Fox Populi

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Media Issues

(Getty Images/Peter Kramer)

Most liberals, as you may know, aren't crazy about Fox News. MoveOn.org Civic Action has circulated a petition calling the cable network a "mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a legitimate news channel." Liberal bloggers and activists have called on presidential candidates to have nothing to do with the self-proclaimed "fair and balanced" network. And they have been critical of the Nevada Democratic Party, which is co-sponsoring a presidential debate in Reno with the Fox folks.

Enter John Edwards. The presidential hopeful has decided to skip the debate, in part, he says, because of the involvement of Fox News. And that, it appears, has Fox News chief Roger Ailes fuming.

"Any candidate for high office from either party who believes he can blacklist any news organization is making a terrible mistake about journalists," Ailes said a Radio and Television News Directors Foundation dinner in Washington yesterday. He added that a candidate "who cannot answer direct, simple, even tough questions from any journalist runs a real risk of losing the voters." Ailes didn't mention Edwards by name.

He did add this, however: "The public knows if a journalist's question is unfair. They also know if a candidate is impeding freedom of speech and free press. If you are afraid of journalists, how will you face the real dangers in the world?"

Liberal groups, meanwhile, are pressuring the Nevada Democratic Party to drop Fox News altogether.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by mattcat25 March 12, 2007 1:09 PM EDT: I think the Democrats (from the Democratic Party) should participate in any debate available, especially if in this case it would involve the contrasting sentiment from the Fear and Beleaguered Network at Fox.

If the Democratic Presidential Candidates really want to face all views to see where they stand, I believe that they should not shy away from the Fox News Comedy Channel.

If Fox chooses to abuse the debate and attempt to spin reality, or make negative beneficial proposals by these candidates it will just make Fox look biased, myopic, and stupid%u2026as usual.; Reply to this comment


by tqmek March 11, 2007 5:01 PM EDT: the Fact that Fox viewers think Fox present the other view is scary, no wonder us who are moderate but labeled by them is far left were pressuring the Democrat leader to drop Fox news.

Did any body in Fox news ask anybody in the Bush administration tough question no, how was their reporting during Katrina ?

And it's joke to call CBS ABC NBC and CNN liberal Media.; Reply to this comment


by chivikos March 11, 2007 1:04 AM EST: One more comment. Most people who watch CBS, NBC, CNN etc. are more or less brainwashed. The live in fear of being found out how shallow their lives are. Fox presents both sides while CBS often makes things up.; Reply to this comment


by chivikos March 11, 2007 1:01 AM EST: Dear Editor,

I would like to comment on the issue that forced Governor Richardson and John Edwards to withdraw from the Nevada Democratic Party's presidential debate.

Richardson and Edwards were forced to withdraw from the presidential debate by far left blogs MoveOn.org and DailyKos.com. Consequently, the Democratic Party of Nevada was forced to cancel this event. The motivation for the actions of these blogs is their hate of Fox News Channel, who was a debate co-sponsor.

The people have a right to hear candidates and different points of view that is our birthright.

MoveOn.org and DailyKos.com have NO RIGHT to decide under what circumstances the people can hear candidates. This is interfering in an election and a frontal assault on the First Amendment.
What kind of control do these blogs have over the Democratic Party? What possible justification did these candidates have for participating in this war the blogs have with Fox News Channel? I can see Edwards submitting but I am astonished that Richardson did.

Clearly what these candidates have done is disgraceful. What else can you call it. People, not only in Nevada, have been denied the right to hear these candidates debate because these men fear the far left blogs. I don't know if I can vote for a candidate that needs the permission of bloggers to speak.

We live in the United States and this kind of political thuggery has to stop.; Reply to this comment


by penpusher1 March 10, 2007 4:37 AM EST: Don't forget FOX NEWS is a premium channel in many markets and not available in many other markets. If Fox had CBS's power it would for sure out rate CBS. Their shows are just better and the quality of its personalities are just more believable.; Reply to this comment


by ronmwanga March 10, 2007 1:47 AM EST: Once again John Edwards is ahead of the curve. granted, in a field where Hillary and Obama -- two of the most filtered candidates in recent memory (Do we really understand Obama's political philosophy after "Audacity of Hope;" Was Hillary's bio not one of the dryest bios ever of an interesting person?) -- are the frontrunners, it is not too hard to be the bold trend-setter. Also, this maneuver just gives him absolute ownership of the political real estate to the left of Obama-Hillary. Clever; it took Edwards 4-years to really master the Learning Curve of Presidential politics. I have always said that Richardson and Edwards are going to be the interesting ones to watch. Journos attached to Hillary and Obama are going to be tripping off of each other trying to get a fresh angle on a story that will likely get a bit stale by September, when Gore may or may not jump in and kick things up a notch.; Reply to this comment


by sanfelz March 9, 2007 11:07 PM EST: There are other partisan media outlets besides FOX cable news, but none is as bold as FOX in trying to claim to be non-partisan. Ailes has long been a Republican attack dog, strongly defending all policies attributed to Republicans.
It is similar to Roger Moore being named news director of MSNBC.; Reply to this comment


by k-sozer March 9, 2007 8:31 PM EST: CBS already has far more viewers than Fox News has. On the other hand, it is true that Fox is well ahead of both CNN and MSNBC on cable, which may be the source of the confusion.

Fox provides news to an otherwise very underserved market niche. They have the benefit of having that niche all to themselves, which I find very surprising. Perhaps the other shows just don't know how to do it?; Reply to this comment


by low11-2009 March 9, 2007 8:22 PM EST: No one can ignore FOX News. It has a lot of viewers, so it will be a mistake to ignore it. I know some individuals do not like Fox News, but they need to remember that many Americans prefer to watch FOX News. If CBS wants more viewers, then they will have to imitate Fox News. People will not like the idea, but remember most viewers are watching Fox News.; Reply to this comment


by ajwi March 9, 2007 8:12 PM EST: Fox isn't a news channel, every headline, story and even footer rolling across the screen is blatantly tilted to the Republican Party. Good for Edwards for acknowledging it as such.

Your story would have been helped by a little more back ground on Roger Ailes history for example, a long time Republican attack dog before he started Fox, and since.; Reply to this comment

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