Just the FOX, man... Just the facts!

Sheldon Alberts makes his argument, in his recently written article “Obama’s World – Glenn Beck, bad. Keith Olbermann, good,” found on http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/09/29/sheldon-alberts-obamas-world-glenn-beck-bad-keith-olbermann-good/, that “Obama only deemed FOX News as “destructive” when the opinions being expressed ran counter to his own.” Alberts article seems to be directed towards a more right-winged audience. If Alberts wants to draw a more diverse audience as well show some validity to his argument he needs to provide his readers with more factual evidence that shows on one hand how President Obama may be unfavorable of the way FOX News, who has been known to express a more Republican point of view, is exercising their First Amendment rights and on the other hand provides proof that other news outlets express a more Liberal or Democratic point of view. Providing more factual evidence might sway Alberts’ readers towards his argument that Obama had a “disapproving tone” against FOX News when he gave his interview to Rolling Stone Magazine.

It is no secret that Alberts himself expresses a more right-wing point of view. With recent articles written in The National Post such as, “Obama needs rescue from ‘Recovery Summer” and “Carville shows he can annoy Democrat presidents too,” Alberts makes it clear his political ideologies and how he feels about President Obama.

Alberts basic argument is that President Obama made his comment about Fox News only because of his disapproval of the news outlet’s history of reporting views that are biased to the Republican Party. Fox News is very blunt about their stance and has often made direct insults about nearly all the decisions and laws passed under the leadership of President Obama.

President Obama also stated in his Rolling Stone interview, "You had folks like Hearst who used their newspapers very intentionally to promote their viewpoints. I think Fox is part of that tradition – it is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view. A point of view that I disagree with. It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world.” I could not agree with President Obama more. In fact, Alberts article, along with the views expressed on Fox News, are proof of that “destruction” that continuously fuels the divide amongst a people who claim to desire “unity.”

Since when did journalism and reporting the news become so opinionated? Has everything in America become so either or that we are now partitioned to select particular news broadcasts based on its political views? It’s the news and Alberts job, as well as the journalist and reporters on Fox news have an obligation to report just that, the news. Their jobs are not to taint or sway citizens of this country to feel or think a certain way, that is why we have campaigning. This is a crucial time in our country where our economy is in a recession, we are dealing with an unwarranted war in Afghanistan, nuclear weapons have been found in Iran, Russia and China are becoming the new economic powers and Alberts, Fox News and their cohorts find it more important to tear down a president who inherited a mess and is doing his best to clean it up. When a media outlet goes beyond reporting the news to trying to convince its viewers to feel and think a particular way, then yes, it is indeed destructive to a nation that is already divided.