The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Wearing Murdoch’s Leash’

Posted on | March 18, 2015 | 75 Comments

Thus does Vox Day headline this troubling media news: Blogger Mickey Kaus has resigned as a blogger at The Daily Caller “after the conservative site’s editor-in-chief, Tucker Carlson, pulled a critical column about Fox News from the site”:

“It’s pretty simple,” Kaus said in an interview, “I wrote a piece attacking Fox for not being the opposition on immigration and amnesty — for filling up the airwaves with reports on ISIS and terrorism, and not fulfilling their responsibility of being the opposition on amnesty and immigration. … I posted it at 6:30 in the morning. When I got up, Tucker had taken it down. He said, ‘We can’t trash Fox on the site. I work there.'”
Carlson, who co-founded The Daily Caller in 2010, is a conservative contributor to Fox News and the host of its weekend edition of “Fox & Friends.”
Kaus says when he told Carlson he needed to be able to write about Fox, Carlson told him it was a hard-and-fast rule, and non-negotiable.
“He said it was a rule, and he wouldn’t be able to change that rule. So I told him I quit,” Kaus explained.

(Via Memeorandum.) On the one hand, I understand Tucker’s position: “It’s not personal, Sonny. It’s strictly business.”

On the other hand, there has been a perceptible drift in Fox’s coverage over the past few years — not just on immigration  — that does deserve scrutiny. For example, during the campaign for the 2012 Republican nomination, it seemed obvious to me and others that the network was playing favorites among the candidates. If you were not a Mitt Romney supporter, you had to grit your teeth during Fox’s coverage of the GOP primary campaign, especially when Karl Rove was on. So the indication that Fox is now indirectly influencing coverage in other conservative media . . . Well, it’s troubling.

 

Comments

75 Responses to “‘Wearing Murdoch’s Leash’”

  1. jakee308
    March 18th, 2015 @ 6:17 am

    But it’s not as if Kaus is a conservative purist.

    P.S. this allows Kaus to go his own way for the 2016 elections. He’s a right wing Democrat who votes for Democrats (Kerry, Hillary, Obama) who ran for Senate as a Democrat, who’s family are all Democrats.

    His past work has been mostly with Liberal/Democrat venues (Newsweek, The New Republic, Slate) and although he’s seen as a right winger by Liberals, his views are decidedly Democrat/Liberal (he disagrees with how to get to the Utopia, not whether we should try).

    So. I’m not going to cry over his loss.

    As far as Tucker not wanting hit pieces on Fox on the DC; SO? We don’t know what Kaus said so until we ever see that, I’m going to come down on the side of “Good Riddance to useful Garbage”.

  2. texlovera
    March 18th, 2015 @ 6:33 am

    I disagree with Mickey on a number of issues (Obamacare tops that list). But he’s an honest, critical thinker and writer. We need MORE of those voices, not fewer.

    FOX News DOES trouble me, just as the Republican “establishment” troubles me: I see plots within plots…

  3. Dana
    March 18th, 2015 @ 6:44 am

    In a way, it’s kind of laughable: Mr Kaus isn’t complaining that Fox News is a biased source, but only that it isn’t biased the way he believes it should be biased.

    My main complaint about Fox is that they have too little news: it’s the same five or seven stories, repeated ad infinitum, a problem only partially mitigated by having all of their news wenches in short skirts. Well, CNN is catching up on the short skirts, and they do cover a wider range of stories.

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    March 18th, 2015 @ 6:45 am

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  5. Robert What?
    March 18th, 2015 @ 6:56 am

    Isn’t Fox News partially owned by some Saudis? That may be the reason that radical jihad is a no-go zone for Fox News.

  6. CrustyB
    March 18th, 2015 @ 7:27 am

    I stopped reading The Daily Caller years ago when they exposed the private emails of a member of Palin’s staff. It was presented like “LOOK WHAT SHE WROTE!!” but it was all harmless stuff. They’ve done similar garbage since then. They are tabloid trash and anyone should be ashamed to work there.

  7. M. Thompson
    March 18th, 2015 @ 7:37 am

    ^Spambot to block!

  8. calmly_observing
    March 18th, 2015 @ 7:47 am

    I think you perfectly missed the facts in this situation. Kaus was criticizing FNC for what he deemed as obsessive coverage of ISIS and “that radical jihad” in your words. In other post about his departure I saw excerpts from his article. And he had a tally for this year about coverage by Megyn Kelly as one example. It was dominated by ISIS.

  9. calmly_observing
    March 18th, 2015 @ 7:51 am

    For the longest time it seem to me they have specifically chosen their target audience rather than to be a site for all. It has a very strong DUDE component. I’m not a frequent visitor, but when I do stop by, I can count on at least one piece about bikini clad women, cheerleaders, actresses, etc. I don’t mind that, but it sends a clear message about their demographic. Can’t say I know how the piece about a Palin staffer fits, but I’m sure it does. Somehow. Maybe she wasn’t “cool” enough for the college and recently post-college dudes.

  10. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    March 18th, 2015 @ 8:49 am
  11. Hanzo
    March 18th, 2015 @ 8:58 am

    Agreed. The very fact they give Karl Rove so much unwarranted attention is troubling to me. Then there’s always been the Murdoch Factor.

  12. Matt_SE
    March 18th, 2015 @ 9:49 am

    The left is still beating us over the head with Rove’s public meltdown on Fox, waiting for the Ohio returns to come in for Romney.
    That man enjoys way too much influence.
    It’s come to the point where Fox isn’t so honest anymore, they’re just less dishonest than the rest of the MSM.

  13. Matt_SE
    March 18th, 2015 @ 9:55 am

    I think it’s possible to honestly rank stories in importance, if some effort is put into it.
    Amnesty *is* more important than ISIS, in the short- and mid-term.
    ISIS is not going to export jihadis enough to threaten the US any time soon.
    Meanwhile, illegals are both depressing US wages currently, and may start swinging elections soon.
    I agree with Kaus’ “bias.”

  14. stevethird
    March 18th, 2015 @ 9:59 am

    I pay no attention to either Carlson or Fox. If everyone did that the problem would go away. Listening to Fox is a sure way for conservatives to be misinformed. I can’t watch anymore,I’m done. There are other ways to stay informed you just have to look for them.

  15. Robert What?
    March 18th, 2015 @ 10:04 am

    Oh well. I haven’t watched Fox News in years. In fact, I watch almost no TV at all. But are they, in fact, owned in part by some Saudis?

  16. M. Thompson
    March 18th, 2015 @ 10:10 am

    Name a large company that does not have some foriegn oligarchical holders.

  17. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    March 18th, 2015 @ 10:18 am

    I barely watch any TV news now, Fox included. About the only time I watch if there is an election going to the right side, and then it is to collect the bitter tears of MSNBC hosts to flavor my cocktails. The internet is faster and better for almost everything.

  18. calmly_observing
    March 18th, 2015 @ 10:26 am

    Even if so, how does that impact editorial decisions if they are supposedly “obsessed” with radical Islam, jihad, etc.? I think they have even had specials on where they link the Saudis to any number of Middle Eastern jihadi issues, 9/11 being just one.

  19. joethefatman
    March 18th, 2015 @ 10:58 am

    I did read the article Carlson pulled.I even tweeted it. Kaus listed the times during the DHS shutdown bs that the Kelly File, as a representative sample, even mentioned immigration. All those times were either a guest noting it or an unavoidable part of the story. Kaus
    didn’t bash fox so much as point out their, seemingly, deliberate effort to not talk about immigration.

    As for Kaus himself, I like reading his articles. He brings things up that I hadn’t considered and makes me think about them, and that’s a good thing. That said I very
    seldom agree with him on anything except immigration. And of course he’s a democrat, but guess what? He’s not what I’d call a hard leftist. He’s more like the dems I grew up around and he has my respect. I look
    forward to the day he launches his own site. It will be on my daily reading list. As it stands I’ve very little use for Tucker Carlson.

  20. joethefatman
    March 18th, 2015 @ 11:09 am

    If the illegal immigration flow was fixed, there would be a lesser chance of the jihadis getting in. Well except for all the *refugees* we are importing. It’s like importing your own executioners and then paying them for killing you.

  21. Taryn
    March 18th, 2015 @ 11:15 am

    It is very troubling, and I don’t care who Krause is. Replace Fox News with the Obama admin, and consider the Daily Caller as the NYT for just a second. I don’t like it one bit.

  22. Taryn
    March 18th, 2015 @ 11:17 am

    I hope Kraus publishes the article that got canned, word for word.

    And, “purist,” or not, I don’t know what that has to do with it. Kraus claims the article was canned because it trashed Fox regarding its position on immigration. Fox’s immigration stance is something that many Republicans take issue with. But again, I hope we get to see the article.

  23. Quartermaster
    March 18th, 2015 @ 11:19 am

    Fox is part of the MSM now.

  24. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    March 18th, 2015 @ 11:35 am
  25. Taryn
    March 18th, 2015 @ 11:48 am

    I also stopped reading them a while ago.

    I’ve learned that it’s best never to trust a guy in a bow tie.

  26. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 11:51 am

    He should have tested the water and see whether he’d get Lowryed if he posted that same piece on another site like Derbyshire did. I can see why Tucker wouldn’t want someone else on his site biting the hand that feeds Tucker. The principled thing for Tucker to do would be to tell Kaus to take the stuff Tucker doesn’t want on DC to another site. The problem with amnesty and Fox is that Murdoch supports amnesty. This causes Fox to cover amnesty when it helps get Republicans elected but not when Republicans are selling us out on their promises to fight it.

  27. Hanzo
    March 18th, 2015 @ 11:56 am

    Same here, and I absolutely cannot stand Fox Radio News. They sound exactly like any msm radio news outlet.

  28. Dana
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:07 pm

    I flip back-and-forth between Fox & Friends First and Wake Up with Al on the Weather Channel as I’m getting ready for work, and that’s pretty much it. Ainsley Earhard has some awesome legs on F&F, and so does Stephanie Abrams on the Weather Channel. What they are actually saying isn’t all that important.

  29. Hanzo
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:07 pm

    You can put a short skirt on a pig but it’s still a pig.

  30. Dana
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:08 pm

    And what’s not to like about covering bikini clad women, cheerleaders, actresses, etc.?

  31. Dana
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:10 pm
  32. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:19 pm

    They also keep you by having usually interesting panels taking about half the airtime on each segment, though they do need to find smarter Moonbats. If they put most of their shows panel time into half of their first eight hours of programming they’d be much more interesting to watch. I’m sure you’ve noticed that all of their Fox people shows, The Five and Outnumbered and some of their one on one interviews have one of the ladies in the ”leg chair”. Thank you Greg Gutfield. CNN can try to imitate this, but the problem is no matter how nice the legs on their hosts, you’ll still spend more time ”dry firing” at the panel members heads than looking at legs even if you have the sound muted.

  33. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:32 pm

    Agreed, I don’t need TV except for the DVD player and the one in the living room is broken. I get all my Fox News from their clips page and RCP. I never go to PMSNBC’s page and usually skip what RCP posts from them.

  34. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:35 pm

    Yes.

  35. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:43 pm

    Right now Daesh is an existential threat to the Saudis as Iran always is. Fox used to do much better coverage of the stealth jihad in this country which is heavily subsidized by the Saudis. This editorial shift was quite noticeable about the time the Saudi financing came to light.

  36. joethefatman
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:48 pm

    Here it is in full. Found it on the AoSHQ sidebar.

    http://www.kausfile.com/2015/03/18/fox-makes-it-easy-for-amnesty/

  37. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:49 pm

    Apparently Tucker Carlson learned that two. Of course I’d never harbor prejudice against anyone, especially Co-bloggers, who have been known to wear a bow tie.

  38. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:55 pm

    Really, everyone knows Rule 5 paves the way to blogging glory, that’s why it’s a rule, not a suggestion.

  39. Hanzo
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:56 pm

    Oh hell no. I was referring to CNN News chicks. I never watch CNN, but I imagine something like MSNBC. Picture Madcow in a short skirt. Ugh

  40. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 12:59 pm

    Always a font of useful info.

  41. JohnnyL53
    March 18th, 2015 @ 1:08 pm

    Kaus is on the right side when it comes to immigration issues. This is one issue we need all the fellow travelers we can get.

  42. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    March 18th, 2015 @ 1:16 pm
  43. Hanzo
    March 18th, 2015 @ 1:18 pm

    Hahahaha. I’m blind! Thank God I have a braille keyboard.

  44. joethefatman
    March 18th, 2015 @ 1:18 pm

    Yup.

  45. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 1:36 pm

    The thing to remember is that FNC is not now and never has been the extremely conservative institution the left portrays it to be. Supporting Dubya in almost all things didn’t demonstrate conservative bona fides because Dubya wasn’t a conservative. Opposing Obama almost all the time doesn’t require conservative principles, just common sense. Useful insights can be gleamed from reading National Journal or even Salon (in very small doses). I often disagree with George Will, but when he’s right he’s usually dead right and says it well. One can’t rely on one or two sources no matter what their perspectives, the trick is to learn how many grains/pounds of salt to take with each source.

  46. Dana
    March 18th, 2015 @ 1:38 pm
  47. calmly_observing
    March 18th, 2015 @ 1:45 pm

    I for one was not making any judgements. Just offering my observation. If a particular kind of material is routine, it’s a safe bet that the editor is successfully attracting the related eyeballs/clicks. I doubt a lot of 70 year old grandmothers are the target, just to pick one. Other content may be attractive to the g’mas. But clearly when you look at what often shows up before the first scroll on the site, it’s fair to conclude they are AT LEAST targeting that particular demographic. So, why be surprised if they are enacting other rules that limit their audience?

  48. Garym
    March 18th, 2015 @ 2:23 pm

    I’m surprised Treacher isn’t here trolling about people criticizing his boss.

  49. Garym
    March 18th, 2015 @ 2:26 pm

    I’ve been posting that thought since the 2012 elections. Rove has waaaay too much influence on FOXs coverage of “our” candidates and usually he’s wrong.

  50. Adobe_Walls
    March 18th, 2015 @ 2:33 pm

    Here’s the problem with Klaus’s piece.
    It’s not FNC’s job to push conservatives or conservationism over the goal line. If we have to rely on a TV channel that reflects it’s owner’s editorial opinion to save us from the perfidies of those we elected, we are truly boned.

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