Fox News and faux news: They're not the same thing

It just never ceases to amaze me how some of our neighbors do their very best to protect and serve their progressive masters.

Mr. Wes Higgins, once again, uses the power of the “Letters to the Editor” section of the local newspaper in his attempt to demonize one of the major news networks, Fox News, and many of their viewers/readers. Personally, I am most grateful to the Daily Inter Lake for their fair and balanced distribution of all sides of the news; opinions and point of view.

So to Mr. Higgins I say this: You contend you do not have a problem with Fox News, just with Fox followers. You further contend that any of us who might enjoy some of the Fox programming are no more than “blind followers.” You further contend that your animus towards the so-called “blind followers” is that they repeat the alleged falsehoods and hate rhetoric that emanates from Fox News.

Since you do not have a problem with Fox it must be with those appearing on Fox. So it’s the message from the messengers, right?

I agree there are a plethora of individuals who have a specific point of view. Bravo! That used to be a cherished right in this country. Evidently you disagree that people have that right and that you would like to see certain voices stilled. You failed to name those that may qualify as messengers to be silenced, so please allow me to fill in a few of those blanks for you.

Some of the better known contributors to the Fox network includes Bob Beckel, Eric Bolling, Pat Cadell, Alan Colmes, Greg Gutfeld, Harris Faulkner, Sean Hannity, Jonathon Hoenig, Mike Huckabee,  Brit Hume, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Bill O’Reilly, Kirsten Powers, Geraldo Rivera, Wayne Rogers, Doug Shoen, Shepard Smith, John Stossell, Greta  Van Susteren, David Webb, Juan Williams and many others of all political stripes. The ones I have listed (alphabetically) are a mixture of conservative, progressive and libertarian. I have not listed all of the varied politicians who have given their diverse opinions on all subjects and/or issues of the day on Fox News. That is one of the things I feel Fox excels at, getting all sides of the stories.

I would ask Mr. Higgins to list the various opinion contributors on the other networks (all of them combined) that compete and are as fair and balanced (to use a well known Fox motto) as Fox News.

All of them — NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NPR — are no match when it comes to the diverse and fair reporting of Fox News.

You contend you were a dedicated listener to Rush, Sean and Bill “some 20 years ago.” But you discovered they were “preaching to a choir” of angry listeners… That period of time would have been, by your estimates, the 1990s. That would have been the same period of time our fair and balanced  media were reporting on the Clinton administration. What in the world could the media be covering or covering up that would have made for such anger? Any thoughts there, sir?

As to the biography on Roger Ailes, Fox News president. the author, Mr. Gabriel Sherman, interviewed 600 people for the book, BUT never interviewed Mr. Ailes. Mr. Sherman has been accused of doing a poor job of fact checking and Jay Ambrose states that the direction of Fox News has divided nothing. (See Wikipedia)

So, Mr . Higgins, if your desire is to find a way to stop the polarization in our country, I would suggest you begin with those who are at the head of polarization in America… the faux and feckless and ideological members of other mainstream news organizations. Fox has given us our only connection to “another point of view” and often the truth in matters that we should all be concerned about and entitled to know without the infection of bias and rhetorical misinformation.

I would like to give a grateful nod to Roger Ailes and Fox News for keeping the light on our freedoms and the challenges ahead of us.   

And to your concern about the Affordable Care Act  and Stephen Colbert’s  claim that Republicans see it as a job killer… well sir… at least it seems Mr. Colbert has no problem with truth and that is refreshing. I must admit, that is one for your side.

Molen is a resident of Bigfork.