What Does Rachel Maddow Know?

So, according to Rachel Maddow, Fox News does not report the news. This is what she said on her show the other night, and her saying this is not only disturbing, but hypocritical. Maddow reported that since Fox News covers the various tea parties around the country, it is not a reputable news organization. Maddow also incorrectly reported that Fox has sponsored tea parties. Where did she get that from? It looks to me like Maddow is a little teed off because Fox reported that she and her colleague, Keith Olbermann, were among those in attendance at a meeting held at the White House by President Obama.



It seems that Maddow is mixing up the fact that covering a story is much different than sponsoring an event. Perhaps Maddow and her fellow MSNBC co-workers need to look at themselves if they want to see a prime example of what sponsoring an event really looks like. Remember the inauguration? How could we forget it, right? The entire NBC News organization, especially MSNBC, built President Obama up to the point of ridiculousness. I will never forget Chris Matthews' daily tingles, and "oohs" and "ahhs" over Obama, even to the point of saying, on air I might add, that he was going to do everything in his power to help his new president succeed and look good. When he said this, his co-anchor questioned his comment essentially wondering if it REALLY was the job of the press to help their president succeed and look good when it could come at the expense of covering the news and asking the tough questions; now, I know and you know that a journalist's job should NOT be to do everything in his/her power to help the president look good; moreover, it is the job of the press to be objective. If Matthews' wants to make his president look great in the eyes of the world, then, I suggest he talk to Rahmbo "dead fish" Emanuel about seeing if he could take Robert "loose lips" Gibbs' job as communications secretary, but something tells me that Mr. Gibbs wouldn't be too happy about that. Wait- I have an idea. Since our president seems to travel a lot, we can put Gibbs on the plane with him, and when he isn't traveling, Matthews can do the pressers at the White House. But, then again, maybe that isn't such a good idea. Robert Gibbs is more than enough for anyone to handle on a single day. How dare Maddow imply that Fox is sponsoring what she calls "anti-government Tea Parties" when she herself works at a station that basically sugar coats everything Obama says? There is HUGE difference between reporting an event and say, selling a DVD of NBC's broadcast of the inauguration, which is exactly what NBC and MSNBC did. These networks even had commercial after commercial trying to get viewers to purchase the DVD. I'm sorry, but I don't think Ms. "Miss Information" Maddow is informed. Maybe we need to remind her of this, and while we're at it, we can remind her that Fox has never tried to sell a tape of its covering of the tea parties. As a Fox viewer, Fox covered the events when networks like MSNBC ignored them, which illustrates Matthews' point of wanting to help the president to look as good as possible. Maybe if MSNBC actually covered actual news, they would gain just a tad of the credibility back. I guarantee that Maddow is not only jealous of Fox news for its successful, rapidly growing ratings, but she knows that she is losing viewers faster than a guy loses pounds on a low-carb diet. It is easy to see why that is. She and her liberal co-workers can do everything in their power to simply sugar coat their reports, but viewers want to see ALL news whether it is good or bad. This way, they stay well informed as to what is going on. As a viewer, I can tell you that when I sit down to watch the news after a long day working, I just want straight-forward reporting. I don't want a station selling me a gimmick that I can find on an entertainment show. If I wanted to see entertainment, I'd watch "The Bachelor" or "American Idol." Yet, entertainment is what MSNBC does best, which is sad to have to state about a news organization.



I have to admit that I watch the FNC (Fox News Channel) the majority of the time, but this does not mean that I do not keep updated on what the other major networks are reporting. While CNN does report both sides of some stories, it is hard for me to give an example of MSNBC doing the same. As a member of the public, it is my job to keep the media honest, which is why I am not afraid to call MSNBC out in this post. When you basically lie, which is what Maddow did the other night, it is not only morally wrong, but ethically wrong as well. As someone who attends and knows a variety of people, from other states, who attend tea parties frequently, I can tell you that Fox is in no shape or form sponsoring these events. Contrary to what Nancy Pelosi tells you, you and I both know that these are not AstroTurf events, but grassroots events. Readers, AstroTurf does not grow, and this movement IS growing rapidly and at a fast rate too.



Just yesterday, San Diego had a Tea Party Express Rally in which 1000's attended. The people who attend these rallies come from all walks of life. They are people from every race and religion. They come from all economical backgrounds. They come from every party; in fact, these events are non-partisan. I have met conservatives, like myself, and I have gotten to know independents and also those who are liberal and voted for Barack Obama only to speak of the disappointment they now have in him. We gather at tea parties because we are sick and tired of the spending, growing government and lack of support we are getting from our representatives and senators- Democrat AND Republican. We gather peacefully to practice our First-Amendment right in the hope that our leaders will listen to us.



Instead of reporting the facts, Ms. Maddow and her colleagues choose to report the negatives like they did with the health care town halls. I hate to tell them, but the majority of the negative things reported were actually being acted out by liberal, Obama supporters posing as dissenters. On MSNBC and CNN, we repeatedly heard about the woman in the wheelchair who was mocked for supporting the public health care option, but Fox, which also reported this incident, was the only channel that gave the same amount of air time to another story that viewers may have not heard much about if they don't watch Fox. A man against the imposed heath care reform got his finger severely bitten by an imposed health care reform supporter. Yet, when I watched MSNBC's coverage of this story, I remember hearing maybe a 20-second hit. After the hit, the reporter commented that it was important to get both sides of the story before discussing the matter. HUH? Okay, so a man almost gets his finger bit off, and we have to get the suspect's side of the story too? If they are going to be oh-so-far and balanced for this incident, why don't they start taking their own advice and report both sides to EVERY story? That is what objective news is all about.




I'm sorry, Ms. Maddow, if your idea of news is liberal spewing propaganda. As for myself, I'm going to stick with watching the most trusted name in news, as well as going online and reading news and blogs. I suggest that instead of blaming another news agency for not reporting the news, you start actually reporting the truth. Now, I now I'm just a little-known blogger and my audience is far smaller than yours, but at least I report the truth and not the lies that have become so common place over at your network.



There are other individuals who exist in this country. Contrary to what MSNBC may think, there are other people who live here other than the First Family. Fox knows this as well as you and I. Thank goodness at least one news agency understands that this country is for we, the people. Fox will remain and will continue to remain #1 for the simple fact that they report it all: the good, the bad and the ugly. Fox has no competition, for it stands above the rest. Rachel Maddow can only hope that she and her prime time colleagues can come in second to Fox and that's when put up against the re-runs of the Fox primetime shows. Yep, I have to say Maddow and her counterparts have a lot to learn in reporting the news- fair and balanced, that is.