In Effort to Smear Democrats, FOX Hosts Report Unsubstantiated Rumor as News

[meegbear]

On Monday morning (December 11, 2006) the FOX & Friends hosts - Steve Doocy, Kiran Chetry, Gretchen Carlson and Brian Kilmeade - engaged in the worst kind of yellow journalism. They aired a story carried by WorldNet Daily claiming that an (unnamed) Hamas website reported that prominent Democratic Party leaders secretly met with Hamas leaders in Europe. Despite the fact that a Democratic party spokesperson denied that such a meeting ever took place, the original Hamas source was unnamed and FOX News had no independent corroboration of the WND story, it was given plenty of airplay during all three hours of the FOX & Friends show.

Naturally, as they delivered this "rumor" - which FOX obviously considered newsworthy - the audience was treated to Steve Doocy's snide sneers, Brian Kilmeade's infantile idiocies, Kiran Chetry's suspect sweetness and Gretchen Carlson's saccharine snubs.

So much of the message on FOX & Friends is communicated by body language, tone of voice, visuals and subtle subliminals that is impossible to depict in words.

For instance, how do I describe the dismissive facial grimace that Steve Doocy makes when he wants to make it appear that the words he's uttering are actually untrue? Or the sickening sweetness of Gretchen Carlson's voice as she bashes yet another liberal guest or idea?

For example, here's the first report about the "rumor":

STEVE DOOCY: But first let's talk about this. (reading) Of course, Hamas, as you know, does not recognize Israel's right to exist and yet, according to Hamas, and Hamas spokesmen, they have met, very recently, with some very prominent Americans, in particular (raised eyebrow) some very prominent Democrats.

BRIAN KILMEADE: (reading) You mean Ahmed Jussef, the chief political advisor to Hamas' Prime Minister? Could that be the same guy?

DOOCY: That's the Hamas guy who was doing the talking.

KILMEADE: And did that precede a meeting with European leaders? (looks at Chetry, gets no response)

KIRAN CHETRY (as if she forgot her lines, reading on and off through the following): Yeah, apparently. You know, there were rumblings of this all week and now, apparently, this has been confirmed, at least according to WorldNet Daily, they quoted a website, a Palestinian website, saying this happened and that the big rub is that some of these Democratic leaders, at least according to this report, were willing to work with Hamas despite the fact that, as you said, Steve, they refuse to acknowledge Israel's right to exist. And, of course, if you go back and look at their tenets, the Charter, they wanted to destroy Israel as well.

DOOCY: "Well, now, here's the thing. The DNC - the Democratic National Committee - says (facial grimace, higher-pitched nasal vocal tone) "We don't know anything about this. And ya' know what? I've got a feelin' it didn't really happen" (normal voice) despite the fact that Hamas is sayin' this. Now remember before the midterm elections, we heard from a number of terrorist leaders, reportedly or purportedly, that they hoped the Americans would put the Democrats in power. (video clip of John Murtha) And, now, afterwards, suddenly, Hamas is puttin' this word out (vocal tone change) "Yeah, we met with a bunch of top Democrats" ... (normal voice) I'm not certain - I'm not positive, despite what Hamas says - and why would I be? - that there was actually a meeting with Democrats.

BRIAN KILMEADE: Well, I'll tell you what. The balls in their court now because al Jazeera writing it. It's appearing in a bunch of newspapers. It's appearing on a Palestinian website, a news agency website.

DOOCY: So do you trust Hamas?

KILMEADE: I'll tell 'ya what, though, I would like to know because this is something - it doesn't (sic) say meeting with Democrat - high-ranking Democrats - so, let's name the names. Let's find out the writer. And let's find out who it is.

KIRAN CHETRY: And they also say "high-ranking American figures", so it may not just be Democrats.

KILMEADE: And find out who's traveling of late, find out who's traveling over to the region of late because there seems to be a lot going on.

The lower-third banners read In order:

HAMAS MEETING

HAMAS COONFIRMS MEETINGS WITH GROUP OF DEMOCRATS

REPORT: HAMAS MEETS W/ HIGH-RANKING AMERICAN FIGURES

HAMAS ALSO SAYS THEY HAVEI MET WITH BRITISH PARLIAMENT

There were several other "reports" similar to this throughout the three hours F&F was on the air.

http://www.newshounds.us/2006/12/12/in_effort_to_smear_democrats_fox_hosts_report_unsubstantiated_rumor_as_news.php

[beaconess]

1. And this is news because . . .?

Now, if Fox News ever reports anything that goes beyond unsubstantiated rumor, THAT would be worth noting.

:-)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

2. Yikes. Carlson was a former Miss America?

(I had to Google all of them - needed to put faces with names.)

No surprise - the entire network exists to advance White House propaganda and smear Dems. I'm hopeful that many Americans are seeing through the BS, but there's still that 30% or so who wouldn't give up FUX unless if was pried from their cold, dead fingers. Or sumthin' like that.

[greenman3610]

3. a lot of pain in that face

[A Simple Game]

5. She's probably saying to herself, I didn't have to sink this low,

I could have been a porn star instead.

[WCGreen]

7. She got her start here in Cleveland....

I AM SO PROUD!!!!!!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

10. I can imagine! And this Fox Friend...

attended my alma mater. I HEARD she was fond of dancing topless on bar tops at the Vous. ;-)

[WCGreen]

12. Have you ever noticed that all the Faux talking heads

are almost, almost good looking...

But they have a flaw...

Like their eyes are too close...

Or the chin is pointy.....

Not so much in the pictures....

But when they are talking, animated....

[blondeatlast]

17. Some people say she liked hundred dollar bills so much

she'd wiggle in laps to get them.

Some people say...

[rodeodance]

18. they sink so low--------and sink America with them. but they laugh to the bank

[Bukowski Fan]

4. Does anyone else

find this quote hysterical?

"The balls in their court now because al Jazeera writing it."

I know I do.

[Clark2008]

6. Call their bluff

Say, "If it is true, so what? Diplomacy means having to meet with people you don't like. If we'd done that in the past, we might not have had 2,900 dead in an unnecessary war."

Period. End of discussion.

[karynnj]

11. I agree 100% - Hamas won th election

I assume that we should be speaking to them. It's called diplomacy. I assume that some members of the SFRC have spoken to them because their advice on that area would be pretty useless if they didn't.

[PVnRT]

8. I heard that Republicans secretly go to underground clubs

where they take ecstacy and rape young boys.

Hey, it's just as substantial, right?

[BridgeTheGap]

9. at what point do they lose credibility?

It really should have happened years ago!

[BreweryYardRat]

13. That's low even for FOX.

And whoever says that diplomacy means sometimes having to meet with people we don't like was dead on. Roosevelt worked with Stalin to beat Hitler, even though Stalin was almost as bad.

[Supersedeas]

14. there is not bottom to the FOX filth barrel

[MrCoffee]

15. When do they ever report substantiated stories?

never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[blm]

16. Will Hillary side with FOX and scold the Dem leaders?

She's great at promoting lies against other Democrats.