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NEWS > BUSINESS > FOX NEWS TO COMBAT PERCEPTION OF BIAS, VOWS TRUTH IS PRIORITY
FOX NEWS TO COMBAT PERCEPTION OF BIAS, VOWS TRUTH IS PRIORITY
September 13 2008
New York, NY – Fox News has long been regarded as a bastion of right wing opinion based reporting. With personalities such as Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity front and centre, the network has drawn record ratings, and record levels of criticism from media critics as well as opposing networks. Roger Ailes, President of Fox News, has proclaimed that the company will begin a full scale assault on that perception.
“The motto of Fox News is fair and balanced. That is not only a motto, it is a philosophy. While many have continued to insist that Fox News has a preference for one side of the political spectrum, I am here to assure you that is not the case,” said Ailes to a groups of reporters at the network’s offices. “As we approach the 2008 Presidential Election we want to fight the perception that we slant to one direction or another. It is our job to report the news and this view that we are biased in that reporting is patently false. Just like our reporting, we want people to know the facts, not opinion. We will fight this perception and get people to believe us.”
The network did not outline how it intended to change its public persona, but did say there would be no significant programming changes, nor any alteration to their on-air personnel.
“Our programming is not the issue,” continued Ailes. “It is people’s perception of our programming that is important. We do not feel it important to alter our content, only to change people’s opinion of it. If your child doesn’t like Brussel Sprouts you don’t change the taste, you make them eat them until they like them. That is our new mandate.”
For many though the idea that the network will be able to change the public’s perception without altering the content, especially with such popular and divisive figures as Hannity and O’Reilly still intact, seems farfetched.
“Ultimately the reality it is very difficult to alter public opinion when there are other options available,” said Scrape TV Media analyst Sarah Piper. “There are multiple 24 hour news stations obviously and they will always provide a different view. I think at this point if they are unwilling to alter their programming it’s going to be a hard row getting people to alter their view of them. That is unless they work out a way to get rid of the competition.”
“We believe the world is changing. As we have seen with the recent switch of polling numbers from Obama to John McCain and Sarah Palin, people’s opinions change all the time,” concluded Ailes. “John and Sarah’s recent success is proof that a leopard need not change its spots to be a success. We live by the same philosophy.”
When asked if he felt that news organizations that lean more to the left might continue to pose a threat to their plans, Ailes replied “We believe we have that problem solved, or at least we will come November.”
William Ashford, Business Correspondent
NEWS > BUSINESS > FOX NEWS TO COMBAT PERCEPTION OF BIAS, VOWS TRUTH IS PRIORITY
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