Masterclass on Spin Specifics: Fox "News" Five Steps for Shutting Down a Trump Scandal. By Vox.

[Amaryllis]

This is a very informative video by Vox on specifically how Fox spins the news. It's 6 minutes long with narration explaining the technique between each one. If you can't stand the Fox clips in between the narration, mute that part, or whatever. At about the 4:30 minute point, the narrator explains why this is important, so you could just skip to that if you really can't stand the clips. The point is that it's really important to understand what Trump supporters are hearing in order to understand why Rs are so loathe to break from this narrative that their base believes (Complicity, greed and all the other reasons aside.)

Between President Trump’s leaking of classified information to the Russian ambassador and the memo from former FBI Director James Comey suggesting Trump may have tried to obstruct the investigation into Michael Flynn, Fox is in major damage control mode. The network has worked tirelessly to downplay the significance of both scandals and deflect attention from Trump’s actions.

And though the Russia leak and Comey memo stories are different, Fox handled them both in strikingly similar ways. In both cases, Fox’s first response was to raise doubts about the story -- echoing the White House’s talking points, describing the stories as “fake news” or conspiracy theories, and generally expressing disbelief about damaging reporting. The network attacked the sources, describing the Washington Post as part of the “destroy-Trump media” and painting Comey as a vengeful, unreliable “drama queen.” It fixated on the government sources who leaked damaging information to reporters, describing them as a threat to national security. And when all else failed, Fox personalities dismissed the scandals as silly, suggesting that other news networks were overreacting.

Fox News’s dedication to defending Trump might help explain why his popularity with his supporters hasn’t waned much since the start of his presidency. Trump supporters rely heavily on Fox News as their primary source of information, which means even well-sourced, powerful reporting about Trump’s mistakes likely won’t penetrate the Fox News echo chamber.

Watch the video above to see Fox News’s five steps for shutting down a Trump scandal.

https://www.vox.com/videos/2017/5/19/15664178/strikethrough-fox-news-5-steps-trump-scandal-comey-russia-leaks

[lindysalsagal]

1. Carlos Maza makes good points but misses some others:

1. TV is ONLY an eyeball competition, and will be driven by ratings regardless of the content. And Faux is slipping through the floor and Rachel is pulling in new people every day. That is a better barometer of the current political climate than anything. People are onto the GOP and want answers. They're rejecting the fauz wallpaper.

2. The investigations ARE breaking through the fog of lies with headlines about legal actions. With the gop holding all 3 branches of power, fRumpers have no option but to recognise that even the gop is dumping fRump. They want to know why.

3. The media is pissed, and the media is covering EVERYTHING, and the media is not going to let up this time. They're re-couping their credibility with the truth. Right now, truth=viewers, and producers and editors are responding with ever-deepening scruitiny.

4. America is war weary, and we're not looking for another Iraq debacle.

[american_ideals]

2. Right. But he covers the main points.

Re your #1 - Fox is dropping, for now, yes. But MSNBC is moving rightward under Lack. And CNN's infotainment coverage also introduces crazy right wing voices into public debate. The media has been changed by Ailes and Fox and that's not going to go away soon.

Re your #3 - there is still way too much Bothsidesism in the media. And too many journalists still believe reporting what people say is news, even when those people are lying. Instead journalists need to report the truth. That's slowly starting to happen - Tapper, the MSNBC chyron, Stelter. But we are still far off. NPR is a great example of frequent Bothsidesism. They play DJTs speeches and lies far too much. And remember CNN aired the last 45 Sat night rally in full. So I'm less confident than you are that journalists are going to fix media problems for us.

[Amaryllis]

3. Bothsidesism describes it personally. Like NYT hiring a climate denier to "provide both sides".

There are not two sides to clear-cut facts, and lies are not a side. "Which movie should win best picture" is a side. Not whether or not climate change is a problem, and the media would do us a great service if they recognized that.

[american_ideals]

5. #protectthetruth

Media needs to report the truth, not just what people say.

Like the New Yorker editor said about Bret Stephens --his editorial would never have gotten past the fact checker at the New Yorker. The New Yorker reports the truth, not just what people say.

[lindysalsagal]

4. Fair enough.

[american_ideals]

6. It would be great to get groups working on this

Bringing your points together with Maza's and mmfa and working to transmit those values

Let us know if you know anyone doing this or similar stuff.