Fox's Mark Foley moment

Was it Fox's Mark Foley moment?

The decision to cancel the twin Simpson projects was greeted with widespread expressions of relief. Michael Angelos, a vice president of Pappas Telecasting Companies, which told the network Friday that its four Fox-affiliated stations did not intend to broadcast the interview, released a statement calling the network’s decision “a victory for the people who spoke out.”

The statement concluded, “This special would have benefited only O. J. Simpson, who deserves nothing but contempt, and certainly no benefit.”

Numerous staff members at the News Corporation and the Fox network, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they had been ordered not to comment about the Simpson deal, said they were thankful the company had abandoned the project. A News Corporation executive said that internally the project had been considered a disaster for the company.

You would think that since the public has recoiled in horror at Fox's putrid attempt to make money from this, the public would come to realize the morally bankrupt nature of News Corporation. (And despite the silly claims of a certain falafel fan, most people would find it hard to draw a distinction between Fox Entertainment and Fox News when it comes to corporate ownership.)

Just as the Mark Foley scandal came to symbolize more serious flaws in the Republican Party, the tawdry attempt by Fox to cash in on murder should come to symbolize the flaws of Fox and its parent corporation.

Everyone knows the only thing Rupert Murdoch cares about is money. If, in the 1990's, there had been money to be made trashing Republicans and spreading lies about them, Fox News would have been more liberal than Air America.

Fox News is nothing but a profit center and is not a legitimate journalistic outfit. (Yeah, duh, stilwell, but--the problem is all the people in this country who watch Fox and believe it. Not to mention competing networks that think the path to profit is by becoming "Fox Lite.")

You can't have a meaningful discourse in this country if a propaganda channel enables a certain portion of the citizenry to keep their long-held delusions. Admittedly, many on the right will cling to their delusions no matter what, but without the right wing noise machine they will be justifiably marginalized, which could create space for the much longed for "civility" and "moderation" in our politics. As things stand at the moment, it's going to be verbal combat for the foreseeable future, because the first thing progressives did right was the minute they started to fight.

The progressive blogs have proved how important it is for people to have a voice for their views. Just as progressive blogs provide a means of verifying facts and holding policy decisions up to scrutiny, Fox News provides the right a means of justifying its prejudices and lies. If you don't believe me turn on any right-wing talk radio show.

Now, there is a First Amendment right in this country to be wrong, and a certain amount of falsehoods are to be expected when it comes to political matters. These things come in degrees, of course. Arguing about tax rates is not the same as Swift-boating. The courts rightly give people a great degree of latitude in political speech.

We don't want the government to be the referee, however. The answer to speech you disagree with is more speech.

But when it comes to credibility, other media organizations have the right and obligation to denounce and counter the lies spread by Fox. MSNBC is doing an okay job of this with "Countdown," but more needs to be done. And all media outlets should stop coddling people who insist on regurgitating Fox-Republican propaganda, be it in letters to the editor or elsewhere. Printing Fox-Republican talking points is not "listening to all the voices," it is promoting one narrow voice above all others, when that voice already controls so much of the public debate.

It's not that hard to spot Fox-Republican talking points, for crying out loud. Just ask for the memo.