FOX News the “Fair and Balanced Network” – “Thou shall not lie”

 

There is a lot of dislike about FOX News, but certainly one of the worst things is their intentional misleading banner – “Fair and Balanced”.

How can an organization that lies about its true nature be trusted in anything it says?    

If FOX had said, “The Conservative view of the news”.  Or “A different perspective from the right”, I would have some respect for them and their views.  But to characterize FOX broadcasts as “fair and balanced” is a lie pure and simple.

O’Reilly, Beck and Hannity are not balanced.  In fact one could accurately say they are unbalanced.  No pun intended.  There are no commentators at FOX who can balance the unbalanced trio above.  Again no pun intended, well may just a little pun.

Even when they report the news it is slanted to the right.  They often leave out major facts in order to change the story completely.  They also seem to get some basic facts wrong in almost every story.  When the indiscretions came out about Republican Congressman Foley, he suddenly became a Democrat in all the stories they ran.  Even his pictures were mislabeled Democrat.  The same is true of Republican Senator Ensign and his affair with his campaign managers wife.  He became a democrat in their stories.   

This misreporting happens too often to be simple mistakes.  Even when they do get called on these mistakes they refuse to apologize.  In fact they seem to have a never admit a mistake policy.  No retractions and no going back. We take no prisoners is their policy.  Not exactly what you would expect from a news broadcast that is trying to report accurately.

The other major problem I have with the culture is they offend and insult intentionally as a part of their standard operating principles.  They don’t just disagree.  They are disagreeable.  Name calling, shouting, insulting and offensive language is their stock in trade.  They either haven’t read or have totally disregarded the words of Jesus.

Matthew 22:37-40 

 

37”And He said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

 38This is the great and foremost commandment.

 39The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'

 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets”

Matthew 7:12 

GOLDEN RULE -

12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

Mark 10:19 

19 “You know the commandments, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS (lie), Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'"

The FOX approach tends to turn every issue into a fight and obscures the facts so the argument becomes about the people and not the issue.  In fact attacking the messenger is also what they do extremely well.

I totally disagreed with about 90% of what Bill Buckley said and stood for, but I respected him as a person who cared about the issues and was trying to find solutions.  I didn’t agree the majority of the time with his solutions but you had to kind of like him anyway for his civilized approach and his willingness to listen to a different point of view.                     

In fact he regularly had people on his television show who disagreed with him and he offered them both a platform and his personal respect.  Too bad he died – he was one of the few conservatives I actually liked while I disagreed with his views.

The FOX group has helped turn the right into a mean spirited, foul mouthed bunch of haters.  They appeal to the worst emotions of the uneducated and those who fear anyone different than their group. 

Finally, the Catholic right seemed to try to uphold the principles of Jesus Christ.  I think they really did and do believe in Jesus and his teachings, but they are swayed by their politics.  I can’t say for certain, but the same doesn’t appear to be true with the FOX Catholics.  They have deserted Jesus in all they do.

This is too bad because we need a civilized, honest and truthful right in America to help us craft good Christian solutions to our many problems.