As Jon Stewart wisely said, "conservative victimization is the true genius of what Fox News has accomplished." Thus, we see, on Fox News, a steady parade of those who claim victimization on the part of the vast, left wing agenda. When a young person makes this claim, Fox is quick to embrace them. Fox & Friends, in particular, worships those young'uns who speak out against common core and who defy school policy by praising Jesus during graduation speeches. The newest right wing wunderkinder is Andrew Lampart, a Connecticut student who is suggesting that his inability to access right wing sites, on school computers, is part of that vast left wing conspiracy. While he was not present, his claim was praised and validated on last Wednesday's Outnumbered. But sure as white on Fox News, the aspiring Matt Drudge wannabe himself appeared on Friday's Fox & Friends where he was praised and validated!
Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Steve Doocy reported on the "shocking discovery" as part of their "Trouble with Schools" series. The chyron established Fox Fact: "One sided censorship, CT school blocks conservative websites." Doocy explained that poor Adam complained to the school but "nothing has been done."
In customary fashion, Doocy did his patented "reach-around" by describing the situation in such a way that the guest affirms it. Lampart said that this "shocking discovery" was made while preparing for a school debate about gun control. When he tried to get on the NRA website, in order to get information supporting his position in opposition to gun control, he was unable to do so. Doocy was excited as he showed a Fox graphic with the list of those that were blocked. Naturally, the blocked ones are sacred to the right wing: the NRA, pro-life sites, and the CT GOP site. Conversely, the ones not blocked went with groups that are anathema to the right: Newtown Action Alliance, Planned Parenthood, CT Dem site. More Fox Fact with this chyron: "Andrew Lampart uncovered bias in websites blocked by school."
After he said that it "looked like something that is going on," Doocy chimed in "it looks like somebody is blocking half the political spectrum." Doocy continued to provide more exposition with another reach around in which he Foxplained that when no action was taken Lampert took his complaint to the school board meeting. Doocy added that, since then, the school is "blaming" the situation on the computer system filter company (school statement here) which Doocy feels is "curious" because only half the websites were blocked. The chyron continued the agitprop sure to get those right wing salivary glands activated: " 'Left' uncensored, Democrat and Planned Parenthood sites wide open."
Although Lampart was skeptical about Dell's explanation, he was even more concerned about how the program was being monitored because he hasn't received a response, from the school, to his questions about it. Doocy provided the requisite validation: "It does seem a little fishy that just half of the world is blocked out and the other half is out there because in high school you want to get both sides of the story..." Hasselbeck chimed in: "You deserve more information , right, as a student who is just trying to get the info."
One thing is for sure - If you're trying to get both sides of the info, you won't get it on Fox News which does block out half the world...
From what I can understand, commercial filtering software is based on the words most commonly found on sites where the content is deemed inappropriate for young people (pornography, profanity, hatred, violence, etc.). Use of computer-aided word counts reduces the risk of introducing bias or prejudice. The software can then be modified by the user and schools are likely to be more restrictive (justifiably so). Anybody wanting to bypass a filtering system can log on from home (which is what that kid could have done instead of crying to Fox).
While most site administrators (should) have a vested interest in maintaining a civil environment, some sites are less interested than others in policing their comments sections to remove particularly vile comments. A stroll through the comments section on the NRA website was quite a mind-opener and a lot of hate speech had been posted weeks earlier.
Two conclusions are possible: “NRA likes that sort of stuff” or “NRA is irresponsible”. Either way, the website is not appropriate for access by non-adults and a school has to cater for the youngest ages. Again, the lad being praised by Fox could have logged on from home.
