Robert N EmersonMy thoughts on Foxnews' association with Joe the Plumber
October 24th 2008 21:11
Okay, I promise to do my best to keep politics out of this, as this is not a political blog, but a blog where I blather, or babble I should say, about television. But, due to whom I'm about to talk about, some politics will bleed through.
I'm a dyed in the wool moderate, which is why I'm able to watch Foxnews, CNN, and BBC America and get what I want and need from them all. All three are enjoyable, informative, and have a good handle on their presentation of the news, but all three have different stances, too. Foxnews is conservative, CNN is liberal, and BBC America is moderate.
But, today, my thoughts are on the fact that Joe the Plumber, a man from Pennsylvanian who recently became famous due to asking Barak Obama some questions about the presidential candidates tax views. Now it is obvious that Joe needs some money, due to reports about his own, personal tax issues and bills, and it seems that Foxnews is going to help him, as the man, the plumber, is a guest of Niel Cavuto's this weekend for a major announcement.
First off, how is anything from Joe the Plumber important enough to be announced on a major news network? Also, how or why is he someone called during OpEd (opinion/editorial) segments for their expert opinion?
Seriously, Joe the Plumber?
What we have here is a guy who attempted a "Gotcha" question of a presidential candidate with hopes of self-promotion, which obviously worked if Foxnews is gonna call the guy, which also means they're paying the guy, for opinion statements, "expert" opinion, and other type pieces. Is Foxnews so to the point of admitting that they've a bias that they're employing the guy and saying "Hey, We're for the Republicans" or is this a prime example of programming toward the lowest common denominator?
I just don't get how this guy is an expert on anything, aside from plumbing and, odds are, if I was to pick a plumber from television, I'd pick Jay and Grant from Ghost Hunters, first. By the way, what is it with bald plumbers? *grins*
Seriously, though, why is Foxnews taking a subject of a news story and making them an employee or contractor, isn't that quick to do and treading upon shaky ground? Isn't there suppose to be a separation between the subject of a news story and those who cover it? Isn't there an ethics question to be had here or has the media gone so far away from ethics that no one is questioning it?
This sounds more like a question for Fox News Watch, which was once an enjoyable show, still sort of is, but I miss Eric Burns and Neal Gabler.
I'm a dyed in the wool moderate, which is why I'm able to watch Foxnews, CNN, and BBC America and get what I want and need from them all. All three are enjoyable, informative, and have a good handle on their presentation of the news, but all three have different stances, too. Foxnews is conservative, CNN is liberal, and BBC America is moderate.
But, today, my thoughts are on the fact that Joe the Plumber, a man from Pennsylvanian who recently became famous due to asking Barak Obama some questions about the presidential candidates tax views. Now it is obvious that Joe needs some money, due to reports about his own, personal tax issues and bills, and it seems that Foxnews is going to help him, as the man, the plumber, is a guest of Niel Cavuto's this weekend for a major announcement.
First off, how is anything from Joe the Plumber important enough to be announced on a major news network? Also, how or why is he someone called during OpEd (opinion/editorial) segments for their expert opinion?
Seriously, Joe the Plumber?
What we have here is a guy who attempted a "Gotcha" question of a presidential candidate with hopes of self-promotion, which obviously worked if Foxnews is gonna call the guy, which also means they're paying the guy, for opinion statements, "expert" opinion, and other type pieces. Is Foxnews so to the point of admitting that they've a bias that they're employing the guy and saying "Hey, We're for the Republicans" or is this a prime example of programming toward the lowest common denominator?
I just don't get how this guy is an expert on anything, aside from plumbing and, odds are, if I was to pick a plumber from television, I'd pick Jay and Grant from Ghost Hunters, first. By the way, what is it with bald plumbers? *grins*
Seriously, though, why is Foxnews taking a subject of a news story and making them an employee or contractor, isn't that quick to do and treading upon shaky ground? Isn't there suppose to be a separation between the subject of a news story and those who cover it? Isn't there an ethics question to be had here or has the media gone so far away from ethics that no one is questioning it?
This sounds more like a question for Fox News Watch, which was once an enjoyable show, still sort of is, but I miss Eric Burns and Neal Gabler.
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