Steve Doocy’s “Clarification” Is More Fox & Friends “Texas Textbook Wars” Propaganda
Reported by Priscilla - March 11, 2010 -
The Texas Education Agency issued a scathing press release which asserted that “The Fox Network in recent days has repeatedly broadcast highly inaccurate information.” Chief among the culprits is Fox & Friends which, from Monday through Wednesday, did five segments that provided platforms for right wing bias and misinformation about proposed changes to the Texas curriculum. This morning, Steve Doocy offered, not an apology, but a “clarification” which, not surprisingly, was just more inaccurate and poorly articulated misinformation. What else is new for Fox & Friends!?
Fox & Friends Steve Doocy started off by describing the Texas Education Agency as an “outfit” who “aren’t having a party over some stuff that we said yesterday on Fox & Friends. They’re a little agitated and I just want to clarify some stuff.” He said that the complaint was about Fox & Friends’ claim that standards for new textbooks are being developed when, according to TEA, the new standards being discussed are for curriculum changes which eventually “will become part of the framework that texts are based on.” He added that “we were trying to make it simpler.” He then made the dubious claim, regarding the commentary about American history being taught from 1877, that it was a “suggestion” which was “made first of all in North Carolina and we thought we were pretty clear that these were just suggestions, and there have been a lot of suggestions, regarding the founding fathers, and some different dates that may or may not be included in the text.” The “clarification” was further clarified with the tortured comment that “We thought we were clear that they were simply suggestions, so we want to make sure you understand, they were just suggestions, and that is our clarification." (Get it, got it, good!) He concluded by saying that he would let his audience know if the TEA issues another press release. So I guess it's all good!
Comment: In the words of George Costanza, “it’s not a lie if you believe it” and Steve Doocy apparently believes what is contained in his “clarification.” First of all, The TEA press release contained more than what Doocy alluded to. They cited how Fox & Friends made the claim that Lincoln, Washington, Independence Day, and Veterans Day are being removed from texts and provided documentation to the contrary. Steve Doocy stated that these items “could” be removed. Gretchen Carlson asserted that eliminating Founding Fathers and certain holidays were "proposed changes" - not "suggestions." The truth is that they are, currently, in the curriculum. The TEA also notes that the Fox & Friends claim that Texas textbooks will be used all over the country isn’t totally true as “each state has its own textbook selection process. Publishers may offer other states the Texas edition of a book but they are not required to select it.” But Doocy’s contention that Fox & Friends merely reported a “suggestion” that the new Texas standards would eliminate American history before 1877 is a lie. Gretchen Carlson clearly said, yesterday, during her interview with Jason Moore, that “one of the proposed changes is to actually start history class in 1877.” Note – she stated that this was a “proposed change” and not a suggested one. On Monday’s Fox & Friends, during their interview with Jonathan Saenz of the Liberty Legal Institue, one of the chyrons clearly stated “Forget the Founding Fathers, TX Proposal Could Start History at 1877.” Obviously the word “could” is suggestive; but it was a totally erroneous “suggestion" as, according to the material from the Texas Education Association, at no time was this ever “suggested.” At no point, during any of the Fox & Friends discussions, was North Carolina mentioned. In fact, the only reference I saw about this was in one of the responses, on Free Republic, to Professor Schweikart’s request for information. Doocy’s reference to this is truly bizarre – but then we’re talking about Steve Doocy!
Steve Doocy’s simplistic and poorly communicated “clarification” was nothing of the sort. He only addressed two, out of six, complaints which means that the misinformation, cited in the TEA report, is still out there. Steve Doocy didn't issue an apology for statements which, in addition to being misinformed, also served to create animosity towards those liberals on the Board who supposedly were “suggesting” these changes. He issued a "clarification" which was just more of the same old, same old right wing propaganda that Fox & Friends specializes in. “Simple” says it all.
Transcript and Windows video available here.
