It is heartening that the Times called foul on a journalistic infraction
by Fox and that the writer at least recognizes that Fox has a political
agenda, but it is not encouraging that the Times editorialists continue
to view Fox as a club member in good standing, albeit one that plays by
its own rules more often than not.

Journalists should be the last cohort to be fooled by a political
operation that disguises itself as a news outlet, and the journalism
establishment ought to be leading the charge for rousting the impostors.

Who can stop Fox? Not “liberal bloggers,” though we will do our best.
And certainly not the government, which is rightly prevented from
censoring Fox — even a propaganda outlet has the right to free speech.

It’s up to the journalism establishment to put its own house in order.
But, as the Times editorial shows, journalists at the loftiest perches
of the profession have yet to recognize the peril Fox presents. Unless
and until mainstream journalists “muster the outrage” to unmask Fox for
what it is, once and for all, Fox will continue to pose an existential
threat, both to the Fourth Estate, as Fox’s financial success
accelerates the death knell for objective journalism — and to the body
politic, which is beginning to weaken under the barrage of Fox’s
right-wing propaganda, which is now entering its 15th year.

Think about it. If instead of Fox, these polls had found that the Times,
Time Magazine, ABC News or any other mainstream outlet was tricking out
its reporting to further a political agenda, not only would heads roll
inside the organization, the journalism establishment would be up in arms.

And yet, faced with evidence that Fox is undermining the entire
profession by promulgating propaganda, the establishment’s collective
reaction is a shrug. Whaddayagonnado.

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2010/12...eives-viewers/