by Mark Silva and updated at 8:15 pm EDT
The president had his war cabinet in at the White House this week, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are coming Friday, but today another combatant apparently stopped by the West Wing:
Michael Clemente, senior vice president at FOX News Channel.
Mediaite reports that, while terms of any agreement between these feuding parties "are still emerging,'' the meeting was to seek a "truce" between both sides.
Clemente and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs met in Gibbs' office at the White House complex, and Clemente later met with his Washington Bureau.
In the heat of battle, Clemente had said publicly: "The door remains open and we welcome a discussion about the facts behind the issues."
U.S. News & World Report reported that White House officials "don't expect to fire another shot in the battle unless Fox strikes first."
Gibbs dd not respond to our own query about the meeting, but a source told Politico that FOX's own marching orders are to "continue doing what we're doing - reporting the news, asking tough questions and providing analysis/opinion on shows like O'Reilly, Beck and Hannity."
Comments
Don't meet with the Fake News Channel goons, Barack!
They're not a real news outlet, they are the media arm of the Republican party and their only goal is to destroy you.
Posted by: DrainYou | October 28, 2009 7:04 PM
Fox News War on the White House:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdHzWMPLiow
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Posted by: Zack | October 28, 2009 7:06 PM
Fox News admits that their talk shows are opinion based, which is obvious and indisputable. It's not straight news and it's not meant to be. No problem. The problem lies in their "news" side. They don't have a straight news division like CNN, MSNBC, ABC, etc. They have propaganda disguised as news. That's a serious issue that must be addressed.
The problem with Fox News is that they have shown over and over again that they tilt their news coverage indisputably toward a right-wing perspective and refuse to admit it. They are not purely driven by the news. They are driven by an agenda.
The Daily Show did a great segment just last week showing how Fox News acted as cheerleaders for the 9/12 Tea Party protests and gave it wall to wall coverage, yet for a protest of almost the same exact size - the Gay Rights protest last weekend - they didn't send a single camera crew. And The Daily Show didn't even mention a Fox News producer who was caught on camera riling up the crowds in the 9/12 protest and literally encouraging them to cheer louder. I don't think they sent a similar "news producer" to the gay rights march. To argue that they covered these protests straight without any leaning toward one side or another is comically disingenuous.
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http://www.mediaite.com/online/daily-show-fox-news-prefers-teabaggers-over-gay-rights-marchers/
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/19/fox-news-producer-caught_n_292529.html
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Posted by: Disgusted by Fox's fiction | October 28, 2009 7:17 PM
If the White House and President Obama can meet privately with Rachel Madddow and Keith Olbermann then I believe they should meet with representatives of Fox News.
I would hope that the White House would arrange for Anita Dunn to appear on the Glenn Beck show, the ratings for this show would be at an all time high!
Posted by: Pat H | October 28, 2009 7:32 PM
Disgusted, Fox always has noted that programs like Hannity, O'Reilly were opinion-oriented. Shows such as Special Report and the Fox Report are news. Olberidiot and Madcowdisease are opinion-based too. The difference, though, is that O'Reilly and Hannity at least have OPPOSING views on their shows. I have not seen Olberidiot and Madcowdisease have opposing views on their shows.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | October 28, 2009 8:07 PM
The Obama administration pointing out that Faux isn't really a news outlet but the media arm of the GOP is a good move in my opinion.
I don't think this was done with Faux in mind as much as it was done with the corporate media in mind. The very same corporate media that has allowed Faux to push their BS propaganda out into the corporate media mainstream as "real news".
From now on when Faux starts railing about some stupid crap like ACORN etc, maybe the corporate media outlets will fact check Faux before they repeat it.
GOP Approval Ratings vs Fox's Ratings - I report, you decide.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/41766005@N06/4034383155/
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Posted by: Jeff Y | October 28, 2009 8:21 PM
So long as FOX continues to do "news" their way, Obama is perfectly within his right to call them on it.
Free speech is not a shield.
And, BTW: I completely support their right to lie and distort. What I don't support is their dishonest branding.
Rather than some law about content, or some other speech impacting thing, a truth in branding law would probably be more effective.
You can't say news, if your product doesn't inform. It's that simple.
The trouble FOX has is their "opinion" and "advocacy journalism" just isn't all that well supported by the facts. A quick look at other advocacy journalism reveals it's regularly supportable by facts, and as such is easily branded in a meaningful and honest way.
FOX offers a low clarity broadcast where fact and opinion is mixed together such that the average viewer ends up being less informed and more confused than they would simply be otherwise.
That low clarity means they really shouldn't be using the qualifier "news".
Posted by: Fox OPINION Channel | October 28, 2009 8:28 PM
This must be the quintessential corner stone of Obama's promised bi-partisanship. Just in time before announcing plans for Afghanistan, and the possible December Surprise. So nifty.
Posted by: Detour | October 28, 2009 8:42 PM
Could it have been the people from MSNBC and CNN called Obama crying that their rates where at a all time low and they needed his help. Or could the other DC network chiefs let it be known that they did not let the WH playing this game. Or did team Obama take the time to check the polls on this and see that most people saw it for what it was.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | October 28, 2009 8:44 PM
How could the owners of Glenn Beck allow a meeting with Obama's secret negro army?
Posted by: bill r. | October 28, 2009 8:50 PM
For the Foxxx News crew:
Near beer will do.
Posted by: ornery | October 28, 2009 10:44 PM
Obama is great. Obama is good.
Any news organization that dares to question HIM is bad.
Posted by: Brain Dead Democrat | October 29, 2009 12:39 AM
What the H-ll are you taking about, low clarity? You are totally ambiguous. Obviously you haven't bothered to actually watch Fox news. So, why are you spouting this nonsense? Low clarity, what BS.
Posted by: Gary | October 29, 2009 3:58 AM
Fox is not news at all. It's opinionated lies, distortions, spin, and falsehoods put foward by a bunch of derelicts. People who watch and believe the trash that is spouted on Fox are either mentally slow and/or incapable of independent thought.
Posted by: Doug R. | October 29, 2009 9:23 AM
Please little bill - change your meds quick...
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How could the owners of Glenn Beck allow a meeting with Obama's secret negro army?
Posted by: bill r. | October 28, 2009 8:50 PM
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Put down the pipe little bill, it's really getting your thought process in a tither.
Posted by: springfield | October 29, 2009 10:07 AM
Loks like the White house is stepping on America's Freedom of Speech. Lets hope Fox dosen't become an Obama wimp like ABC.
Posted by: Inky | October 29, 2009 11:30 AM
Question: Has FOX organized partisan political events?
Answer: Yes!
;
Question: Has MSNBC or NBC?
Answer: No!
;
Question: In light of the above answers can you honestly say FOX is not an agent of the Republican Party?
Answer: No!
Posted by: Facts are Fun | October 29, 2009 2:07 PM
Question: Has MSNBC or NBC?
Answer: No!
Posted by: Facts are Fun | October 29, 2009 2:07 PM
So busing in people to events in 2003 and 2005 is not organizing.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | October 30, 2009 2:25 AM