News Hounds

Fox News Ups the Fear Factor After Chavez Speech

Reported by Judy - Wed 4:11 PM

Fox News turned to fomenting war against another country Wednesday (Sept. 20, 2006), with one of its anchors warning of a Cuban missile crisis looming with Venezuela and claiming that the country's president is on his way to becoming a dictator.

Brit Hume Says Chavez May Be Giving Money To Terrorists

Reported by Donna - Wed 4:07 PM

Today on Studio B with Shepard Smith they covered the UN speech of President Chavez of Venezuela. Chavez called President Bush 'the Devil' and Fox had to explain how horrible Chavez was so they brought out the big gun, Brit Hume to counter him.

And, counter him he did, with talk of terror speculation, what Fox and this administration does best.

Rupert Murdoch Plans Chinese Version of MySpace

Reported by Marie Therese - Wed 2:28 PM

Last year Rupert Murdoch purchased the extremely popular social networking site MySpace and yesterday's Financial Times reported that he plans to launch a version of the website within the restrictive parameters set forth by the Chinese government. “We have to make MySpace a very Chinese site,” Mr Murdoch said at a media conference organised by Goldman Sachs. “I have sent my wife [Wendy Deng] across there because she understands the language.”

Fight further media consolidation

Reported by Chrish - Wed 12:25 PM

The FCC's dirty secret has been exposed: they destroyed their own study when it proved media consolidation reduces local news coverage.

Rupert Murdoch owns FOX News and rightwing newspapers in key cities like New York (the New York Post) and around the world. Now he wants to buy more media outlets in cities across the U.S. to complete his takeover of America's news. We know what will inevitably follow: more propaganda and lies like those that led to the disastrous invasion of Iraq.

Big media will soon get bigger, unless you help us stop it. The FCC's media ownership comment period ends soon!

'Iraq for Sale' Producer Greenwald on Olbermann

Reported by Judy - Wed 8:12 AM

If Democratic Sen. Harry Truman could investigate war profiteering during World War II while a fellow Democrat was in the White House, why can't Congress investigate war profiteering in Iraq now? That, in a nutshell, was the question Keith Olbermann had Tuesday (September 19, 2006) night on MSNBC's "Countdown."

Hannity Puts Aside Bullyboy Theatrics For Bill Maher

Reported by Ellen - Wed 12:45 AM

In a pleasant change of pace on Hannity & Colmes, Bill Maher was a guest for a double segment last night, 9/19/06. There was a frank discussion that covered such issues as free speech, the upcoming elections and torture. Sean Hannity was unusually respectful toward someone with whom he disagrees. He put aside the gotcha questions, the bullyboy theatrics and the Hanctimony and settled in for a real debate. But I couldn’t help but wonder, would Maher have gotten such a warm welcome and so much time to speak his thoughts if he hadn’t had a dust-up with one of FOX’s favorite targets, CBS? With video.

Olbermann Talks To Robert Greenwald About New Film: Iraq For Sale

Reported by Deborah - Tue 11:00 PM

Robert Greenwald appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermann tonight to talk about his new documentary,Iraq for Sale-The War Profiteers. The release of Greenwalds film coincides with the Halliburton hearings in Washington this week and Greenwald had a lot to contribute to the issue during the interview.

Even the commercials push the agenda on FOX News.

Reported by Chrish - Tue 9:26 PM

A commercial shown during The Big Story today 9/19/06 slipped seamlessly between segments touting the supposed danger posed by Iran.

A little schadenfreude at Howard Stern's expense

Reported by Chrish - Tue 9:01 PM

The Big Story with John Gibson did a segment on the possibility of Howard Stern's return to "terrestrial" radio, with FOX business correspondent Terry Keenan to deliver the numbers.

Fear and Uncertainty on Food Supply

Reported by Chrish - Tue 8:53 PM

A segment on The Big Story today 9/19/06 focused on the outbreak of E Coli attributed to fresh spinach, which has resulted so far in at least one death and over 100 reported illnesses. Retired Army Colonel Ralph Peters, ever worried, was called upon to comment that this outbreak exposes yet another vulnerability in America (that has yet to be addressed by the Bush administration's Homeland Security Department, who is busy guarding us against yesterday's threats of shampoo and toothpaste on domestic flights.)

Fox's Playbook on How to Exploit 9/11 is Never-Ending

Reported by Melanie - Tue 7:20 PM

I had to laugh today (September 19, 2006) during a segment on Your World w/Cavuto that pushed the notion that Muslim protests over Pope Benedict XVI's remarks about Islam are helping George Bush and the GOP.

A new USAToday/Gallup poll is out showing Bush's favorable rating up four points over a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll taken last week.

Fox Uses Biased Banners To Push It's Case Against Iran

Reported by Donna - Tue 4:38 PM

On Studio B with Shepard Smith today he had a segment with P.J. Crowley from the Center for American Progress and they discussed the situation with Iran and the president's speech.

Fox chose to use some biased banners when telling the story during the segment.

Hannity Protects Dr. Laura From Tough Questions

Reported by Ellen - Tue 10:25 AM

During the second part of a two-part interview, Sean Hannity got two and a half minutes to explore Dr. Laura Schlessinger's questionable claim that feminism is the reason so many women don't want to have sex with their husbands. But when Alan Colmes started his portion by asking a tough question, Hannity warned that there were only 30 seconds left. Hannity still had time to offer some more of his thoughts, defending her, nevertheless. With video.

"Conservatives just aren't funny"

Reported by Chrish - Tue 3:43 AM

Proving that it's ALL political with him, Bill O'Reilly asserted on The Factor last night 9/18/06 that all late-night TV hosts are left-wing and used Conan O'Brien's intro of Steven Colbert and Jon Stewart at the Emmy's last month as proof positive:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our next two presenters have done for fake news what the FOX News Channel has done for fake news..."

O'Reilly says John McCain is "hiding under his desk" rather than debate Bill on torture

Reported by Chrish - Tue 2:17 AM

Maybe Senator McCain, former POW and decorated war hero who might conceivably know more about torture techniques than chickenhawk O'Reilly, declined to come on the show because he didn't want to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man. Or maybe he just couldn't fit in the studio alongside O'Reilly's ego. In any event, the Senator was not present so O'Reilly, after a sneering, arrogant Talking Points Memo, had on former Senator Al D'Amato to complain about Senators McCain, Warner and Graham and General Colin Powell, who are breaking with Bush on torture policy.

FOX News Fans Flames Of Hostility Against Muslims

Reported by Ellen - Tue 12:14 AM

Muslim perspective wasn’t just shut out of the discussion on last night’s (9/18/06) Hannity & Colmes about the controversy over the Pope’s remarks on Islam, it was actively and deliberately vilified. That was guaranteed by the inclusion of Tony Blankley, author of “The West’s Last Chance: Will We Win The Clash Of Civilizations?” in the panel. Wikipedia describes the book as a discussion of “the ever encroaching threat that Islam poses on the West, a threat the author rates as higher than the one of the Nazis during World War II.” The other guests were Raymond Arroyo, news director for the Catholic television network EWTN and conservative FOX News contributor Father Jonathan Morris.

Former FNS "Power Player" Bob Ney - how the mighty have fallen

Reported by Chrish - Mon 11:54 PM

Chris Wallace addressed the imminent sentencing of US Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), who has pled guilty to corruption charges, with a sense of inevitability: "Given the ways of Washington, it was only a matter of time before one of the people we profile at the end of this show got in trouble with the law."

O'Reilly Asks Inevitable Republican Campaign Question

Reported by Deborah - Mon 9:20 PM

While discussing the possibility that Iran is planning an attack on troops in Iraq close to the Election, O'Reilly asked Bill Cowan and David Hunt the inevitable question.
"Does Iran want the Democrats to win?"
9/18/06

Fox News: Pope Benedict's PR Station

Reported by Janie - Mon 7:41 PM

Tonight on "Special Report", Fox News Correspondent Greg Burke opened the show with a segment pertaining to the recent comments made by Pope Benedict XVI regarding the religion of Islam, which included a quote from the 14th century that has upset Muslim groups across the globe. Unfortunately, no moderate Muslims were interviewed for the segment, and Fox gave the appearance that only extremist Muslims are upset by the comments, while providing excuses for the Pope.

Oops! Cavuto Forgot to Report the Business News

Reported by Melanie - Mon 7:25 PM

Some worrying economic data was released today:

-The U.S. current-account deficit widened more than forecast last quarter to the second-largest on record.

-The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index of builder optimism fell to 30 during the month from 33 in August.