Can Murdoch Flirt with Racism on Fox News and Not Pay a Price?
by David Sassoon - Sep 4th, 2009
How much more rope can Rupert Murdoch afford to give Glenn Beck and his brand of race-baiting demagoguery?
Back in February, when his New York Post published a cartoon widely perceived to be a racist slur on the new president, the media grandmaster himself issued a statement of apology:
As the Chairman of the New York Post, I am ultimately responsible for what is printed in its pages. The buck stops with me.
Last week, we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted.
Over the past couple of days, I have spoken to a number of people and I now better understand the hurt this cartoon has caused. At the same time, I have had conversations with Post editors about the situation and I can assure you - without a doubt - that the only intent of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such.
We all hold the readers of the New York Post in high regard and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned to the sensitivities of our community.
So where is Rupert Murdoch now that Glenn Beck has brought the issue of racism to the company's doorstep again with his attacks on President Obama and the president's green jobs adviser Van Jones?
Observers believe Murdoch will be guided by financial calculation more than political correctness. Beck is among the Fox Network's biggest draws, and his viewership has increased by almost 30% since he said President Obama has "a deep-seated hatred for white people" before going on to say that "this guy is, I believe, a racist."
But the comment also has prompted a backlash from advertisers who have pulled their spots from the show in response to a campaign launched by Color of Change, a grass roots organization co-founded by Jones that is dedicated to strengthening Black America's political voice. More than 145,000 people have signed on to the Color of Change ad boycott campaign, and 57 advertisers — including HSBC, Wal-Mart, CVS, Geico and Proctor and Gamble.
In retaliation, Beck launched a campaign against Jones, now in its second month, highlighting evidence of a radical past, connection to 9/11 truthers, and releasing a video in which Jones calls Republicans "assholes." Jones has already issued two statements, apologizing for his comments about Republicans in one and disavowing his belief in the truther point of view that "high-level government officials may have deliberately allowed the September 11th attacks to occur."
The White House is now on the defensive, protecting Jones and his effective work promoting green jobs, but no matter the outcome, Murdoch and his News Corp. brand are in a vulnerable position. When the dust settles on Pennsylvania Avenue, Murdoch will still have to contend with the Color of Change campaign.
The group has yet to call on its members to boycott products of companies that advertise on Beck's show or bombard them with phone calls. James Rucker said his organization is first giving companies the opportunity "to be responsible corporate citizens."
In New York, where over 50% of the population is now comprised of people of color, Murdoch was quick to issue an apology over publication of a cartoon widely perceived to be racist in The NY Post. He acted quickly lest the taint of racism erode the profitability of a key property in the nation's media capital and its ability to compete with arch rival Daily News.
Earlier this year, his New York Post reported a 20% decline in circulation.
For now, Fox has claimed that the ad boycott has not harmed overall revenues, with advertisers merely shifting their ad buys away from Beck's show but not cutting spending. If the Color of Change campaign continues to grow and intensify, however, Murdoch will have to assess if Beck is worth the viewers he draws. Beck could do permanent damage to both Fox News and the News Corp. brand by associating both with unapologetic racism.
For now, Murdoch is making a short-term buck on Beck's race-baiting. Longer-term, it's a losing corporate strategy. The color of demographic change is trending darker, and companies will be forced to be sensitive not to offend their own workforce or their customers by supporting race-baiting speech with advertising dollars.
That's Murdoch's bread and butter, and Beck's attack on Jones to protect his own revenue stream has only amplified the success of the ad boycott and has really let the genie out of the bottle.
Color of Change couldn't have asked for a better endorsement than Beck's attack on Jones, and a belated apology from Murdoch similar to the one he issued in February, if it even comes, may be too late, especially if the highly popular Jones takes a fall.
Click here for a digest of race-baiting comments made by Glenn Beck on air over the course of a single week.
See also:
Mr. Murdoch, Please Make the Wall Street Journal Carbon Neutral
Wall Street Journal Sinks to New Anti-Green Low
Van Jones, Green Jobs Leader, Expected to Join Obama Administration
(Photo:http://www.flickr.com/photos/morlaye/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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What does this article have to do with climate change?
What does this article have to do with Climate change? That's what I want to know. I thought this was a blog about climate change.
Green Jobs
Van Jones is a green jobs champion and serves as a bridge between communities of color and environmentalism and social justice.
Rupert Murdoch also serves as a bridge. He owns the Wall Street Journal, famous for its anti-green agenda and global warming denialism; and he is Glenn Beck's boss, so responsible for the race-baiting demagoguery of his latest TV sensation.
It has everything to do with solutions to climate change: a champion of green solutions and a powerful man out to thwart climate progress.
Consult the writings of Wendell Berry and you will learn a lot more about the connection between racism and the destruction of the environment.
Losers! Obama FOLDS AGAIN!
Losers! Obama FOLDS AGAIN! As I suspected !! Your MESSIAH has no balls! He will NEVER STAND UP FOR YOU PEOPLE.
Have fun! We will. We will be back in 2010. And in 2013 Obama will be the EX-PRESIDENT.
We are already back btw. Your side is too stupid to see it. We have been winning, and your side is nothing but folding like dominoes.
Cowards on the Hill
Murdock "flirts" with racism, while this administrations' representatives reflect blatant racism in their words and actions DAILY!!!! Wake up Americans.
What a shock! Van Jones, just one more blatant unapologetic racist; walks away from the all-exposing light of truth, rather that refute all the "lies" espoused by the cruel conservative "watchdogs." This supposedly educated man only exposed himself as an ignorant and intolerant "hater" who apparently felt that he could say anything, support any insane agenda, and attack all white people as "white polluters steering pollution into colered neighborhoods." Sounds rational to me. Another rat has run from the nest; he won't be the last.
Check the ratings out
Here are the latest ratings. They speak for themselves.
25-54 demographic: (L +SD)
Total day: FNC: 410 | CNN: 218 | MSNBC: 153 | HLN: 152
Prime: FNC: 658 | CNN: 308 | MSNBC: 270 | HLN: 181
5p: 6p: 7p: 8p: 9p: 10p: 11p:
FNC Beck: Baier: Shep: O'Reilly: Hannity: Greta: O'Reilly:
664 496 507 684 710 568 434
CNN Blitzer: Blitzer: Dobbs: Brown: King: Cooper: Cooper:
120 113 124 143 323 458 598
MSNBC Matthews: EdShow: Matthews: Olbermann: Maddow: Olber: Maddow:
45 192 203 345 253 211 248
HLN Prime: Prime: Issues: Grace: Issues: Grace: Showbiz:
95 114 131 207 150 192
Data by Nielsen Media Research. Live and same day (DVR) data.
Check the sources for yourselves
Calling someone a "racist" that repeatedly over time has assoicated with racists, exhibits preferences towards different races including but not limited to his appointments, and sides with the Harvard professor who was calling the white police officer a "racist" does not make the person making the observation a racist. This is the double standard the left has always employed. There is a mountain of evidence to support Beck's claim, and that makes his claim accurate.
Media Matters is as biased a source for the left as you can get. All you will find there is out of context statements that have been manipulated to a pre-determined end. The above poster is correct, you have to review the entire content from where the quote comes from. When you do, you will see that there is no truth to Glenn Beck being a "racist" statements. If any of you from the left understood what conservatism really is, you would understand that racism doesn't fit at all into that set of ideals. Conservatives do not group people, that's what the left does. Conservatism looks at the individual, not the group. When Beck calls Obama a racist, he is not doing that because the man is of color, he is doing it because the MAN by his actions is exhibiting racism. The left would have you believe Beck is only saying this because of the President's race. The opinion comes not because of the Presidents race, but because of his actions, two entirely different things. One makes you a racist, the other does not.
Instead of calling Beck a racist for pointing out racism, why doesn't the left stand on Obama's words, actions and deeds as the best defense? If there wasn't a shread of evidence that should be the easiest thing in the world to dispute. I guess that is one big "if" isn't it?
Projection, plain and simple
Beck is projecting on to Obama what he can't face in himself: racism.
It is the height of absurdity to call Obama a racist.
And to deny that Beck is race-baiting is delusional.
It is not a matter of conservative or liberal bias.
It is a matter of rational measurement and moral honesty.
That's why Murdoch is treading on dangerous territory flirting with racism on Fox News to make a buck.
And that's the point of the piece. That there will be a price to pay for such behavior.
It is something Murdoch himself recognizes, as evidenced by the apology he issued in NY when a cartoon published in the NY Post caused great offense.
racebaiting
I am 63 years old and I have never seen race talked about more than it has been since Obama was put in our whitehouse!!!! The reason it keeps coming up is every time someone disagrees with Obama's communist policies they are called a racist!!!!
This tactic obviously worked during his campaign, but no more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re Van
Just a thought: Van Jones is working on creating a Green Collar economy that is completely capitalist. Read the book. No, seriously. Read it. When you've finished that, perhaps you'll stop repeating Glenn Beck's nonsense and start to think for yourself.
Beck is nothing but an inflammatory liar. No one gains any credibility by quoting the worst person with a media program that survives through hate and fear alone.
Race Baiting Assholes
Race baiting is terrible. It is also not too good for administration officials to call people who disagree with them assholes. I know he said it before being appointed Czar, but if a Republican Czar had done it before being appointed there would be outraged cries for his resignation or removal.
Even if he admitted he can sometimes be an asshole.
Silliness
The asshole comment was a joke. The entire audience laughed. Watch the clip. The outrage is fabricated political theater in a nation that watches more pornography on the internet than anything else.
It is entirely different from Senator George Allen's "Macaca" moment, which was revealing, or the time when Vice President Dick Cheney told Senator Leahy to go fuck himself.
Here's the account from the Washington Post:
"On Tuesday, Cheney, serving in his role as president of the Senate, appeared in the chamber for a photo session. A chance meeting with Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, became an argument about Cheney's ties to Halliburton Co., an international energy services corporation, and President Bush's judicial nominees. The exchange ended when Cheney offered some crass advice.
"Fuck yourself," said the man who is a heartbeat from the presidency."
Cheney served out his term, and he wasn't even joking and nobody was laughing.
ds
Silliness???
One difference; Chaney had the balls to say it to that punk Lahey's face. You may consider the outcry to be silly, and to me that's perfect. You have and will continue to underestimate the backlash yet to come from Americans of all colors who understand that anarchists like Jones don't belong next to our president. All the appointed posiitons (aptly named czars) need to be completely vetted for similar character flaws.
Silliness and Race Baiting Assholes
I actually got a kick out of Cheney telling Leahy to fuck off. At least he responded directly to somebody he was pissed at, and the comment was intended to be private, not publicly disseminated.
I agree that Senator George Allen's "Macaca" moment was very poor. My point is that when we have the Olbermen and Hannities screaming and shouting and generally dragging the level of political discourse into the gutter (for which we get to pay, by the way, along with the additional ads), calling people assholes in a public meeting, even if it was funny, doesn't help.
Please note I'm being critical of both sides, not just one. Maybe the bottom line is they are all a bunch of assholes.
VAN JONES
How about the fact that Van Jones is a communist? How about the fact that Van Jones accused white people of dumping toxics on minorities, where's that proof? How about the fact that Van Jones said he didn't agree with the 9/11 truthers then or ever from the 2004 article and now it appears he believed it in 2002? How about the fact that Van Jones was talking to college students when he called Republicans A Holes? How about the fact that the boycott actually blew up on Color of Change? How about the fact that there are counter protests where people have actually dropped insurance which has caused the advetizers to pause and rethink, many of which still have ads? President Obama is the one that brought up race. He's the post racial president remember? Maybe you should go back and look how he handled the Gates problem. Played the race card before he knew the facts. As the president, I'd say he acted stupidly.
Race Baiting Profits
Dear Mr. Anonymous
Click on the link below for a digest of race-baiting comments made by Glenn Beck on air over the course of a single week.
http://mediamatters.org/research/200907300019
Does it concern you that as a result Beck's ratings shot up?
Do you think Murdoch is pleased to be making money off of race-baiting content?
The free market will react and decide if the gains are socially acceptable or ill-gotten, destructive to community and the body politic, like selling heroin.
Great non-biased source.
Great non-biased source. Laughable. You are accusing Glenn of race baiting? Race baiting is calling everyone who disagrees with the opinion of anyone surrounding this administration a racist. This is the most racist, divisive administration and group of congressmen and supporters I have ever seen. The racists are the people on the left who are trying as hard as they can to make every issue about race so their true agenda can remain hidden.
http://www.tiny.cc/JtUw3
Fact Not Accusation
Dear Truthbeagle
It is not an accusation but a matter of factual record.
Click on the link below for a digest of race-baiting comments made by Glenn Beck on air over the course of a single week.
http://mediamatters.org/research/200907300019
Then please supply a comparable digest of race-baiting comments from the administration to support your contention.
Looking forward to it.
Here are the Facts that Obama is a RACIST.
From Obama's own quotes from his book;
Then here are actions by Obama showing that as an state legislator Obama was concerned that Hispanics and Asians might outnumber African-Americans in black districts:
When the 2000 census revealed dramatic growth in Chicago's Hispanic and Asian populations alongside a decline in the number of African Americans, the Illinois black caucus was alarmed at the prospect that the number of blacks in the Illinois General Assembly might decline. At that point, Obama stepped to the forefront of the effort to preserve as many black seats as possible. The Defender quotes Obama as saying that, "while everyone agrees that the Hispanic population has grown, they cannot expand by taking African-American seats." As in the casino dispute, Obama stressed black unity, pushing a plan that would modestly increase the white, Hispanic, and Asian population in what would continue to be the same number of safe black districts. As Obama put it: "An incumbent African-American legislator with a 90 percent district may feel good about his reelection chances, but we as a community would probably be better off if we had two African-American legislators with 60 percent each."
I appears that Barack Obama was racist views, and this is from his own words.
Van Jones himself is a racist on Youtube;
He also said that whites pollute minority communities and Van Jones helped coordinate the protest march on behalf of convicted police killer Mumia Abu-Jamal.
So it appears that the persons who are racist are both Van Jones and yes, even our president.
You Don't Understand What Racism Is
Dear Anonymous
The quotes you take from Obama's book are out of context. He is exploring his relationship to questions of race and the meaning of being black in America. He's grappling with race and questions of identity, which racists do not do. He also gave one of finest speeches on race in American history during the campaign. Try quoting from that.
It is also not racist to try to strengthen and uplift the fortunes of your community.
The evidence you are able to present is rather unconvincing. I invite you to read Glenn Becks comments to learn what real racism can look like.
video of van jones saying racist remarks.
Hopefully this works;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO-D-ZeqN5U
Video of Van Jones spouting racism.
So who is the racist? It appears Van Jones is and he works for the whitehouse in charge of a 30 billion dollar program.
Van's Compassion for White Suffering
That's a great clip.
Makes the case for Van's color-blind compassion. He spends most of his time talking about the suffering of white suburban youth, and how it finds expression in school shootings.
How is that racist? Keep pumping out this evidence. It only makes the opposite case.
Here is a transcript of what Van Jones says on the video clip:
"Our young white males are suffering in this society, profoundly. Profoundly. And no one is saying a word about it. We’ll criminalize the black student, black child, criminalize the Latino child, we have this whole discussion about whether they are animals or they not animals, should we abuse them should we help them, blah blah blah. You’ve never seen a Columbine done by a black child. Never. They always say, “We can’t believe it happened here. We can’t believe it’s these suburban white kids.” It’s only them! Now, a black kid might shoot another black kid. He’s not going to shoot up the whole school! “My cousin’s up in here, I’m not going to shoot the whole school then, I might hit my cousin! I’m gonna shoot you though!”
"But these young white men will be in so much pain, and so isolated, so alienated they’ll shoot up the entire school. Where is the concern, where is the love, where is the compassion for these young men?"
Regarding the mediamatters 'proof'
Regarding the mediamatters ‘proof’, most of the few line statements from 45 minutes of programming on Glenn Becks broadcasts prove absolutely nothing without seeing the complete context of his discussions. It might take pages of transcripts of his discussions just to refute one point. I don’t have the time to get that in depth on a comment post. Liberal blogs and news programs are good at twisting his viewpoints. I have watched Fox and MSNBC enough to be able to easily see their spins. On most nights, I can watch Fox and laugh, hearing statements that I know will be taken out of context the next day. Every once in a while I pull up liberal blogs and the news recordings, and see the segments from the previous day that are out of context. Most of the time they can be easily predicted. CNN isn’t bad, usually achieving spin by omission. MSNBC and some liberal blogs just blatantly lie.
It will take a while to pull up various actual statements, as I record programming on my computer from Fox and MSNBC until around 4:00 am. I can’t guarantee what I might be able to get to in a short time, but my digging can’t start until after the recordings are complete. I don’t sit here and create a list, and I don’t want to pull statements up from memory as the slightest word out of place would illicit ‘you’re lying’ from dozens of posters. Liberals don’t know what a lie is. A lie is intentionally making a statement that isn’t true, not remembering a fact incorrectly. I can pull up a few direct statements by President Obama, but his past associations with rabid racists is the greatest indication of his racism. President Obama does state that he surrounds himself with people of like views.
The fact that no one can disagree with any of his agenda/programs/positions without being called a racist is race-baiting. I’ll see what I have time for, but it will be much later.
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