Tobin Smith: Former Fox News Analyst...Fear & UNBalanced: Confessions of a Fox News Hitman

[CherokeeDem]

I am not certain if this belongs in GD, but Smith has written a whistleblowing book about Fox News and how the cable news network constructed its lies. Considering the damage that Fox News has done to our country, I thought DU members would be interested in this author interview from the Book 'Em Book Club website. The creator of the site has given me permission to post the link. The book will be published in January 2018.

From the interview:

Book ‘Em: When did you decide to write an expose of FOX News? Talk about your latest work.

Tobin Smith: It really was not until I saw the movie “The Brainwashing of My Dad” in 2016 was I exposed to the broad reality of real addiction by senior aged Fox News viewers and the family breaking consequences. THEN I finally SAW the damage that Fox News and I for 14 years was inflicting on Americans. Of course how Fox News enabled a reality TV host to be elected POTUS was the final straw.

https://bookembookclub.wordpress.com/2017/11/10/author-interview-with-tobin-smith/

[riversedge]

1. here is a photo of him. I do not recognize him.

I prob. only know the loud mouths from the evening shows.

[7962]

7. I remember the face. He had a stock market show on Sunday mornings

Also a panelist on many business segments. I think he's a stock market guy

[Fred Sanders]

51. I know him. Never rose to Level 1 Hatemaster status.

[True Blue American]

76. I recognize the face

But not the connection.

I am waiting on Shepherd Smith to break. He has never belonged there. Would watch him on the other station. Can not stomach Fox.

Lou Dobbs is the real disappointment. I liked him in the old days. Now,he comes across as one of the worst.

[doc03]

2. He had better had never done anything illegal or embarrassing in his entire

life. It will be an all out war on this guy.

[underpants]

3. hyper-partisan pornography

He nailed it.

[Madam45for2923]

4. Fox needs to be taken down. Their viewers are being abused & they don't even know it.

[heaven05]

5. same tobin s

lamenting the powerlessness of the white, working class male in this society? If so....WGAF about him or his book except those who think and feel just like him.... He's from FOXnews...will always be from and about FOXnews and their 'slant' on amercan politics, race. The book was written to fill his coffers with gold.

[malaise]

11. He won't get a penny from me or

mine

[CherokeeDem]

16. Doesn't matter if you buy the book or not...

Last edited Sun Nov 12, 2017, 12:00 PM - Edit history (1)

You should hope that someone can break through the facade of Fox News and bring it down.

He states in the interview it was hard to give up the money Fox was paying him... at least, he's honest about that.

I, for one, hope he's incredibly successful in taking down the evil empire of Fox News...

[malaise]

24. Agreed

and it will take their own to bring them down

[CherokeeDem]

40. Exactly..... nt

[7wo7rees]

68. But who's his audience?

We're not buying it.
The viewers won't buy it.
Who's buying this book?

[CherokeeDem]

70. Some have said they would.....

And I would think anyone who would at least like to see what a former Fox insider had to say about how they manipulate viewers would wish to read it.

Blanket statements never work....

[radical noodle]

84. I would buy it

People who have older parents who watch Fox should buy it.

[yardwork]

15. Good catch. Do you think that the DU poster is actually Tobin Smith?

I'm going to ask the poster.

[CherokeeDem]

17. No... I am not Tobin Smith

Been on DU a long time.....

[yardwork]

18. I know. I'm not talking about your OP! There's a poster on DU called "tobin s"

[brer cat]

19. Our Tobin S is a truck driver.

Can't be the same person.

[yardwork]

20. That's what he says.

[CherokeeDem]

22. The DU'er Tobin is not the Fox Tobin S.

We've followed his remarkable journey from his marriage through his college days.... not the same dude.

[yardwork]

23. Do you know the DU Tobin S personally?

Have you met him in person? Have you met his family and friends in real life?

I have zero information either way. I'm just asking.

[CherokeeDem]

28. No....

And neither do most people around here... We've seen the pics he posts and read his posts for years.

A non-sequitur...

[mopinko]

32. i now him on fb, and he is a real person.

used to use the handle droopy, i think. long time member, and he and i converse by fb messenger often.
tobin s is his real name.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

54. What a dastardly plan that one has.

He's concocted a whole false online identity to trick evil libruls.

He only neglected one thing. He forgot to change his name!!!

[DFW]

77. I believe him. He has posted pics of himself.

Not the same man.

[WinstonSmith4740]

27. Had a problem myself with his equivocation of Fox and MSNBC.

I mean, he seems to have come to grip with the fact that Fox always was about RW propaganda. And while we all acknowledge that MSNBC certainly leans left, at least what we hear on shows like Rachel's is true. If she says something that is later proven wrong, she admits it. Study after study has shown that Fox News viewers are the least informed people in the country. Even after these guys figure out they've been used, they still can't resist taking shots at "libruls".

https://www.alternet.org/media/science-fox-news-why-its-viewers-are-most-misinformed
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2011/11/21/fox-news-viewers-uninformed-npr-listeners-not-poll-suggests/#62f831164fd8

[samnsara]

43. also we are pretty damned sure msnbc does research...

[Garrett78]

48. Same here.

And MSNBC has a much broader involvement of right wingers. I seriously doubt MSNBC programs are scripted in the way Tobin Smith describes Faux News programs being scripted.

[PatrickforO]

64. I hear that and agree. Seems to me if we had a new Fairness Doctrine,

MSNBC shows like Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes would pass BECAUSE of the research they do. So, no worries about their message being taken off. Fox, on the other hand - toss the whole shit-bag in the dumpster.

[WinstonSmith4740]

80. We've got to get The Fairness Doctrine back.

I remember when it was eliminated, in true "1984" form, the rethugs claimed it would expand the exchange of idea. I teach high school, and when I explain it to my students, they're amazed it even existed at all.

It did, however, give rise to Fox News. Which is what they were going for all along...their own personal Pravda.

[LisaM]

78. The hosts on MSNBC who are personally liberal

admit it. And, they bring on conservative guests, not to mention the network has a Republican hosted show for three hours every morning.

MSNBC also covers breaking news 100% straight. Fox often ignores real news to cover phony scandals or even distorts it.

[Maven]

79. So did I. False equivalence. nt

[efhmc]

36. Why doesn't he run for office?

That might undo some of the harm he worked with and for.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

59. I'm not seeing lamentations for the white blue-collar male in the article...

Not in a sympathetic way, anyway.

Fascinating explanation of fux' indoctrination techniques, though.
A lot of us "libtards" knew already the con he's explaining here, on a basic level. But Wow, carefully engineered to give partisan viewers a dopamine hit ("my guy murderized your guy, stupid libtard!" ) every 6-8 MINUTES!!!

Damn! That explains the not-so-old demographic that loves the fake news, too. Dopamine hits as their CONservative leanings, which are being found to be hard-wired personality characteristics, are fed and strengthened. CONservative leanings like young guys, corporate lower and middle managers, who think they're Wall St Wolves. And military moms, whose kids and/or husbands are fighting The Enemy for Freedom, and the dirty libtards don't appreciate it.

Explains the arrogance the fuxers are so full of, too.

I see the book is indie-gogo funded... god I sure hope it takes off and starts another Truth-Wave like the other Liberal, Reality-Based truth waves rocking the world at this time.

I've been yelling for decades now that fux et al are dangerous, toxic poison that has got to be taken DOWN!!!

[Ligyron]

6. Now that was an interesting read.

Think I'll order the book.

[Faux pas]

8. Kickin'

[mdbl]

9. Add him to the David Brock hall of fame

same shit, different day.

[spooky3]

58. Only with respect to their RW work at one point. Brock

Has spent many more years working on behalf of progressives since, at mediamatters.

[czarjak]

10. So, you were full of shit, and you knew it....

And you said it anyway. Tel me something I don't know, Tob.

[Mariana]

67. His claim is that he believed the viewers

understood that they were watching a scripted performance for entertainment, and weren't taking it seriously. I have a hard time buying that. Are we to believe that he never knew any ordinary Fox News viewers in all the time he worked there? He had no idea that most of the viewers were taking it seriously? I say bullshit.

[oftheforest]

71. And, for 14 years?

He sounds awfully naive. Despite staying for the money, he perpetuated this for 14 years, thinking the viewers knew it was set-up. I also say bullshit.

[CherokeeDem]

74. I think....

that he believed what he wanted to believe to justify staying.... easier than walking away from the money. Not the right thing to do but what a lot of people will do.

[Cereal Killer]

12. The Brainwashing of My Dad (Full Movie)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017465339

[smirkymonkey]

47. I'm watching this now. It's fascinating.

I hope I can get certain family members to watch it, but I'm not hopeful.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

52. Oh THANKS!!, I've been wanting to see this. n/t

[Ukapau]

13. The excerpt is very illuminating and certainly seems to be revealing

important truths that no one has revealed before and which clearly need to be revealed. For example, he states that a large number of the 65+ year audience for Fox have alienated others to the extent that they are socially cut off from others and have more health problems. This sure makes sense to me (knowing several Fox believers) and I look forward to seeing the supporting data.

I sure hope his book makes a huge impact, especially in time for the next election.

By the way -- on Fox, is it true that the segments regularly have leftwing speakers who insult the hosts? I never watch Fox.

[yardwork]

14. The entire interview is well worth the read.

[yardwork]

21. Note that Tobin Smith was fired by Fox.

He didn't leave voluntarily.

https://www.google.com/amp/deadline.com/2013/06/fox-news-fires-tobin-smith-over-paid-stock-endorsement-524070/amp/

[CherokeeDem]

25. Exactly.....

He was and he needs to address that.... is he just pissed off at Fox or is he truly remorseful about what went on there? The fact is, that doesn't matter if he is telling the truth now and if he can back up what he says.

We need to hope this plays out the way we want and that this results in the downfall or at least, exposure of Fox News.

[yardwork]

26. I see two things happening here....

1. Rats abandoning the Fox sinking ship but....

2. Have the rats themselves really changed or are they just switching to another medium?

[CherokeeDem]

29. Again....

Does it matter if it results in Fox News being exposed?

Let's not pick and choose our whistleblowers. Regardless of their motivations, whistleblowers put themselves in difficult positions in order to get the truth as they see it out. I think we need to see how this plays out.

[yardwork]

30. Many of us have known this about Fox for years.

More visibility is good. I don't trust Tobin Smith, though.

[CherokeeDem]

33. Of course, we have.

Whether you trust Smith or not is not the point. The point is whether he can offer proof of the things he is saying about the viewer manipulation done by Fox. If he can, more power to him.

[LittleGirl]

38. the firing

is noted in the interview but never disclosed. Thanks for the link.

of course, he's a crook but this interview was enlightening.

[yardwork]

45. That's exactly how I see it! Enlightening interview; I don't trust Tobin.

[LittleGirl]

72. yep, me too. n/t

[tparrett62]

31. Hate to be a grammar nazi

But is his book self-published? The excerpt contains numerous typos and grammatical errors; unless it's pre-publication draft, OR the website that published the interview hand-entered the excerpt, I can't imagine being able to read the whole thing.

I also have a lot of trouble with people who find religion after they've profited from their walk on the dark side. I hope it brings a few people around, but I'm skeptical of his motives.

[CherokeeDem]

34. Definitely needs some editing....

I have no knowledge of how he is publishing the book. He may have been in a hurry and didn't pay attention to what he set. No idea. Let's hope he has a good editor!

[efhmc]

37. I was going to add the same info.

He can't even do simple noun and verb agreement.

[LittleGirl]

39. Exactly

I think the blogger that published this needs to do some fixing of the typos and grammatical errors. It's frustrating to read it.

[CherokeeDem]

49. The blogger in question....

allows an author's work to be published as it stands. She feels it is unethical to change anyone's words without prior permission. Her site is dedicated to providing a place for authors to tell readers a bit about themselves and does not presume she has the right to change anything unless agreed to by both parties. I am going to assume this excerpt is a draft still undergoing edit. However, I have no idea.

In this case, I don't care about grammatical errors, I care about the content.

[UTUSN]

35. I've been calling it "Fare UNbalanced" & "The Faux Propaganda Network" for years, hmmmm...

[QED]

41. Faux News is a cult

and those who watch only Faux and spew its line need deprogramming.

[samnsara]

42. it was a great article and i see my 66 yr old sis falling for...

....fox lies. That's all she regurgitates in our 'discussions'...

[jimmil]

44. I've watched my brother go down that rabbit hole...

We actually never talked politics when young. After I returned from VN he knew I leaned towards the "left" which I considered center. We got along famously! After he retired he really changed. He got an all day dose of Fox News and he took an abrupt right wing turn and began to spew the dogma Fox put out. I was quite surprised. I always thought my brother a pretty smart person and could recognize BS when it happened. Fox has learned how to feed people shit and make them think it is good. Fox has just taken my brother away from me and replaced him with someone I hardly even know. His friends all see it. These people were friends for 30+ years and he tells them what assholes they are for thinking the way they do. It is terrible to see.

[Fred Sanders]

53. I am sorry for your loss. Imagine the loss of an entire nation to this propaganda.

[crosinski]

66. To Tobin's credit, he point's out the mental and physical danger of people in your brother's

age group becoming isolated from family and friends by FOX's radicalization. Took him a hell of a long time to figure out the damage he helped cause though.

[Mariana]

75. Physical danger ...

My dad has high blood pressure and I'm convinced watching Fox News and listening to RW radio is making it worse than it would otherwise be. My mom has to listen to it too because he won't turn it off ever, and it stresses her out. It's not just the content that gets to her but also the fucking noise. She likes peace and quiet and that shit is obnoxious.

[still_one]

46. 2018 is too late

[CherokeeDem]

50. Too late?

Do you mean too late for all the damage done before or too late for the upcoming election cycle? The book will be published in January 2018 according to the article. We can only hope it will impact the voters in the 2018 elections.

[still_one]

55. Yes, that is what I was referring to. We will see what happens

[CherokeeDem]

56. You were referring to the 2018 elections?

Then let's hope this book gets all the attention it can get.

[still_one]

57. yes, the 2018 elections. I think the sooner things get diseminated the better. Problem is that

others come out an corroborate his statement, I don't think it will get much traction, and I suspect there would be a hesitation to do that, because they would fear they would be black listed in the industry, and have problems procuring employment.

That is just my cynical nature

[CherokeeDem]

69. I fear that same thing...

that it won't get traction because the MSM will not want to push it. They have their own agendas.

[pangaia]

60. That red background is so painful, not sure I can get through it all.

Whoever comes up with ideas like that.. ?

[Nitram]

61. He kind of undoes all the good he starts out doing by trotting out the same tired

"both sides do it" BS.

[CherokeeDem]

62. I am waiting to see what the entire book says...

then we will know....

[PatrickforO]

63. This is great!

This, and guys like Chris Collins and Lindsey Graham saying that donations will dry up without cuts, is really starting to make a difference.

Judging by the election results earlier this month, people are waking up.

Thank you for posting.

[pangaia]

65. Well I RED most of it....

1-

"right wing FOX NEWS and left wing MSNBC and other hyper-partisan media.."

Is he kidding MSNBC-- hyperpartisan.. ?? Maybe 'leans' left.. but nit very far..

2- Says he didn't realize that people DIDN'T KNOW fox was lying propaganda and a set up.. Jeeze, pretty stupid guy, if you ask me.

[BlueJac]

73. The num skulls deserve what they get but the rest of us deserve an educated population......

some things can not be fixed or repaired, you can't fix the people that already know everything there is to know!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOX NETWORK is poison to the brain washed! They are hopeless. My neighbor in Florida watches Fox for at least 5 hours in the morning, hopeless.

[TobinSmith]

81. Tobin Smith here..I would guess our Fight Back Against Fox News may be of interest

Dear DU members,

Thanks CherokeeDem for the post. Yes I did spend 14 years as on air contributor and weekly panel member on the Saturday morning business block. And yes, after the first few years of the Obama administraton I came to understand on the inside tricks of the outrage media trade that Fox News employed to fix/rig the opinion debate programming for the paid folks like to smash the 3rd or 4th string "Democratic Strategist" who they recruited to be our liberal pinata.

Because I never watched Fox News nor really had any personal friends who were Fox News addicts my interaction with viewers was in public. Since the MEDIAN age of the FNC viewer is 68 years old, you can imagine the folks who come up to me in public to say hello and give me attaboys for "beating the shit our of those libtards."

Turns out the Fox News addicts I SHOULD have met were the 65+ aged hyper-partisans that did NOT go out much in public...because THEY are one of the key reasons we started this [link:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fight-back-against-fox-news-now/x/9160792#

There are millions out of the 50 million daily consumers of conservative partisan entertainment media who are literally addicted to Fox News in particular. These Fox News junkies very often become de-socialized to anyone other than other Fox News addicts (70 year olds watch 6-8 hours of TV a day). US San Francisco Public Health research and BYU report a 45-50% higher risk of pre-mature death for 60+ aged Americans who report themselves as "chronically lonely"...and in the UCSF study the #1 cause of chronic loneliness is "Pushing away family and friends." With some funding from our Fight Back Against Fox News my research firm will be doing a study of chronically lonely 60+ seniors to find out how much of this epidemic of lethal chronic loneliness comes to their lives via right wing radicalization.

In short, Fox News addiction which leads to de-socialization in 60+ aged viewers lethal. If any your members have any questions, feel free to reach me at [e-mail]

Appreciate your time.

[CherokeeDem]

82. Tobin.....

Thanks for stopping by and commenting on this post. I think everyone is anxious to read this book.

Good luck!

[NRaleighLiberal]

83. Thanks for your post, and welcome do DU.