Fox News admits distorting news

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Zefram <zefram () fysh org>
Date: September 7, 2004 12:50:31 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Fox News admits distorting news

This sems likely to be of interest to IPers:

        http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/11.html
        or http://snurl.com/8wep

Summary: Fox News instructed a couple of their reporters to lie in a 
story
about health risks from Bovine Growth Hormone.  The reporters refused, 
and
Fox News fired them.  The reporters attempted to sue as whistleblowers.
Fox's defence is that they have a First Amendment right to lie, and
so weren't doing anything wrong that would let the reporters qualify
as whistleblowers.

It raises more than one interesting issue.  First, and most 
superficially,
is Fox's tacit admission to a policy of distorting the news.  That such
a policy exists isn't news to IPers, but the public admission is
interesting.

Secondly, there are the rather more complex merits of the wrongful
dismissal case.  Is lying part of a reporter's job?  Apparently it
is at Fox News.  I'd be interested to see these reporters' official
job descriptions.  Are reporters joining Fox News told that they'll be
expected to lie?

One can draw a parallel with, for example, civil servants being called
upon to register a marriage that they personally find morally repugnant.
Over here in the UK a law was recently passed to recognise transsexuals'
acquired gender.  Clergy of the established Church of England, who have
an obligation to marry any qualifying couple, have a conscience clause
in this law to allow them to refuse to solemnise a marriage involving
a transsexual.  Secular registrars, under a similar obligation, have
no conscience clause.  No doubt similar issues will arise in the US in
respect of same-sex marriages.

-zefram
--
Andrew Main <zefram () fysh org>

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