World News Korner

Megyn Kelly of Fox News gets her panties in a wad over the possibility of researchers investigating newsrooms. Hmm, now why would you think that would bother her? Update!

Courtesy of HuffPo:

Megyn Kelly called the Obama administration "crazy" for a new proposal that would allow researchers to investigate newsrooms nationwide.

The Federal Communications Commission's proposal aims to investigate how stories are chosen and if coverage is subject to editorial bias, but some see that as a violation of press freedom that could be detrimental to journalists.

"What kind of crazy talk is that!?" Kelly said of the proposal. "Whose brain-child was this in the first place?"

Kelly seemed to find it ridiculous, even laughing at one point, that the government would try to advise news outlets about "what the people need to hear." She said it gives people "a window" into what the Obama administration is really thinking.

"How would it actually work? Somebody is going to sit there in our news meeting and tell me and my executive producer, 'You shouldn't lead with that. This story over here on how we think we're doing so great-- that's what the people need to hear!'"

Gee somebody seems a little defensive, don't they?

Did you notice during her tirade that when she got to the part about bias and the internal debate that happens during story selection, that her voice got louder and more strident?

Of course Fox is not the only conservative outlet that is all a twitter over this research.

This from Bizpac:

If FCC officials want to learn how stories are selected, they can go to journalism school. Otherwise, stay out of the newsroom.

The agency’s infiltration of the reporting process defeats the purpose of a free and independent press — to serve as a check to an overreaching government.

And this from ACLJ a conservative legal group:

“This is an extremely troubling and dangerous development that represents the latest in an ongoing assault on the Constitution by the Obama administration,” Sekulow said in a statement. “We have seen a corrupt IRS unleashed on conservatives. We have seen an imperial president bypass Congress and change the law with executive orders.”

“Now we see the heavy hand of the Obama administration poised to interfere with the First Amendment rights of journalists,” Sekulow said. “It’s clear that the Obama administration is only interested in utilizing intimidation tactics – at the expense of Americans and the Constitution. The federal government has no place attempting to control the media, using the unconstitutional actions of repressive regimes to squelch free speech.”

Apparently the source of much of this Right Wing outrage is that there is much fear among the conservatives that this is an attempt to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.

You may remember the Fairness Doctrine as the thing that, if it had not been repealed, would have kept Fox News off the air.

So in light of that fear, I think we can understand why Megyn Kelly was hyperventilating so badly.

Update: It looks like the outcry has worked. The FCC has now decided to put this study on hold.

You can almost hear the giant sigh of relief coming from Fox News and Right Wing radio.

Source