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When the War on the Media Turns on Fox News
I’ve heard this kind of thought exercise is called “what aboutism” now, but here’s a hypothetical: Let’s say at a pro-Trump protest, a female ABC News anchor was harassed so much nearing airtime that she and her crew felt unsafe enough to pick up all of their equiptment and move the location of the show minutes before airtime. Imagine if a male Fox News host basically told her the fear her and her crew felt was imagined or fake. Something like this, for example:
I was broadcasting from the SCOTUS plaza until 11:00PM that night. The protests were raucous; chants, posters and bullhorns on both sides. But I found it very democratic, all-American. I saw pro-choice and pro-life demonstrators arguing—passionately but civilly. I felt no threat. https://t.co/7gwTDgUhEG
— Terry Moran (@TerryMoran) July 10, 2018
Imagine the mainstream media response to a male Fox News anchor belitting the experience of a female ABC anchor in that way. Could that hypothetical male Fox anchor survive the swarm of anger directed his way?
We’ll never know, because the woman who felt threatened was Fox News’ Shannon Bream, and the male anchor poo-pooing her experience works for ABC. It seems the solidarity the press feel for one another in this “fake news” war on the press era doesn’t extend to professional courtesy for Fox News employees.
Published in Journalism
I like and respect Shannon Bream so I’d already be inclined to trust her take on the situation but since I also went to check out some of the protests here connected with the “Occupy” movement years ago and witnessed firsthand the selective vitriol directed at anyone there with clothing or equipment displaying a Fox News logo — most definitely, #imwithher.
The intention is to normalize and produce tolerance to threats of political violence – and actual violence – directed at the right. If you can normalize violence against women, violence against men is baked in the cake. Self-defense by the targets is being delegitimized as well.
Ms. Bream has local DC roots in broadcast news, and isn’t deserving of this. Today, we hear a lot about press freedom because . . . Trump. But few seem to recall that Obama went after Fox News specifically during his petulant phases. He was certainly a party to, and instrumental in, the rep Fox “enjoys” on the left because he did not like their coverage. Somehow, that didn’t seem to be a threat to press freedom because . . . Fox.
Bethany,
Just another example of the incredible bias we face every day. What we really need to do is stop the relentless soul searching and identify when they are a good 10 miles over the line, like in this case, and then give them a good verbal rap on top of their heads. Don’t expect good behavior just make them pay for some of the bad.
As for Shannon’s judgment, I don’t blame her one iota. The sheer thuggery index has been raised by Antifa and other professional protesters. The aggressiveness of the left is 10 times higher than it ever was in the sixties because these people aren’t real they are paid stooges. Normal people of any political opinion are turned off by violence and never want to be around it. These creeps are doing this for pay.
Regards,
Jim
Well of course Terry Moran didn’t feel threatened; he was on the same side as the raucous, threatening demonstrators — they were after the Fox crew.
Absolutely, Bethany. Since most of the news media are Left, I don’t believe they care at all about Fox News.
As a Shannon Bream fan, I felt bad that she didn’t feel safe out there that night. And I think her concerns should be taking seriously. The only reason they are not, in my judgment, is because she doesn’t share the Left tilt (at times it’s a buzzsaw) of the other media outlets.
Shouldn’t the facts of what actually happened matter most? Anyway video evidence of what actually went down?
Even if it was only that she “felt” threatened, I thought the lefty thing to do was side with the female.
Members of the media should try pretending to represent Fox News at some of these protests and then get back to us.
I’d also recommend they walk around a liberal city wearing a MAGA hat, but they’d claim I was wishing violence upon them. And they’d almost be right!
The problem is, the facts of what actually happened never seem to matter: leftists tell us with completely straight faces that women who accuse right leaning men of sexual harassment must be automatically believed, but if the man being accused is left leaning, that’s different: in that case, it’s ok to sweep all accusations under the rug. The worst nightmare of leftists is the possibility that a man might pressure a woman to continue with a pregnancy-or, God forbid, be a stay home mother, but if you believe leftists, women are never pressured into getting abortions or putting their children in daycare. I could go on, and on. Leftists only have sympathy for women who suit their political purposes: any woman who goes against them in any way stands a very good chance of ending up destroyed. This needs to be pointed out more often.
Certainly, but Ms. Bream’s character also is at issue. Unlike Moran, she was front and center. She’s either being honest or not. Based on my subjective assessment of her. I’ll go with the former.
Now, that’s truly deplorable…
Don’t know her nor do I watch cable news so I can’t speak to her character, but it’s an easy enough thing to prove especially if they were getting ready to film a special. In my experience, the person making the original claim has the burden of proof. ABC is also free to counter whatever she is saying with their own. It’s not plausible that these things weren’t caught on tape.
I agree with this. But I think it is an objective assessment of her character. I’ve grown a little tired of some of the folks on Fox. But Shannon has always struck me as supremely nice, honest, and very down to earth. She didn’t have to admit she was afraid. She could have said any number of things to go inside.
No actual footage from their setup at the protests, but I can well imagine that almost none of what was shouted at the Fox crew was CoC for TV…
At some point Fox News, and Shannon Bream, assessed risk versus reward. If the Fox News crew felt intimidated or threatened then I don’t see why they should adhere to Mr. Moran’s subjective standard of raucous. If ABC News decides to stay that is their decision.
I’m just amazed at the number of people that have the kind of job that demands so little of them that they can gather in a location on a week-night and can carry signs, chant themselves hoarse, and scream into bullhorns. Perhaps they do it because there’s nothing worth watching on ABC in the evening.
She said on the radio that there were no boundaries and they had been there since 8:30 am – the crowd was ok all day, but after the announcement it turned more harsh – a man with a mask was standing right behind her shoulder in an intimidating way – her crew surrounded her as a sort of barrier, but then it took away from them doing their job as they had to monitor the crowd. The higher ups near by agreed and they called it.
What “things”?
Unlike some people at past protests, she made no claim that she was actually attacked in any way. To my knowledge, she didn’t even lay blame for the discomfort she felt on one side of the protest or the other.
All she said was that the “mood here tonight is very volatile” (and there’s plenty of tape I’ve seen that makes that read on the temp out there perfectly plausible) and so she decided to move the show “back to the safety of the studio.”
Perhaps that seems like an unnecessary overreaction in hindsight but still, probably wise, in her case, to err on the side of caution. And totally believable and understandable to me (for the reason I already mentioned above) that a smart woman from Fox News would be slightly more inclined to feel her hackles rise in that sort of situation than some guy from ABC.
The only thing less illuminating than whatever was going to be said to camera is the background to the talking head that was saying it. It’s not nice to be threatened. But it’s only the media, not something that actually adds value (although the institution as a whole is an important enemy of the Republic and of freedom).
If only there really was a “War on the Media” as the post title says. A few mean tweets and some folks poking fun at the most self-regarding “profession” in the land (with the possible exception of politics) does not a “War” make. Where by “War” I mean something that would destroy the (power of the) institution – I don’t actually want any human beings harmed. (Except in their amour propre, perhaps.)
Wait, that actually happened 2 weeks ago, well – except the packing up and leaving part.
Jim Acosta was heckled at a rally for President Trump in S Carolina.
He practically soiled himself as he later tells of the horror of having to listen to an elderly woman.
Read the whole thing here.
Judithann,
You are on the target 100%. This is exactly their mindset. What advances their narrative is exaggerated beyond all sense and what doesn’t advance their narrative is ignored entirely.
Regards,
Jim
Yet the NYT will go to the mattresses to defend Ali Watkins.
Amen!!
‘Twas always thus. From eco-terrorists to anti nukes to Occupy Wall Street… The core of these groups are paid to whip up the crowd and cause way more than mischief. You’re right. They’re thugs.
Baristas have a lot of free time, what other job ya gonna get with the ________ studies degree?
You just made me realize that perhaps I should temper my contempt for journalists as they are bailing lawyers out of a hole. It wasn’t all that long ago that the only reason people didn’t hold lawyers in lowest regard in society was the existence of used car salesmen. Now we’ve got journalists and maybe politicians below us too. Movin’ on Up!!