Eric Boehlert: Fox News just proved why it shouldn't be hosting first debate

[babylonsister]

https://pressrun.media/p/fox-news-just-proved-why-it-shouldnt

Fox News just proved why it shouldn't be hosting first debate
Don't reward awful behavior
Eric Boehlert
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Days after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced its misguided decision to reward Fox News' Chris Wallace with hosting duties for the first debate between Trump and Joe Biden this month, the GOP network proved once again why it has no business taking its place alongside legitimate news organizations. The debate prize comes as Fox News has spent summer weeks and months lying relentlessly about a public health crisis, and fueling racial hatred among its viewers. More recently, the network yet again proved why it should not be given the cover of a news outlet.

Last week, when The Atlantic published its blockbuster story about how Trump was often overheard disparaging members of the military, calling fallen soldiers "suckers" and losers," competing news outlets scrambled to confirm the story. The New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Associated Press quickly did so, leaving little doubt that the offensive quotes attributed to Trump were accurate and that many top officials who have worked with him had knowledge of them. Still, the White House fought the story, insisting it was a "hoax" concocted by the liberal media to target a Republican.

Then on Friday afternoon, Fox News national security reporter Jennifer Griffin also confirmed key parts of the story. Yet most of her colleagues, desperate to defend Trump at all costs, continued to attack the allegations as a “hoax” and a “scam.” Fox News' evening news anchor Bret Baier reported on the story with an on-screen banner that read: “Fake News,” after Griffin had confirmed it.

It was another disgraceful performance by a dangerous propaganda outlet that in no way resembles a newsgathering one. So determined to spread GOP misinformation and to defend Trump's erratic behavior, Fox staffers would rather belittle and undermine their own colleague than acknowledge the truth.

"This is exactly why it is such bull-sh*t that a Fox was given the reward of hosting the first presidential debate," tweeted Kurt Bardella. "The damage done by Fox News should not be met with the status and visibility of having one of their own in that spot."

snip//

Wallace won high Beltway media marks for his moderating duties during the 2016 general election campaign. In truth, he routinely framed questions from a GOP perspective — he suggested President Barack Obama's 2009 stimulus damaged the economy, took previous Hillary Clinton comments out of context, misstated the facts about Social Security funding, and invoked the right-wing's myth about "partial-birth abortions."

But the issue today isn't Wallace. It's why institutions like the Commission on Presidential Debates, in the age of Trump and radical Fox News misinformation, chose to award the dishonest network with moderating duties for the first debate.

[Iliyah]

1. Sounds like a set up for VP Biden . .

hard questions for VP Biden.

Pre-questions already given to shithole so he can be prepared - much softer questions than VP Biden.

[hlthe2b]

2. I wonder if Wallace will address this.

[beachbumbob]

3. I got no issue with Chris Wallace, we all know the debates will be structured for trump's benefit

regardless.

[Yeehah]

4. How did a right-wing propaganda outlet become normalized as a "news" organization?

The Commission on Presidential Debates should be scorned for allowing phony Fox "news" network to have any part in the debates. News media that attempt to report the truth objectively and accurately are not "liberal." None of the mega-corporation-owned mass media are remotely liberal. But CNN, MSNBC, CBSN, etc. are marginally apolitical.

[Sherman A1]

6. That is the real question

They are no more legitimate journalists than is the comedy channel.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. Missing the point:

Fox "News" is not journalism. It is self-admitted entertainment.

That's not an entity I want moderating debates.

[Evolve Dammit]

8. Exactly. How in the world did anyone in the Biden camp agree to this??

[ancianita]

14. That's exactly what I want to know!

[catbyte]

7. I suppose we should be grateful that OANN isn't hosting the debate.

How far we have fallen.

[AnnieBW]

9. I hope Joe

Calls them out on their bullshit!

[Harker]

10. Trumpsky called them "fake news", too.

And for once, he was right.

[AdamGG]

11. Especially the first debate

Which is the one the most people tune into and sets the tone/perception of the whole thing. The first debate should be with PBS and be above partisanship. If Fox needs to get one, it shouldn't be the first one.

[Fla Dem]

12. It's a disgrace Faux News has a seat at the legitimate news table, but

it does and Joe needs to be ready. I'm am sure Joe is preparing to go up against Trump. His team has had 4 years to see how Trump acts and responds to questions, how he fabricates lies, takes credit for things he had nothing to do with, says things will happen that never do, shifts to blame Obama. Joe needs to be ready to press him when he lies and avoids answers. When he changes the subject to avoid answering. They know his tactics. This will be like no other debate Joe has ever been in.

I don't care who the host is. Even so called friendly hosts (Scully and Welker) will be throwing bombs to show how even handed they are.

[Marcuse]

13. Let John Oliver or Trevor Noah moderate a debate to balance FOX.

[catrose]

15. Heck, they shouldn't host the debate because they weaponized a public health crisis

[PurgedVoter]

16. Fox News, as I recall, is not news.

They have argued in court that they don't have to do research and that no one takes what they say as truth. They have argued that they are entertainment and have no obligation to tell the truth.

So, lets let Comedy Central host the debate. Let's let Comedy Central have reporters at presidential press conferences. If Fox is not news and obliged to tell the truth, why are they on any lists at all?