Fox teas up a tempest

[cali]

By MICHAEL CALDERONE | 4/15/09 1:45 PM EDT Updated: 4/15/09 7:21 PM EDT On “America’s Newsroom” Wednesday morning, Fox News host Megyn Kelly declared that “it’s tea party time, from sea to shining sea.” A short while later, “anti-tax tea parties” rose to the top of the network’s Hot List.

In between, Fox News reporter Griff Jenkins — who earlier this week donned colonial garb as he traced the history of the tea party movement — reported on a tea party protest in Washington’s Lafayette Park. Meanwhile, Fox hosts Neil Cavuto, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren were all preparing for their own on-the-scene reports from tea parties around the country.

“Can’t get to a tea party?” Fox’s Bill Hemmer asked viewers the other day. “Fox Nation hosts a virtual tea party — you can check it out on the site, a location of a tea party in your area.”

Nobody’s covering the tea parties quite like Fox — and that’s prompting critics and cable news competitors to say that the network is blurring the line between journalism and advocacy.

“Fox appears to be promoting these events at the same time it is presenting them in a way that looks like reporting,” said Stephen Burgard, director of Northeastern University’s School of Journalism.


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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21275.html

[lamp_shade]

1. I hope there's a big "dust up" over this issue. n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. "blurring the line between journalism and advocacy"?

I think Fox poured conc. sulphuric acid on it a long time ago, and did a war-dance over its smoking remains.

[get the red out]

3. Considering they shamelessly promote war and torture

I would say they are simply continuing their mission as a Republican Info-mercial.

Tea Parties = Sham-Wow

[Berry Cool]

4. And, unlike Vince, they COULD do it all day. n/t