Joe Namath used to say “If you can do it, it ain’t braggin’.”

Fox may be “stunned” at Howie’s use of anonymous comments. I, however am…disappointed that Howie didn’t bother to contact Mediaite for comment since we have, for months now, been covering all the points he hits on in his piece: http://www.mediaite.com/tag/glenn-beck/

You forgot about Shep.

Glynnis, your hatred of Beck is pathetic. You couldn’t write a fair piece on a conservative if you had to. I hope you don’t consider yourself a journalist.

WOW! Howie Kurtz, who works for CNN, takes a shot at Glen Beck, who works for FNC, using anonymous sources and he does this on the pages of the Washington Post? So Howie is using the WAPO to further the cable wars, using anony sources, and the WAPO doesn’t have a problem with this?

Talk about an ethical breakdown of great magnitude. CNN using the WAPO to try to further advance themselves by trashing a competitor?

WOW. This story is very revealing about how unethical Howie really is and says a lot more (or less) about Howie and his agenda than it does about Beck and/or Fox.

Shame on Howie, Shame on the WAPO.

Krakauer — there is another friction between Beck and Hannity and that is ideological. Hannity is identified with the Republican Party; Beck is identified with the Tea Party. Kurtz reports this anecdote from CPAC:

“In a speech last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Beck took pains to criticize the Republican Party as ‘addicted to spending and big government.’ That puts him on very different turf from Hannity, who champions the party and is headlining a fundraiser this month. Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin, two radio hosts friendly with Hannity, criticized Beck’s CPAC remarks. Levin told Beck to ‘stop dividing us’ and ‘stop acting like a clown.’ Limbaugh questioned why ‘the only people who can stop Obama should be excoriated for being just as bad.’”

I think you are correct to point out that the buck stops with Roger Ailes. After his comment to Barbara Walters on This Week that FNC is in the “ratings business” it is no surprise that Beck’s lack both of journalistic credentials and of Republican bona fides should give Ailes no pause whatsoever.

Regards — Tyndall

” I, however am…disappointed that Howie didn’t bother to contact Mediaite”

It’s because Mr. Kurtz wanted to write an objective story, not one tinged with the leftist bias of MediaiteMatters.

Hey Michelle-

Your continued ignorance on all things reality-based is pathetic. If you don’t think Glynnis is fair to Beck you either don’t read or don’t understand what the word “fair” means.

Good luck.

Steve

Haha Azarkhan, yes MediaiteMatters, favorite new web site of…oh that’s right…GLENN BECK:

http://www.mediaite.com/online/glenn-beck-mediaite-is-growing-to-be-one-of-my-favorite-sites/

You people are so blinded by ideology it’s absurd.

Hey Andrew-

Yes, good points, but Hannity himself is a fan of the tea parties as well (at least he seems to be on his show). But clearly, the tea partiers are more in the Beck camp.

And agreed on Ailes’ comments about Beck. I’ve always felt the only bias FNC has as an organization is a bias toward strong ratings.

No, he’s not hiding from anyone. His ignorance and bullshit have chased away the big advertisers and replaced them with Caopectate, PetMeds and Goldline? If this is success, thanks but, no thanks to quote the hillbilly grifter and fellow loon.

Fair critique, Steve. Thanks for the additional insight (you too, Tyndall).

Ratings are not the goal of a news org. Sure, they’d all like better ratings but, ultimately they know that they’re in the business of news reporting, not news distorting, which is what fox does and why they get those numbers. The other cable news stations don’t get fox’s ratings because what they do vs what fox does is as different as night and day. Sorry but, Beck is a paranoid, delusional, idiot. At least he has that in common with his viewers.

This news surprises me. Among O’Reilly, Hannity and Van Susteren, I did not think there was an inflated ego.

Hi Steve,

great article. I’ll add that Beck will be very unlikely to be a guest on Hannity since he have an equal distaste for Republicans as he does for the Democrats. Hannity is one of those ‘Republicans can do no wrong’ kinda person…

@roxsteady: Dapper Dan used to to wax on about how news was a loss leader, a prestige product that the networks would use for the public good, but for at least a decade, news has been a business and at the end of the day, the bottom line is the bottom line.

You seemed to have missed the point of the piece, which was that the -journalists- at Fox were upset about the spotlight being so much on Beck. Hannity’s not a journalist. If it were about Hannity and O’Reilly I would understand “jealousy” being the motivating factor, but the article was about journalists who thought the credibility of Fox as a news organization was being undermined. That’s a different issue and not about jealousy.

@magister –

I think you misidentify the crossroads that FNC finds itself at. In its quest to make money for News Corp, will it decide that it is better positioned as a news network (admittedly with an anti-liberal orientation)? Or will it present itself as the TV arm of the conservative-populist-entertainment complex? This complex, covering book publishing, talkradio and the lecture circuit is mostly non-journalistic, featuring stars such as Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter and so on.

Up until now, Ailes has managed to make FNC succeed at being both things. The rising profile of Glenn Beck, who proudly calls himself a non-journalist, and the scuttling of Colmes from Hannity & Colmes are two signs that FNC’s future may be in entertainment-activism rather than in journalism.

I see no reason why dropping the journalism from FNC’s central mission would be a bad business decision. Look at how much money Limbaugh makes — and no one calls him a journalist.

Steve,
Thank for showing which side of the fence you are on. Have you read Glynnis’ articles? I’m assuming you have, but am bewildered that you think she’s anywhere near fair when it comes to conservatvies. Perhaps it is you that is blinded by idealogy.

What a thoughtful post, Mr. Tyndall. Thank you.

I dont know why Beck gets those lame ads, but I think its because the advertisers are scared to have the liberal groups attack them.

Conservitives dont care who advertises with MSNBC or CNN but for some reason the liberals are really angry if they show up on Beck.

Lately I have seen on Bill O’Reilly some big advertisers starting to appear on his show time. Which I think makes since since he has the most viewers.

From Meida Matters:

“Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz writes of Fox News on Twitter:”This is part of the reason why FNC seen as tilting against WH.”

Fox breaks away early from Obama health care speech, MS & CNN still with it. This is part of the reason why FNC seen as tilting against WH.

Now on Fox (instead of Obama): Erin Andrews Peephole Stalker to be Sentenced this afternoon. Hasn’t even happened yet!”

Exactly my point. It’s not about whether fox’s viewers would prefer not to listen to the President. They probably don’t so they have the option of turning the channel. Fox as a news org is obligated to cover the President as other legit news orgs do. Which is why they’re not a legit news org. It would be nice if their viewers recognized this. They’re not a legitimate news org.

@Andrew Tyndall: I agree that FNC may have to make a choice. As has been noted by others, their “news hours” are just a tiny piece of their pie and after all, as I commented (or posted) somewhere recently, there’s actually been quite a bit of overlap between the “America’s Talking” line-up and Fox at one time or another.

I was just stating that news as an altruistic enterprise has become a thing of the past for the most part.

Personally, I credit NBC with starting the slide with all that “news you can use” which (unfortunately) led them to nightly dominance and even Dan Rather, himself was saddled with a health beat reporter about which he’d complain, but she was very popular and if memory serves, they stole her from another network.

I’ve spent a good deal of today going through the Pew report and I followed some of their links to remember some of their past works. An argument can certainly be made that middle-of-the-road, closest-thing-to-pure journalism is becoming less and less profitable and as long as these entities are answering to shareholders and being forced to hold their own, I don’t see news as a business changing any time soon.

Now perhaps Fox might have to lessen their news load, but as we’ve learned from the PEJ report: CNN’s reporting staff has also been shrinking and as was capsulized in CJR last week, MSNBC’s (native) staff is about one-sixth the size of CNN’s and half that of Fox.

Ailes gave us Ronald Reagan and Rush Limbaugh’s television show. Murdoch might hold a soft spot for news, but as far as I can see, Ailes’ background is in politics and the television business.

PureFreedom says:
March 15, 2010 at 2:51 pm

I dont know why Beck gets those lame ads, but I think its because the advertisers are scared to have the liberal groups attack them.

—

If you’ll recall, the ad boycott, in response to some decidedly racist remarks made by Beck, for which FOX apologized, had a great deal to do with FOX producers scurrying around to find garbage to plug into the hour. Personally, I like the G. Gordon Liddy ad holding up the tiny dollar bill and the assortment of ads for various geriatric products.

Speaking of FOX: Has the Gretch apologized for the errors and distortions in her schoolbook story, yet?

Rox, did you seriously quote media matters? Did you have the same concerns when MSNBC didn’t air Scott Browns acceptance speech? According to Obama himself, it’s all been said, so what more is there to listen to?

Beck fans are not fazed by the left wing attacks on him. Beck is not a racist, but those on the left will lable him as such, because that is what they do. It is there best amo. America is sick of the race card. The more attempts by the libs to destroy him only make him more popular.

@roxsteady

Yes, you are correct…after all, the other news organizations did covered the ACORN scandal; the Van Jones vetting process, Scott Brown’s victory speech, and up-and-coming TEA parties as they were growing…

…wait…they didn’t…hmm…

Regarding Fox’s breakaway from Obama’s speech…I wonder…were you complaining just as much when the other networks refused to cover Bush’s speech to the nation on Social Security, leaving it up to the individual local networks to make that decision? Or when CNN plastered a banner ‘It’s the Economy Stupid!’ across the bottom of the TV screen during HW Bush’s speech on taxes? I’m guessing not…

face it…bias on both sides of the aisle. No side has any moral authority…

And beck did plug Hannitys ducumentary he did. I think it was two weeks ago friday

It is funny. Look how much attention the coffee party is getting.

The coffee party will get about as much attention as ‘Air America’; will be promoted as an up and growing grassroots movement, and will be reported as doing very well and very healthy…

…and, like ‘Air America’…it will probably fail just the same…

when it’s fake grass, it will never take roots…

Yeah, you should check out the newsbusters article on the coverage of the tea parties V the coffee parties. As you can imagine, it’s quite different. I asked mediaite to take a look, but nothing yet.

Here’s the link, if you are interested:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/lachlan-markay/2010/03/12/after-months-ripping-tea-parties-cnn-extols-coffee-parties

It’s the Murcuhn way! The weak and uneducated and morally impoverished have a need to eventually chew each other up.

Steve Krakauer: “You people are so blinded by ideology it’s absurd”

Silly boy-that’s OK. We understand you have to parrot the company line. But if the Skecher fits…

I’m not sure that Steve posed an ideological question. Instead, we have a successful network, drawing well from a limited pool, that seems to be seeking its future on: [1] a media personality who is not emotionally stable (even accusing our President of being racist and believing far too much in his own hype, to his own detriment, to which witness the Massa debacle) and [2] a movement which it largely created and continues to sponsor that seems to be prone to cannibalism. Steve seems to be suggesting that FOX may be engaging in a very high risk activity. I think Steve is correct.

Seriously Azarkhan, I thought Steve might be a lib who was able to control his bias, but not so I guess. I can’t find anywhere that he’s “reprimanded” libs for their idealogy, but I could have missed it.

@MichelleF and @Azarkhan — Please.

The “blinded by ideology” comment refers not to people being liberal or conservative or whatever…it refers to anybody who is unable to tell that Glynnis is a massively and completely huge fan of Glenn. Of course she is! For you, Michelle, to accuse her of a pathetic hatred of Beck is utterly mystifying. Krakauer was complaining about your blindness not your ideology. The reprimand was deserved.

If I were the other FOX commentators, I would be very worried that a major public reaction (not necessarily from Beck fans, who love it when he goes off with his conspiracy theories) will end up “tar and feathering” the whole network and damage their non-Beck base. O’Reilly especially has a much broader base of viewers. This most recent Beck attack against churches that believe in social justice, has a lot of regular Christians feeling like maybe Beck is not that cool. Already Beck is having trouble getting sponsors. If Beck continues to go off, that could spill over to the other commentators’ shows.

it refers to anybody who is unable to tell that Glynnis is a massively and completely huge fan of Glenn. Of course she is! For you, Michelle, to accuse her of a pathetic hatred of Beck is utterly mystifying.

You should check out Glynnis new article about Fox. Steve now actually agrees that she seems to hate fox.

Here it is:

Steve Krakauer says:
March 15, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Damn, Glynnis really hates Fox. I’ve totally come around on this.

Keep dreaming valkyrie101. If it hasn’t happened yet, with the daily lib barage of Fox is evil, it’s never going to happen. There has been movement in viewers lately, but it’s the total disappearance of viewers at CNN and MSNBC.

contrary to media reporting, Beck is not being Beck for the sponsors. He is being Beck for himself. People will either like him for who he is, or hate him for who he is. But I don’t think he gives too much of a hoot for sponsors.

Beck has been Beck for as long as I can remember going back to his radio days. I used to listen to him every morning. He hasn’t changed. And, btw…I never heard any liberals complaining about him ripping apart GW Bush’s fiscal irresponsibility, or Amnesty program; or a whole host of other issues.

…so now, new term, new President, the same problems he complained about with Bush is still there (and then some)…why is this a *new* issue with anyone?

Wow – I’ve followed SteveK’s writings since his days over at that other TV news-type website, and I don’t remember such biting comments coming from him as the one directed at MichelleF.

Good for you!

Well Michelle, your ability to recognize sarcasm is slightly worse than your ability to recognize Glynnis is an enormous fan of Glenn Beck (and he’s kind of a fan of us: http://www.mediaite.com/online/glenn-beck-mediaite-is-growing-to-be-one-of-my-favorite-sites/).

No, really Michelle. I would bet that some people are worried about negative public reaction to some of Beck’s stuff. It is true that right now Beck is having trouble getting sponsors. He is too controversial for many advertisers to associate their brand with. That’s a fact.

I like Beck. He is amazingly talented. I wish I would have heard his radio show back when he was a Tampa shock jock.

I wondered Steve. I guess I assumed you were sincere. I try to believe the best in others. At least your mask is totally off now. It’s a shame, you used to be able to hide it.

autobahn, I think you’ve captured the essence.

As for me, I spent an entire career “reading” people, and I think I’m quite good at it. From my experience, I can say this: Glenn Beck is the genuine article; he believes what he’s saying and I’m inclined to believe he practices what he preaches. So, his sincereity and his message are the reasons why he is doing so well. This country would do well to wake up and embrace his pragmatism.

I’d respond JunkJunk, but my ability to detect sarcasm is lacking today!

LOL, FNC and Glenn Beck are laughing all the way to the bank. Any sponser that boycotts Beck or FNC is a fool. There job is to sell their product. The loony left is so tiny they could not hurt a company that sponsers Beck.
The loons tried that with Rush, it didn’t work.

“Glenn Beck is the genuine article; he believes what he’s saying…”

Bad news: You are inadequate at what you spent your entire career at. Bummer.
Beck is a morning zoo DJ sensationalist who seeks to grab ratings with outrageous comments like ‘social justice=Nazism’ as he cries what are certainly chemically-induced tears.
Sorry, but you have to be an idiot to believe that crap or to believe that Beck himself believes a single word.
There simply is no available alternative explanation. Nothing personal.

Keep calling people idiots, homie. That’s what the libs do to anyone who disagrees with them. I think people are getting sick of that and will show that disgust on election day.

Well, if it helps anyone… The most recent email or two that I’ve gotten from “Color of Change” were asking for guidance, as to what they address next.

BTW – @TRRK: As I was commenting in this thread earlier, I was also linking-out the video and the local news reports from the Beck/Palin appearance in Tulsa over the weekend to my own blog. The media was limited to only recording the first five minutes from each speech, but during his intro, Beck used Massa as an example of our shame.

Look, Gordon, Beck gets an average of 2.5 millions viewers a night. That is out of 300 million. Sure, sponsors would love to reach 2.5 million people, but not at the expense of the other 297.5 million, many of whom are offended that he calls the President of the United States a racist, communist, fascist, nazi or whatever. Why would a major sponsor with a good brand take a chance on Beck, when they could reach millions more, without risk of offense, by sponsoring CSI?

Not convinced that Beck is genuine. For example, Beck wears his faith on this sleeve and urges his listeners to pray for this or pray for that. He pretends to be a person of faith and “one of the good guys.” Now, watch what he does to people who call him out on his BS. He attacks them personally and my guess is this fellow Wallis will become Becks next target. Here’s my point, he talks out of at least both sides of his mouth and perhaps elsewhere…all at the same time (Damn – he is talented!). He’s a con man; always willing to do whatever it takes to make a buck including tossing aside any self respect.

He’s laughing all the way to the bank alright, but the joke is on his misguided supporters. Next he’ll be asking you to join him in Ghana. Buh bye and happy travels!!

Ted,
I think he is sincere, on one level. But yes, he is rolling with his act, making lots of money, and achieving the fame that he admits chasing his whole life. Its a real trip being Glenn Beck. Something like being Donald Trump. Problem is, all that is a two edge sword. Poor Beck has to live in a gated community, travel with body guards, and you will not see him going to the local beach for R & R because he is too famous now.

He pretends to be a person of faith and “one of the good guys.” Now, watch what he does to people who call him out on his BS.

Example please. He calls out people who distort what he says, but I’m not sure what you are referring to. Please enlighten us, Ted.

I’m not a big fan of Beck, but I have nothing against those who do watch his show. When he first came on the scene at Fox, I watched him pretty regularly. As time went on, it was hard not to recognize his agenda and I agree with Tyndall that he is more an “activist” and a “comedian” who I believe does affect Fox’s image as a true news organization. I don’t disagree with his concerns about our current administration; it is that I believe he uses “distorted rhetoric” to get his message out. He admits he is not a journalist and I can fully sympathize with any journalist at Fox who thinks his style might “undermine their credibility.”

Unfortunately, I agree with Steve that there may be nothing any journalist at Fox can do about it. IMO, Van Susteren doesn’t get the credit that she deserves for actually delivering the news. Her show gives us true reporting because she takes us behind the scenes and on the road to where the news is actually happening.

Tyndall makes an excellent point that FNC is finding itself at a crossroad.

It never ceases to amaze me that there are people (mostly TVNewser trolls who spend their entire day in the comment section) who thinks Mediate owes it to them to present their point of view. I don’t see Mediaite lying its ass off with slogans like “fair and balanced” .

I agree same, Mediaite is fair and balanced and doesnt see the need to have to say it.

For more smart political talk, join us (including TRRK, MGB, Scott H, and Same) at http://rangerbobfriends.blogspot.com/

A fine looking blog you have linked to there Patsy. I look forward to expressing an un-moderated message for Danny and the rest of the Kluckers.

MichelleF – Do you actually listen to Beck at all? I’m beginning to believe you don’t otherwise you wouldn’t ask for examples (none of which would satisfy you regardless). Are you telling me you’ve never heard him personally attack anyone? Do you know about the threats he has already made toward this Wallis fellow? So seriously, any attempt to “enlighten” you would most surely be a fools errand. If you look you will find yourself in Glenn Becks hip pocket.

I listen everyday and I’m waiting for your reply. I’m sick of libs making drive by accusations and not providing examples, telling me to find them myself. Yes I heard him talking about Wallis this morning and he did what he always does, he used Wallis’ own words. That’s what he always does, you libs just hate it’s seeing the light of day.

Wondering if this Catholic sex scandal issue is going to get addressed on FOX. Somehow I do not think that O’Reilly will go there. But he certainly went after Roman Polanski (deservedly so).

Actually Bill’s talked about it quite a bit over the years.

MichelleF – Amazing, just amazing. If you listen to Glenn Beck everyday (and that explains a lot) you are just like a lot of other fringe right wingers and you choose to ignore the obvious. Do you have your ticket to Ghana; I’m quite sure you could get first class.

Michelle,
Really? Good for him. I respect him for that.

PureFreedom says:
Conservitives dont care who advertises with MSNBC or CNN but for some reason the liberals are really angry if they show up on Beck.

lolwut?

You are right, cactus.

Still waiting for your examples, Ted. As always you have none. Again I say, just because you say something, doesn’t make it true.

But cactus, the libs would argue that the reason for that is because Beck is calling everybody and their brother a communist, nazi, fascist, anti-American, etc. Keith O. over at MSNBC does go over the top sometimes, but not to the extent of Glenn Beck.

Now Valkyrie101, Alot of the people that Beck calls communist, ect. condemned themselves. Beck plays the words coming out of their mouths. It’s kind of hard to dispute that.

MichelleF – You live in some fringe fantasy land. Plenty of examples; more than I can count. So tell us, is ignorance really bliss? Or is Glenn Beck really bliss and is there a difference?

Still waiting, Ted. Either put up or shut up!

Plenty of examples; more than I can count.

—–

Appatrently “ted” can’t count up to zero. ;)

MichelleF – I’ll answer your question when you answer mine. I’m not holding my breath – I anticipate you’ll need another episode of Glenn Beck to come up with an answer….okay maybe two.

Olby – you are irrelevant, but thanks for playing.

I don’t know, Michelle, seems like Beck is attacking liberals, who’s opinion he does not agree with, and who, yes, are responding in kind to Beck. Media Matters, for example, which goes after Beck quite often, if not every day, have been a target of Beck (and O’Reilly). The ACLU went after Beck a few times and he has trashed them on his show. Are those examples?

In your wildest dreams, “ted.”

I wouldn’t know Ted, you tell me! Is it?

Valkyrie101, You’ll have to tell me what his beef was with the ACLU, because I’m not sure. Maybe I missed that one. Oh and thank you for being able to debate without being mean-spirited. Now I have 2 libs here that I can actually debate with! So exciting!

Valkyrie101, I think you may have it backwards. When I watch Beck, he’s usually responding and not initiating an attack. Now you may be talking about Obama’s advisors he goes after, but when he does that, he plays their own words, so I’m not sure that can be considered an attack.

YES YES YES!!1 We have FINALLY managed to drag the writers here into the NO HOLDS BARD MUD PIT of the comments section!!1 Where BLIND PARTISANSHIP and NASTINESS rule!!1 THIS is the future of our POLITICS, our MEDIA, and our NATIONAL DISCOURSE!!1 Welcome to the party, you left-wing LIB HACKS!!1

Beck does not initiate attacks? Tell that that to the socially just churches and ministers, or poor Bruce Springstein and Woody Guthrie, decades after the fact. Initiating the attack is precisely what Beck does.

Whether right or wrong, Beck’s success eats the left alive. Anyone who can make them so apoplectic can’t be all bad.

Exactly. Beck gets the left’s dander up. Nothing motivates the left more, in fact. As a progressive myself, that is why I love Glenn Beck.