On The Kelly File last night, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) called out Fox News’ bias by noting how host Megyn Kelly plus former guest Laura Ingraham made it two-against-one for him.
The subject was immigration and President Obama’s executive action. Gutierrez’s segment followed an interview with Laura Ingraham on the subject.
Near the end of the discussion, Gutierrez said, “I hope that the next time we don’t get, like, Laura Ingraham - getting her in - and then you and I get a fight. Why don’t just you and I fight? I think that’s a fairer newscast.”
Kelly said, “You know what? ‘Cause this is Fox News.”
Gutierrez laughed.
But "straight news anchor" Kelly continued, “We do fair and balanced.”
“OK, yeah, But I gotta fight with you, too,” Gutierrez replied.
Kelly said, “We give both viewpoints.”
She just forgot to mention that some viewpoints are given more than others.
Watch it below, from last night's The Kelly File.
Remember “you’re either with us or with the terrorists?”
Or the even more ludicrous “if you don’t support the invasion of Iraq, then you must like Saddam.”
The typical routine from Kelly and the others is one that any non-right winger must keep in mind if they’re going to appear on Fox. I’d advise not only finding out what the topic is for discussion (thus making sure we don’t have to hear things like “Well, I haven’t really read up on that” while the host is waving their talking points about it) but also finding out who is going to be appearing alongside. So that if it’s, say Scott Rasmussen, the liberal guest can point out that Rasmussen tilted his 2012 polling to push Mitt Romney’s failed presidential bid, etc.
Otherwise, these situations just turn into an angry and loaded question by Hannity or Kelly, followed by 10 seconds of the liberal guest sputtering while they try to unpack the actual question from the bias, followed by the host and the favored far right guest shouting the liberal guest practically off the screen. It really does get old after a while. Again, the concepts of meanness, smugness and bullying come to mind.
It seems to me if FOX was really fair and balanced, they wouldn’t have to announce it.
Kelly said, “We give both viewpoints.”
Kelly is being incredibly dishonest and disingenuous. Give me a break with her “we give both viewpoints” crap – she knows exactly what Guiterrez was talking about. When a Dem or a liberal/progressive goes on a FOX “news” show, they almost always go up against the conservative guest booked for the segment AND the show’s host(s) — host(s) who, the huge majority of the time, defend/provide talking points for the conservative viewpoint instead of maintaining a more neutral, journalistic approach to the subject at hand.
Like Gutierrez said, Ingraham wasn’t even needed since Kelly was more than willing to argue the conservative POV for the righties. Giving “both viewpoints”, my ass – you’re right, Mr. Gutierrez, it’s NOT fair & balanced; it’s more like stacking the deck FOX “news” style. Pffft.
