LA Times: Fox-News Reporter talks of bias

[La_Serpiente]

Now, I know that most people on DU have already heard about this story. However, this story is becoming more and more mainstream. The former Faux news producer and veteran, Charlie Reina, talks about the hegemony at Faux News and how most of the reporters are young and have no union protection.

This was reported in the LA Times, a major news publication. Also, I am hoping more stories like these come out. To me, this is the only way to really discredit their so-called integrity and false reporting.

LA Times article on Faux News's bias

[onebigbadwulf]

1. I;m confused

What does union protection have to do with anything?

[La_Serpiente]

2. The owner of Fox News

could threaten them if they report something that he/she doesn't like.

For example, if the reporter printed something critical of Bush, the reporter could lose their job.

And based upon the fact that the owner of Fox News, Mr. Ailes, worked for a Republican administration, I wouldn't be suprised that the reporter felt a little threatened.

[Mal]

3. Presumably,

without protection those who refuse to toe the line can be fired without risk of retaliation.

[mhr]

4. Surprise, Surprise, Why is Anyone Surprised by This?

eom

[Vogon_Glory]

5. The Surprise Is Caused By Big Media Arrogance

Fox News' bias to the right has been an open secret for years. Liberals knew it, consservatives knew it, politically involved centrists knew it. The only people really "surprised" are corporate media editors and corporate media reporters who, as usual, haven't been paying attention to the real world.

Chalk up another "insight" to sleeping porch dog-style reporting as practiced by corporate hacks.

[mhr]

6. That Figures, Everyone "Knew It" Except Those Supposed To Know It!

eom

[Maccagirl]

7. The Corporate Media and Reporters knew it too

They knew it, benefitted from it and enabled it.

[Guaranteed]

11. Murdoch already had a bad rep when he came over

in the early eighties. Mike Royko quit on him upon hearing that Murdoch had bought the Chicago paper he was working for at the time.

[UTUSN]

8. Woooo-HOOOO! The Dam and Damned Faux DENIAL Has Cracked!

No, Faux's wingnuttiness is not a surprise to any of us, but what is important is that somebody from the inside has broken the silence. This dude needs support and maybe PROTECTION. There have already been at least two Faux statements smearing him as "a disgruntled ex-employee"------ummmm, how come Bernard GOLBERG was NOT called "a disgruntled ex-employee" of CBS, ehhhhh? DRUDGE and others tried to smear BROCK as mentally ill.

In the original ROMENESKO link, are continuing Faux updates: http://poynter.org/forum/?id=letters#foxnews

[GinaMaria]

9. old story but

helps prove your point. These reporters were fired from FOX for refusing to alter an investigative report in a way that favored Mansanto.

www.foxbghsuit.com

[TacticalPeek]

10. "Roger is not addressing this and is not available" - good article

News chief has no comment, and the rest of you better pipe down. We don't need no steekin coverage. That's for Laci and Kobe.

And this guy, Reina, "produced the network's weekly media criticism show, "News-Watch,".

By coincidence, I had been meaning to post someting about that show, which I've watched a few times lately and was frankly very impressed. It was waywayway better than CNN's 'Reliable Sources'. Early in the Plame affair one of their regular panelists said that Nofacts should be fired, and their discussions are generally smart and free-wheeling. I had honestly concluded that the best media criticism on TV was this Faux show, of all things.


From the article:

Av Westin, a longtime ABC news executive who is now executive director of the National Television Academy, examined Reina's letter and said: "Nothing about this surprises me. The uniform smirks and body language that are apparent in Fox's reports throughout the day reflect an operation that is quite tightly controlled. The fact that young and inexperienced producers acquiesce to that control by pulling stories is further evidence that nonjournalistic forces are at work in that newsroom.