Fox News Still Confused About Its News and Opinion Programming

A few months back the White House and Fox News went in circles about the coverage at the most watched news organization in America. To my surprise, the White House actually got Fox to admit that its "programming" represents an editorial page.  I would argue its news coverage does as well since they intertwine the two; nonetheless, getting Fox to admit that its programming is opinion material is a huge deal.  Then Fox went a step further and admitted that it only airs 9 hours a day of actual news.  The other 15 hours is opinion programming.

The problem with all this is Fox blurs the lines between news and opinion.  Jon Stewart famously tore into Fox's opinion vs. news coverage shortly after Fox released what it called its news programming schedule of 9a-4p and 6p-8p.

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In case you don't watch the clip, Stewart sums it up perfectly:

"According to Fox, the weekday news programming -- and this is according to Fox -- runs from 9:00 to 4:00 p.m. and from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for a total of nine newsy hours a day," Stewart notes. "Let me, for the audience here, help you out.

"The three hours you spend in the morning with Fox and Friends, not news," Stewart continues. "Your 4:00 to 5:00 post tea Neil Cavuto break, not news. The 5:00 and 6:00 emotional whirlwind and therapy session that is Glenn Beck, not even close to news. O'Reilly, Hannity and then van Social Security tern, not news.

"This is according to Fox News," Stewart adds. "Those people, the ones featured in promos about how fair and balanced Fox News is are not news. These people, otherwise known as the only people you ever think of when you think about Fox News, are not news. They are Fox opinutainment."

So how might people who watch Fox News get so confused about the division of what constitutes news and opinion? Well, like Stewart so amply proves, the confusion comes directly from Fox News. And one needn't look any further than their newest ad promoting how recent ratings prove they are for the 100 month in a row, the MOST POWERFUL NAME IN NEWS.  Yes they say NEWS and not opinion programming.  And who do they run on their ad under the large banner declaring themselves as NEWS?  None other than their most visible opinion personalities, Bill O'Reilly, Hannity and Sustren.  According to Fox News itself, 3 of the 5 people they list on their ad that declares them the MOST POWERFUL NAME IN NEWS are not NEWS!!