Is Fox News A Real News Network?

"Let's not pretend they're a news network," White House communications director Anita Dunn said of Fox News on CNN's "Reliable Sources." "Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party."

Fox News does cover stories that no one else does, it is true. Van Jones was out the door by the time CNN decided to cover it. The National Enquirer reported on John Edwards' affair before any other mainstream media outlet. Maybe even Anita Dunn is angry because Fox is the only network to show the clip of her stating that her favorite philosopher is Mao Tse-Tung, the Chinese communist leader who killed tens of millions of people in his bloody revolution.



Of course, Fox News also broke the news of George Bush's DUI charge on the eve of his election. Not exactly something a communications wing of the Republican party would do, is it?

Fox News breaks stories, they ask tough questions and they do so relentlessly. They go after both parties on both their hard news and their commentary programs. Their commentary is colorful but anchors like Shep Smith just give the facts. Occasionally those facts are damning to those in power and that's the reporting that we must always protect.

It's refreshing to see that some in the journalistic field are telling the President to drop the attack on Fox. People and organizations I rarely agree with like Helen Thomas and The LA Times have all come out and told the White House to stop beating on Fox, if only for the fact that they have nothing to gain from it.

Fox, for their part, probably wishes the beating to continue. Ratings have been up 8% since the dust-up started and commentators like Beck, Hannity, and O'Reilly are all counter-punching.

Regardless of how it plays out, it is good to know that politicians cannot intimidate news outlets. I don't want Republicans threatening MSNBC any more than I want Democrats threatening FOX. People can watch whatever news program they like and ignore the others but Obama is the President of every man, women and child in the US whether you like him or not. It's important that everyone gets an opportunity to have their say and leave it to the viewer to decide.