Tonight’s Republican presidential debate will put the barely-watched Fox Business Network in the spotlight at least as much as the candidates. But while the network will probably pull out all the stops trying to demonstrate it’s more serious and less biased than CNBC, Media Matters put together 35 reasons not to believe the hype or take any show of neutrality at face value.
FBN wants you to think that its goal is to be substantive and non-biased. Politico noted, “A debate promo from the network airing in recent days declares, ‘CNBC never asked the real questions, never covered the real issues. That’s why on Nov. 10, the real debate about our economy and our future is only on Fox Business Network.’”
After an interview with Neil Cavuto, the network’s managing editor of business news and one of the FBN moderators, Reuters reported:
“For the next debate, Cavuto said he aims to keep candidates talking about economic issues such as Social Security, taxes and government spending. While some critics say the network leans conservative, Cavuto said there is no political agenda.
“We are a business network,” he said. “We really don’t focus on the red or the blue. We are just green. Money in and money out.”
Well, I guess he could hardly say, “Republicans love Fox and we’ll show you why on debate night!”
But the Fox Business Network record speaks for itself. Media Matters put together a collection of 35 terrible moments from FBN. It wasn't easy to narrow it down, but I’ve got a few of the worst below: The time that host Eric Bolling and Islamophobic extremist Pamela Geller opined that President Obama’s birth certificate was photoshopped; the time that host Trish Regan turned to a woman who bans Muslims from her gun range (a repeat "business" guest) to discuss the Syrian refugees; and a previous presidential “debate” – between Rep. Ron Paul and an Obama impersonator.
So how will Fox Business walk the line between playing to its constituency and playing the role of serious news network? It will be fascinating to find out.
Watch the debates with us at 7PM ET (the undercard debate) and 9PM ET (the main event).
Meanwhile, get a taste of what Fox Business Network calls "no political agenda" below, via Media Matters.
Screen grab from FBN report on crime in Mexico.