over the newly released whistleblower complaint stating, “The spinning that has been done by the president’s defenders over the last 24 hours since this very damaging whistleblower complaint came out, the spinning is … astonishing, and I think deeply misleading.” Then during his show Fox News Sunday, Wallace unapologetically grilled White House senior adviser Stephen Miller over the dealings with Ukraine, accusing Miller of engaging in an “exercise in obfuscation.”
To those who are tired of seeing the president continually lambasted by other networks and their anchors, Wallace’s words may seem a bit like salt in an open would that is never allowed to heal. While this irritation is the natural response to being in the media minority it should never move the focus away from the search for one thing: the truth. Both political parties have a perpetual tendency to place winning above everything else. Currently, it seems the glue that binds each side is the immense hatred they hold for the other. There is a certainty that the downfall of America is sure to come when an ideological enemy either gains or maintains power. The desire to push back against “inevitable” destruction leads too many to abandon what they know is right in favor of temporary political comfort.
There is plenty that is troubling and inappropriate about the Trump-Zelensky call. Whether the pending investigation results in impeachment is another matter entirely. But the president’s actions should not be met with a knee-jerk response, from voters or media members, that excuses the transcript or complaint simply because Democrats wish to look into the matter further.
Even if one disagrees with Chris Wallace, his contrarian temperament on Trump’s favorite network is a good thing. The clear search for and presentation of facts must rule the day. By questioning those who appear to do otherwise, Wallace is a model for all involved in the news business. He should be commended.
Conspicuous bias at CNN, MSNBC, and other channels should not encourage blanket favoritism of the current administration by those at Fox. Yes, the media majority will always skew to the left, but that should not dissuade others from leading by example. We can’t really expect a more balanced approach on other channels, but right-leaning media can and should pave the way with responsible, fact-based analysis that is never hesitant to ask the tough questions.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
