L.J. Schaffnit: Fox News is an admitted propaganda wing, not independent journalism

To The Daily Sun,

I found it humorous that a contributor to this forum would suggest that I watch Fox News for a week — why not MSNBC News, as they are both propaganda networks for our major political parties? Realize them for what they are.

Fox News was established in 1996 to appeal to a conservative audience and to practice partisan reporting in favor of the Republican Party and conservative causes, while portraying the Democratic Party and liberals in a negative light. It stokes a constant sense of outrage among its viewers and has radicalized the conservative base to the point that most Republicans literally believe that elections are stolen and democracy is all but dead if they don’t take extreme action.

Fox is continually grinding out a daily dialogue of mistrust of deep-state government, and a belief that liberals are literally trying to destroy the country out of sheer malice, and clearly camouflaging their propaganda as independent journalism.

Cloaked in the trappings of “news,” Fox doesn’t feel that journalistic rules such as fairness, accuracy, neutrality, and independence apply to them — they break these rules with stunning regularity. Fox’s lawyers have had to admit in court that news anchors are often not “stating actual facts” and that they engage in “exaggeration” and “non-literal commentary.” 

While I’m in total agreement with the concept that all sources of information should be checked and verified, this contributor must realize that he is doing what he is warning us not to do; it may be from the right side of the political aisle, but prejudicial just the same.

L.J. Schaffnit

Gilmanton