Eric Boehlert: Biden White House should give Fox News the boot

[babylonsister]

https://pressrun.media/p/biden-white-house-should-give-fox

Biden White House should give Fox News the boot
No room for propaganda
Eric Boehlert


Over the last four years, the Trump White House press briefing room has welcomed the right-wing media swamp, with conspiracy outlets like Gateway Pundit and OAN granted access to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It was part of a Trump campaign to de-legitimize the press and turn the traditionally-serious briefings into partisan showdowns, where Trump’s far-right media supporters were able to turn the sessions into a farce by asking absurd questions that echoed Trump talking points.

The Biden White House needs to fumigate all of that. While they’re at it, they should give Fox News the boot, too. An avowed propaganda outlet that damages our democracy every day, it’s time for a Democratic administration to tell the truth about Fox News.

snip//

Today, it’s virtually impossible for anyone in the Beltway press to make the argument that Fox News is a legitimate outlet. It has likely infected millions of people this year — while killing thousands — by airing dangerous lies about a public health crisis, pushing blatant disinformation about how the pandemic is a hoax and a "Deep State" plot by Democrats to take down Trump. (During a single week in July, Fox News segments politicized wearing face masks more than 60 times.)

The network has also spent the last month waging a frontal assault on democracy by denigrating free and fair elections in this country. Fox News, by its own choice, now stands completely exposed for what it is — a cancer on this country. And there’s no way it deserves press credentials for the Biden White House.

snip//

Facing newfound market pressure from the far, far right in the wake of Trump’s loss — his loyalists were mad Fox didn’t run with the “stolen” election narrative loudly enough 24 hours a day — it’s very likely the network will spend next year trying to prove its right-wing bona fides by mercilessly and dishonestly attacking the Biden administration. Recall that within weeks of Obama being inaugurated, following his landslide victory, Fox News was promoting anti-Obama Tea Party rallies across the country. Look for that same organizing and sponsorship dynamic to be in play next year for the Biden presidency.

Democrats face all kinds of media propagandists looking to do harm to the party and the new president. There’s no reason to grant them the credibility of White House press passes.

[Botany]

1. Fox News is a cancer on this country.

[LenaBaby61]

7. Fox News is a cancer on this country.

Yes, but Dems can't do what the putin/tRump white house does as in totally ignoring so-called liberal media which really isn't liberal. A friend who STILL hangs on to watch Mrs. Greenspan said that when vagina neck tRump gave the boot to that liberal white house correspondent last year, she (Mrs. Greenspan) was chuckling and said something to the lines of "Well, I guess things are done different in Pres. tRump's White House. My have times changed." Mrs. Greenspan is WAY past her sell date. We know, tRumputin's been normalized, and you know darn well that a Biden Administration can't do what a putin/tRump administration did and continues to get away with 4 years later and forever.

[onenote]

2. Boehlert isn't a lawyer. If he was, he would know that his idea is a non-starter.

When Trump tried to take away the press credentials of individual CNN reporters based on the content of their questions and reporting, the courts quickly struck down that order as a violation of the First Amendment. Barring an entire network would go down just as fast if not faster.

It's not going to happen because the people who Biden is surrounding himself with are a lot more intelligent than Eric Boehlert.

[maxsolomon]

8. so, OANN, Gateway Pundit, et al are here to stay?

that is unfortunate.

[dware]

11. Yes, they are here to stay,

the govt. cannot ban them due to the 1A.

[maxsolomon]

12. There was a time when they existed but weren't in the WH press briefings.

I believe that day can come again.

[dware]

13. My deepest apologies,

I misunderstood your post, I thought you were referring to them being on air, not in the WH press room.
My bad.

There very well may come a day when they're no longer allowed in the WH press briefings, but not anytime soon.

[maxsolomon]

15. Oh, I have no illusions that any of the online RW Propagana press will ever go away

as long as there are deep-pocket funders like the Mercers and the Kochs.

No apologies needed.

[FBaggins]

9. Agreed

Far better to let them stay and call on them frequently... then demolish their position in your reply.

Essentially... just what Trump thought he was doing with Acosta... only for real.

[Laelth]

3. Hear! Hear! k&r

If they claim to be “infotainment” and not “news” (and this is what they regularly say when they are accused of blatantly LYING), then we should take their word for it and expel them from the WH Press Corps. The Press Corps is for real journalists and real news, not infotainment.



-Laelth

[pandr32]

4. I'm fine with banning them from legitimate business of our nation

Didn't President Obama refuse to call them "Fox News" and just left place cards listing them as "Fox"?

[tman]

5. Biden won't do it. Goes against his "unity & healing" narrative.

[dware]

6. Eric Boehlert is wrong on this,

it would be struck down very quickly, when Pissolini tried to have CNN's press privileges revoked, the court ruled it was unconstitutional under the 1A if I remember correctly.

[NCDem47]

10. How about allowing a single correspondent into pressers, but NEVER taking a question from them?

I think President-elect Biden will not want to set a vengeful tone, but he'll have power to send a message. He also strikes me as someone NOT affraid of FOX News.

Now, all that online and broadcast propaganda shit with no journalistic integrity? Out of there. Kick 'em to the curb.

[Hotler]

14. Allow one reporter, put them in a hall closet Labeled Free Press room.

Give them a flimsy TV table with a small monitor, one pencil and pad of paper for questions to be sent out but, never answered. Then let Hannity chew on that.

[Shermann]

16. I'd like to see Biden's Press Secretary make the rounds on Fox News frequently

I don't recall how this was under Obama?

This will probably be unpleasant, but really serves an important purpose. It's getting the message out to the 73 million (which is different from "reaching out" to them) and raising a different voice in the echo chamber. We need somebody who can set off truth bombs and hold their own and even incorporate a few of their tactics, but remain likable and reputable. Pete Buttigieg has the right skill set, somebody like him.

[janterry]

17. Free Speech

must be protected.

The first exception [to the First Amendment] will not be the last.
Ira Glasser