Media Matters Founder Joins RNC Head In Urging NBC and CNN To Dump Clinton Specials

left to right: Priebus, Clinton, and Brock

On August 5th in a response to announcements late last month by NBC and CNN that they would be producing Hillary Clinton-related specials (a miniseries starring Diane Lane and a feature length documentary, respectively), RNC Chairman Reince Priebus called for both networks to put a halt to these programs. If they didn't, Priebus threatened that the GOP would boycott any 2016 presidential debates hosted by the two networks.

Priebus' letter to CNN

Priebus' letter to NBC

Surprisingly, Media Matters founder David Brock wrote letters to NBC and CNN the next day also requesting they cancel their planned Clinton programs. In addition to the story on Brock's pleas to NBC and CNN, the link below also includes the letters he sent to both networks.

David Brock call on NBC and CNN to cancel their Hillary Clinton specials

Although Priebus and Brock want the same result, their motives differ. Priebus feels that NBC and CNN are in the business of promoting Democrats and the Clinton specials would be a boost to Hillary's bid for the 2016 presidency (assuming she runs). Brock believes that the specials could tarnish the reputations of the news divisions of each network (they are being produced by NBC Entertainment and CNN Films, respectively). Brock's other concerns are the potential criticism the networks could face for failing to provide equal time to all potential candidates and for not adopting the right-wing noise machine's ideological view of Hillary.

I disagree with both Priebus and Brock, although I do think the latter's intentions are sincere. Priebus' criticism of NBC and CNN comes off as whiny, especially since it's no secret that the Republican party has its own network. It also makes the GOP look desperate and scared of a potential presidential run by Hillary Clinton. As for Brock, he shouldn't be aiding the GOP and their accusations of liberal bias. I was glad to see that CNN shows no signs of caving to the demands of Priebus.

Priebus' appearance on the CNN program OutFront with Erin Burnett:



Although Ms. Burnett did a good job overall, she let Priebus off the hook by not asking him about the numerous Fox News hosts and contributors who campaigned for the GOP in 2011-2012. At approx. the 6:20 mark, Ms. Burnett gets ready to ask Priebus a Fox-related question. However, he seemed to anticipate a tough question and cut her off in what appeared to be an effort to run out the clock. Although it's not the one I would have asked, the question about Fox that Ms. Burnett asked near the end was a good one.

Priebus' appearance on Hannity:



Both Priebus and Hannity were in typical form. In their eyes, if you're a member of the news media and not demonizing liberals or giving every break to the GOP, it makes you liberal by definition. Also, they're still blaming the so-called liberal media for the damage the debates did to the GOP brand. So much for the conservative's belief in personal responsibility. Towards the end, Priebus discusses plans for the GOP to select the debate moderators themselves. Priebus' stance against the so-called liberal media no doubt plays well with the GOP base. However, in addition to the aforementioned "whiny" and "desperate", I think Priebus' latest moves make him and the GOP look weak as well. 

Headquarters of New Orleans Women's Advocacy Group Set on Fire

On 5/24, Women With A Vision, a New Orleans-based advocacy group for sex workers, low-income women, women with substance abuse issues, and other at-risk populations, was broken into and set on fire. While no arrests have been made in connection with the fire, it appears to be politically based. Also, the NOFD has classifed it as arson. You can read more on the story at the NOLA Defender. 

In the first clip below, Deon Haywood (Exec. Director for WWAV) talks about the incident and how it will not stop her group from continuing with the work they do. 



Props to The Young Turks because I probably wouldn't have known about this story if they hadn't covered it. In the following clip, hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian talk about not only the WWAV fire, but also how this type of domestic terrorism is downplayed in the media.

Cenk and Ana make some excellent points in this clip, but I especially love the fiery passion Ana exuded. If you're wondering about her disparaging reference to Bill O'Reilly and Lila Rose (the founder of the pro-life group Live Action), she had a good reason.

Think Progress story on domestic terrorism

The Book Fox "News" Doesn't Want You to Read...

On Tuesday February 21, Random House is scheduled to release the book The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network into a Propaganda Machine. Written by Media Matters for America founder David Brock and the progressive media watchdog group's VP Ari Rabin-Havt, this exposé has already got people of all political stripes talking.

From the "About the Book" section of the RH page for The Fox Effect:

Based on the meticulous research of the news watchdog organization Media Matters for America, David Brock and Ari Rabin-Havt show how Fox News, under its president Roger Ailes, changed from a right-leaning news network into a partisan advocate for the Republican Party.
The Fox Effect follows the career of Ailes from his early work as a television producer and media consultant for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. Consequently, when he was hired in 1996 as the president of Rupert Murdoch’s flagship conservative cable news network, Ailes had little journalism experience, but brought to the job the mindset of a political operative. As Brock and Rabin-Havt demonstrate through numerous examples, Ailes used his extraordinary power and influence to spread a partisan political agenda that is at odds with long-established, widely held standards of fairness and objectivity in news reporting.

Featuring transcripts of leaked audio and memos from Fox News reporters and executives, The Fox Effect is a damning indictment of how the network’s news coverage and commentators have biased reporting, drummed up marginal stories, and even consciously manipulated established facts in their efforts to attack the Obama administration. 


To pre-order the book, click here.  

Fox already appears to be in damage control mode because on at least two of its programs (The O'Reilly Factor and Fox & Friends) there have been negative segments on MMFA. Expect Fox to step up its attacks against MMFA once the book comes out.  

The following clip is the book trailer for The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network into a Propaganda Machine:

Eric Boehlert: How Fox News Is Destroying the Republican Party

Late last week on the "County Fair" blog portion of Media Matters, writer Eric Boehlert lays out his case of how Fox "News" is causing the demise of the GOP. You can read the article by following the link below:

How Fox News Is Destroying The Republican Party

I've been watching how Fox has conducted itself during the Obama administration and I'm in agreement with Boehlert's assessment. Although the less than honorable tactics often employed by many at Fox have paid off in regards to ratings, I think they are causing a lot of Republican politicians to say and do things they wouldn't under normal circumstances. The "Fox-ification" of the Republican party is a classic case of the tail wagging the dog. The bottom line is that what's good for Fox isn't necessarily good for the GOP.

Do you think Fox is helping or hurting the Republican Party?

Humor: Playing The Race Card From Both Sides Of The Deck

I found this Rob Tornoe cartoon at Media Matters. Note to any of the righties who are employing this double-dealing method: Pick one false narrative and stick to it!

The Glenn Beck TV Program Is Going Off the Air: The End of an Error

As you probably know, it was announced on 4/6 that Glenn Beck would "transition off of his daily program" on Fox "News" later this year. In just over two years of hosting his program on Fox, this lying, race baiting, fearmongering fraud has set new lows in political discourse. For a recap, Media Matters has documented the 50 worst things Glenn Beck said on Fox right here. Although it was hard to keep up, Diversity Ink also did its best to chronicle the nonsense spewed by Beck.

I've read some of the conservative blogs and their take on Glenn parting ways with Fox. Not surprisingly, The Lollipop Guild (aka suckers) who view Glenn as a hero are swallowing his "Paul Revere" speech in regards to why he is discontinuing his TV program on Fox. Oh yeah, he's on to bigger and better things...please! I thought it didn't get any bigger than Fox?!

Earlier this year there were reports about Fox and Beck not being able to come to terms on a new contract. That's probably the main reason his TV program is going bye-bye. The fact that Beck's ratings have steadily eroded didn't help his cause. If you follow television history, it was easy to predict Beck wouldn't be able to sustain the astounding ratings he achieved in the first year of his Fox program. When saying outrageous things, peddling fear, and cooking up tinfoil hat conspiracy theories is your schtick, it's going to wear thin rather quickly with all but the most ardent followers (paging "The Lollipop Guild"). Also, the massive boycott by advertisers (thank you Color of Change) likely made it easy for Fox to decide Beck simply wasn't worth the headache. In addition to the ratings drop and the advertiser exodus, Fox president Roger Ailes couldn't have been happy that it was the Blaze (the conservative blog launched by Beck) which debunked James O'Keefe's fraudulent exposé of NPR. 

In the clip below, Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks gives his analysis of the Glenn Beck/Fox "News" situation. Included in the clip is footage of Beck telling viewers about his plans. It's amazing the amount of B.S. that Beck can spew in just over 3 minutes! If I had been drinking a beverage, I might have done a spit take at the 6:45 mark of the clip. 

Why do you think Glenn Beck's TV program is ending?