White House Press Secretary: Many Fox News Stories Not True
At today’s White House press briefing, I wanted to give Press Secretary Robert Gibbs a chance to respond to criticism that the administration is attacking Fox News with plastic army men. Or something.
Gibbs resisted the bait at first, instead opting to rehearse his next career day lecture, but zeroed in a little on followup:
TC: How would you respond to criticism that the White House’s current posture toward Fox News constitutes some kind of bullying, or chilling of speech?
Robert Gibbs: (long pause) We…get questions throughout the day, seven days a week, about policies here at the White House, questions you guys want answered, and our goal is to make sure that you have the facts, that you do your job. That’s what we do for everybody.
TC: Well, specifically, the comments by Anita Dunn about Fox not being a real news network…
Robert Gibbs: I have watched many stories on that network that I have found not to be true. I think everybody in this room has been likely on the other end of a phone conversation with me when I’ve had issues with your stories. I don’t think that’s news.
For the record, I’ve never been on the other end of one of those phone calls. Here at Mediaite, we’re self-correcting.
I’m not sure what to make of Gibbs’ answer. He flatly states that many of the stories on Fox aren’t true, but then he tries to give the rest of us a bite of the sandwich, too. Not quite an olive branch, and not quite an escalation.
Gibbs is correct in observing that a wider net needs to be cast in terms of criticizing media coverage, a theme he touched on in August during the heat of the health care reform debate. Joe Scarborough tried out the media’s most popular bait-and-switch, where they talk about the public option, but quote poll numbers on the overall reform effort. This is part of a longstanding campaign by many media outlets to declare the public option dead.
Fox seems to be relishing their position here, as the proverbial ink purchasers. If nothing else, Gibbs has helped them spill a little more.
10 comments
Glenn Beck now has a red phone on the set with a direct hotline to Anita Dunn’s office. He says Dunn is the only one with the number and she’s free to call anytime she sees something that isn’t true.
Sunnyr says: Bring it on, Robert “Fibbs.!” The only people telling lies or “untruths” is the White House. Glenn Beck has your number and now We the People do also. We are all fully awake, engaged and watching every move the bed-wetting crybabies in the White House are making. Beck is waiting for your call to set him straight but, alas, no one in your little Marxist Utopia can refute anything Glenn Beck has laid out. Why? Must be because it is all true. I have felt for a long time that the bogus Health Care boondoggle is just a payoff to Barack’s UNION thugs for that $60 MILLION dollar campaign donation, which it is, and will fulfill the Marxist Messiah’s vision of Income Redistribution and “Social Justice.” He cares NOTHING about TRUE HEALTH CARE REFORM! This White House’s attempt to smear Glenn Beck and Fox News will back fire on them, big time. In fact it already has because Glenn Becks’ ratings are rising each day. WTG, White House. Keep up the good work. lmao! You people look like a bunch of Amateur Hour Fools!!
ChrisNH says: Gibbs is a little man-child caricature. His shelf-life isn’t long for that role; we all know it. I laugh every time he comes on because you can just see the little beads of sweat forming with every ‘I’ll-have-to-get-back-to-you’ that he utters.
Ben Linus says: Uh-huh.
Yesterday CNN ( a “real news network”) and MSNBC ran a story about Limbaugh making a racist statement, but couldn’t (or wouldn’t) source that statement, and yet the White House thinks that CNN is a real news network and Fox News is a bunch of liars. Hell, CNN ( a “real news network”) couldn’t even google a recent photo of Limbaugh for their story about him, instead of using a recent picture of Limbaugh, they decided to use an old picture of him, when he was overweight.
The White House hates Fox because Fox doesn’t worship President Obama the way the rest of the press does.
m says: I remember when Fox News said that Obama had attended a madrasah. Fair and balanced. We report, you decide.
TfT says: The White House much prefers the networks that worship him. CNN fact check’s SNL comedy skits and the Obama administration appreciates that. MSNBC calls for the killing of Rush and claims that Michelle Malkin is a ‘Mashed-Up Bag of Meat with Lipstick’. Yup — that civil discourse and “reporting of news” is what Team Obama loves.
Hey Mediaite — do you think Olbermann and Matthews have crossed the line with their recent comments? How do the women who report here feel about the “mashed up bag of meat with lipstick” comment by Olbermann. I know ya’ll don’t appreciate conservative commentary and go after FNC/Beck daily, but even you must be incensed by Olbermann’s reference of Malkin, eh?
CaptainAmerica says: Too bad Gibbs and those other low lifes can’t ever give specifics.
They tried to call Beck a liar when just because he mispoke about the name of the Canadian city that lost money on the Olympics and other things. Pretty sad on their part.
ImNotBlue says: m says:
October 14, 2009 at 5:05 am
I remember when Fox News said that Obama had attended a madrasah. Fair and balanced. We report, you decide.
Well… no they didn’t. But similar to the Rush story, I guess you guys can just make up what you want… and hope it sticks.
ImNotBlue says: Did you?! They talked about “Insight Magazine” reporting that Obama went to a madrasah. They did not claim it was true, they reported that the claim was making news, and attributed it to the magazine. They mention that in the video YOU posted.
There is a difference in, say, Rick Sanchez passing off a phony quote about Rush Limbaugh as true… and saying, “XYZ is reporting that ABC happened, but we haven’t found evidence yet,” which is what FOX did.
Sorry, please try again.
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