The perfect Fox page

The New Yorker raised an entertaining question last week: "Fox News has always been partisan. But has it become propaganda?" For all the fine reporting in the article (and there's a lot), the hed is still sort of a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a distinction without a difference. Fox hasn't changed anything about its newsgathering, sourcing, editing,presentation or framing practices (OK, except that now it's using actual cartoons occasionally, which I find charming.) Fox is in a different sort of relationship with the executive because we have a different sort of executive branch, not because Fox is any more or less of a propaganda outfit than it was three, or seven, or 12 years ago. 

Enjoy, for example, the top of the Tuesday morning front page. Is there a particular reason -- given that the Kenyan usurper left office at the beginning of 2017 -- that Rahm Emanuel is at the top of the page? Well, he's joining in the chorus calling on the Democratic Party not to give in to those pesky socialists. The No. 2 story -- no, we are not trying to get a head start on The Week In AOC -- reminds us again that the Bronx sorceress does not know her place and needs to sit up straight and learn from her betters. Which, as the No. 3 story reminds us, is not going to happen because (in another of last week's consistent themes) the junior witches already have Hecate captive.

So Fox's themes are converging on the menace of socialism, as carried out by the  revolutionary youth brigade of the opposition. What strikes me as a bit odd, and what to me supports the idea that mere partisanship is not at stake here, is that if you're interested real-life developments Tuesday involving the Menace of Socialism in real life, there's a Foxalicious example waiting:

You'd like to think events that actually portend ill are a bit more interesting than a cartoon of AOC and her weird sisters, but fear at Fox isn't closely coupled with reality.

That'll teach you, liberal media!

Well! Clearly somebody's not having any more of this "so-called 'caravan'":

As the so-called US-bound “caravan” traveling through Mexico continues to swell, some questions arise that the media will not ask. Who is funding these efforts?* How has it grown so quickly and what did the Democrats have to offer besides a bunch of cliches and bromides, and of course grandstanding?

That's Laura Ingraham, in the No. 3 spot on the Fair 'n' Balanced homepage, laying out where the liberal media go wrong with their language:

If you have been watching other networks, you have been treated to sympathetic, overwrought coverage of this invading horde, which is anything but a “caravan.” Mainstream news networks have dispatched teams of embedded reporters who are not so much covering the migrant mob as covering for it.

Nor is Ingraham the only right-wing columnist banging their rattle on the crib about the terminology. Funny, here's John Kass of the Chicago Tribune** earlier in the day:

It’s not really a “caravan,” is it?

Those thousands of desperate migrants walking across Mexico, a massive crowd that grows by the day, are intent on forcing a confrontation at the U.S. border.

This crowd can be called many things, but “caravan” isn’t one of them.

Having grown weary of Fox's coverage of the matter this past week, I was sort of holding out for "caravanserai," myself. Or maybe requiring Fox hosts to actually sing the bridge (oh, go ahead and enjoy some Ella). But the problem seems to be more that the opinionators are getting out in front of the boss, who's fine with "caravan":

Likewise the Department of Homeland Security, which Drudge seems not to be placing in scare quotes for the nonce:

... and, of course, Fox itself (Oct. 18. 19 and 22):

Indeed, although the current homepage hed says "March of Misery," Fox still manages to get "caravan" in the second graf:

HUIXTLA, Mexico – They have been walking for 15 days, some only in flip-flops or crocs. The walks have been long and excruciatingly hot.

“I feel very, bad. All my body is hurting,” said Juan Ramon Hernandez, who is part of a growing caravan in Mexico slowly making its way to the U.S. border. “I can’t stand it.”

Credit where due, now. Kudos to Fox for going down Mexico way to cover the event, but ... could that be "sympathetic, overwrought coverage" sneaking in?

As the world’s eyes remain on the migrant caravan, which has become the new rallying cry in the country’s explosive immigration debate, the members of the caravan are starting to feel the effects of the grueling journey – but they vow to march on.

“I have asked for a cream but they don't have any,” said Wendy Arrelano, another member of the caravan who sprained her ankle a few days ago. “So they just wrapped my foot.”

Looks like we got ourselves a convoy nice old-fashioned framing fight going on. Meanwhile, let's flash back in time five years and recall the gummint "slimdown."

* Even Fox seems to be temporarily shamed out of blaming Soros.
** Quoting your barber is not substantively different than quoting a Beirut taxi driver, if you're scoring along at home.

Today in framing

The evening's No. 2 story at the Fair 'n' Balanced Network:

No documents related to the hacks of the Democratic National Committee emails or Clinton campaign Chair John Podesta’s emails appear to be altered or forged, according to a declassified U.S. intelligence report on alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election released Friday.

Stop press! We'd been waiting to hear those crucial details about the long-awaited intelligence report on ... what's that, grownup news organizations everywhere?

Oh, the Putin bit. Well, Fox is getting to that:

While the report accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering a campaign to influence the U.S. election and hurt Hillary Clinton’s candidacy, it found that the material sent to WikiLeaks did not contain “any evident forgeries.”

That's a relief. I mean, who would have thought ...

The claim that the emails may have been doctored or forged was raised by DNC Interim Chair Donna Brazile in October, when she was criticized for an email that surfaced in hacked messages from Podesta’s account.

The report also concluded that Moscow chose WikiLeaks to distribute the information “because of its self-proclaimed reputation for authenticity.”

While the report does not specifically mention Podesta’s emails, it does say Russian intelligence agencies relayed material to WikiLeaks “from the DNC and senior Democratic officials.” Podesta was the most prominent Democratic official to be subject to a cyberattack during the campaign.

Which makes perfect sense if you're the sort of (ahem) viewer whose lead story in late October looked like this:

Because why would you care what the Russians did? Your big story is that CROOKID HILLARY got a boost from the communist media, and it was all rigged against Trump after all. Donna is a household name for you, because Valerie and Huma and Blumenthal are household names for you, and now they've been caught:
The Brazile email passed on a question to campaign adviser Jennifer Palmieri about the death penalty, under the subject line: “From time to time I get questions in advance.”

The exchange came right before a March town hall hosted by CNN and TV One, where a similar question was asked. Yet Brazile denied receiving questions from CNN, and implies that the emails released were doctored.

Got her at last!

After all, as Richard Hofstadter put it, "History is a conspiracy, set in motion by demonic forces of almost transcendent power":

I mean, who cares about Putin when your side has taken down the real Evil Empire?

Today in framing: A slight return

Speak of the devil and he will surely throw something into the archive that ought to have been in the literature review you just submitted. Here's the No. 2 story at the Fair 'n' Balanced Network on Sunday morning:

A sampling of emails set to be released by Jeb Bush from his years as Florida governor provides a glimpse of how he handled a range of high-profile issues -- from the state to the international level.

The emails to staffers and residents show how he dealt with such issues as the 9/11 terror attacks to the contentious 2000 Florida recount vote that decided the presidential election for brother and Republican nominee George W. Bush.

Bush said 11 days ago that he would release 250,000 emails, presumably to show Americans his leadership ability in times of crisis. The promise was part of a larger announcement that he will “actively explore” a 2016 White House bid.

Was it only yesterday that -- well, of course it was.

Today in framing

Well, duh. It's not "sucking up" if your own reporter does it! Here's the top of Friday's No. 2 story:

Governors come and governors go, but Rick Perry is leaving a mark on Texas that won't soon be forgotten.

With the new year, Texas' longest-serving governor will leave the office he's held for more than three consecutive terms. Handing the reins to Attorney General Greg Abbott, his transition marks the end of an era in Texas politics.

And yet, Perry doesn't sound like a man hanging up his spurs.

And Saturday's:

High-profile Democrats are jumping on the “Ready for Hillary” bandwagon, supporting Clinton for president before she even enters the race -- boosting her presumptive candidacy and potentially their own political fortunes.

Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Al Franken, D-Minn., are among the biggest names to get on board -- positioning themselves in a familiar game in which early supporters are often rewarded with plum administration jobs or some political favor if their candidate wins.

“It’s a time-honored tradition,” said Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor. “And a lot of candidates remember who was there early, who was willing to take the leap.”

(And, yes, prisoners are still being executed in the War on Editing: Franken, whose politics appear closer to those of Warren’s, said she is also “great” but “not running.”)