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Fox News and Occupy Wall Street Dannymac Send a noteboard - 25/10/2011 03:59:30 PM
I've never made any secret of my general disgust for Fox News. I have found them to be biased, manipulative, and always willing to throw journalistic integrity to the winds in order to push a chosen agenda. I have not, however, often considered them to be poor manipulators of media. They know their spin, they're good at their spin. And yet, when it comes to their coverage of Occupy Wall Street, it seems that Fox has completely lost their minds.

It is clear that they don't like it. Clear, and unsurprising. And so you would expect them to oppose it. You wouldn't, however, expect them to sell tickets for it, or give it free air time. And yet, they are. Consistently. Does Fox know that every time they trash Occupy Wall Street on the air, they are effectively building that movement?

Like most actual grass-roots movements, Occupy Wall Street lacks cohesion and theme. It is an ink blot, representing whatever those who look at it want to see. Old Hippies see a return of will to fight the power. Young rebels see a chance to crusade. Desperate people see a cry for help. Bored people see something to do, a way to appear edgy, and maybe get laid. Conservatives, in general, seem to see a sea of unwashed, dead-beat hippies. Fair enough, on all counts. If simply left alone, it would eventually burn itself out. And yet Fox keeps shilling for them, by way of trashing them in their op-ed shows.

Fox is giving the largely formless movement form by giving them a visible opponent. No one knows for sure what Occupy Wall Street stands for, but they can point to Fox and say "See! The Fat Cats are fighting back!" Sure, a lot of Fox's followers will take what they are fed, but there is a problem: Fox's Followers probably were not going to join Occupy Wall Street, anyway. The last time I can remember Fox failing in media manipulation this badly is when they sued to suppress Al Franken's "Lies, and the Lying Liars who Tell Them." Nobody knew about that book before the lawsuit. Afterwards? Instant best-seller.

I'm not that interested in debating the politics of this... I have never been particularly impressed with the Occupy Wall Street Movement. I am, however, very interested in how the conservative media treats it. You think they would have learned about there being no bad publicity right now, and how the best way to beat a grass roots movement is to ignore it.
Eschew Verbosity
This message last edited by Dannymac on 25/10/2011 at 04:01:10 PM
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Fox News and Occupy Wall Street - 25/10/2011 03:59:30 PM 869 Views
In other words your shallow understanding of people who think differently has failed you again - 25/10/2011 04:08:09 PM 614 Views
*wonders if this works* - 25/10/2011 05:46:56 PM 562 Views
Point missed, try again. *NM* - 25/10/2011 06:13:17 PM 228 Views
Make snide posts, expect snide replies - 25/10/2011 06:41:31 PM 592 Views
Well, I wouldn't want to subject you to anything. *NM* - 26/10/2011 05:00:55 AM 234 Views
Uncalled for. I expect better from you. *NM* - 26/10/2011 06:28:15 AM 222 Views
Ignore it? - 25/10/2011 05:39:17 PM 594 Views
You're kidding, Right? - 25/10/2011 06:15:52 PM 568 Views
Why? Am I being ridicuously illogical? - 26/10/2011 05:41:29 PM 526 Views
Yes, you are. - 27/10/2011 03:32:26 PM 504 Views
I thought someone would say that. - 27/10/2011 06:01:17 PM 603 Views
Well, welcome to popular media - 25/10/2011 06:38:37 PM 745 Views
Fox News vilifies them, The rest of the major news networks sings their praises. - 26/10/2011 06:28:26 AM 590 Views
In that case ... - 26/10/2011 03:37:11 PM 622 Views
There is a big difference between the way the two groups went about it - 26/10/2011 04:18:22 PM 558 Views
"In other words your shallow understanding of people who think differently has failed you again." - 26/10/2011 04:41:53 PM 596 Views
Nice try but doesn't really apply - 26/10/2011 04:56:16 PM 484 Views
Dammit, now you've made me type a huge post. - 26/10/2011 06:10:09 PM 599 Views
*applauds* - 26/10/2011 10:01:13 PM 496 Views
It would be nice to think he at least read this post... - 28/10/2011 03:35:31 AM 519 Views
it would not have been so long if you has actaully addressed what I said instead of ranting - 28/10/2011 10:38:34 PM 594 Views
Re: - 28/10/2011 11:01:58 PM 564 Views
I just read that former Acorn employees are the ones running the show. Color me not suprised. *NM* - 26/10/2011 05:50:05 PM 235 Views
Running the show how, exactly? - 27/10/2011 03:36:34 PM 539 Views

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