Think Progress

ABC’s Charles Gibson slams Fox News

By Amanda Terkel on Jun 18th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

ABC’s Charles Gibson slams Fox News

in a commencement address at Union College on Saturday:

[D]on’t disparage the mainstream media. The editor of your hometown newspaper or the producers of network newscasts don’t have 30 or 40 years of experience for nothing. When you see a news organization get fixated on non-stop coverage of Paris Hilton, or Anna Nicole Smith, or Michael Jackson, go elsewhere.

When an announcer says, “It’s a report you have to see,” you probably don’t. When an anchor says, “shocking details,” they probably aren’t. When a reporter claims his news is “fair and balanced,” it probably isn’t. And, when politicians say, “I’m going to level with you,” they probably won’t.



33 Responses to “ABC’s Charles Gibson slams Fox News”

  1. rusty says:

    The funny this is, I’ve spent some time in Communist and Socialist regimes doing media work… and Fox News is the EXACT M.O. (that’s modus operandi Lil) that all of them use to force BS news on the oppressed people of their countries. Fake news, lack of reporting bad issues for the empowered, derision of politcal opponents, and spin spin spin is what you will find on the propagandistic media outlets.

    When will the morons that watch Fox realize that’s all that channel is? I think Gibson accurately described Fox and “slammed” is a bit of an insult to the word slammed.


  2. Plear says:

    And we all trust ABC for good honest news… But for non-stop Paris Hilton no one beats Nancy Grace :).


  3. upside00 says:

    Rusty – I agree with you but the 28%ers who watch it, do so because they like their “news” pre-digested and regurgitated so they don’t have to use any of their double-digit IQ on anything other than watching American Idol, Professional wrestling or NASCAR while mouth breathing to Kfed’s latest song.


  4. Fan_of_Man says:

    ooohhhh, charlie really slammed them good eh?


  5. Craig Mack says:

    Although I would hardly call Charlie a “Pillar of Journalistic Achievement”, he makes some good points!


  6. Texas Democrat says:

    Yeah I’d say thats hyperbole characterizing what he said as “slamming” Faux noise.


  7. Texasjuice says:

    FOX knows the recipe that appeals to conservatives and it feeds it to them 24/7. it is all about money and power for Ailes and Murdoch. The subtext that runs through most of FOX news is so apparent and visible. The shame is that so much of this country feels just the way FOX portrays them. You know, the life was so much better in the 50’s with the Beaver and all. (I am black, so it WASN’T!) Thats FOX though, thank GOD we have other media outlets.


  8. me says:

    do you really mean to say ’slam’? don’t go all huffington post on me and start abusing that word too.

    when somebody gets slammed it means to hit somebody hard, either physically, or in your case, with a verbal tirade so acerbic it would make the victim cringe to show his/her face in public.

    your charlie gibson story, who’s a tool by the way, has none of that. you hype the story so we’ll read it. congrats, mission accomplshed, but now i’m worried your trying to ’sell’ me.

    i’ll accept that from lesser blogs, but you my friend, are a flagship and I expect better from you.


  9. Lescoeurs says:

    The problem, Mr. Gibson, is not too much Paris Hilton. It is not enough Downing Street Memo stories, PNAC stories, failure to investigate WMDs before pre-emptive war, too many incestuous relationships between those in power and those(YOU) who should be a watchdogs, too much compromsing of journalistic principles for huge Network advertising dollars, too many late night calls from those in power instructing your people to “kill” stories as a favor, too much being the informational arm of the WH, etc. etc. ad nauseum. In reality, ABC is no better than FOX. The packaging a little more refined, but an organization that serves the powerful more than the public.


  10. PRIMVS INTER PARES says:

    He wasn’t slamming FOX, he was poking fun at his whole industry…

    TP, at one time I would have expected more from you, but I just don’t know anymore.


  11. paland says:

    When will the morons that watch Fox realize that’s all that channel is?

    They never will realize it. I’m sure that you know that they don’t want to realize it. Ignorant people don’t like to face the fact that they are wrong, so they will continue to live a lie and to degrade those who speak truth to them. They will call names and make stuff up, just as long as they don’t confront their mistakes. They live in a paradyme that they think this is the way the world is. When you confront them with facts, their minds just cant’ acknowledge them and they then resort to name calling. It’s the same in all societies.


  12. Wayne says:

    TP, at one time I would have expected more from you, but I just don’t know anymore.
    Comment by PRIMVS INTER PARES

    That’s ok, most of us here posting on TP expect nothing but nonsense from you.


  13. Doc Rock says:

    Sadly none of the majors are that good–ABC/Disney has a frozen moral compass, too. NPR and BBC are considerably better.


  14. Jane E. Schneider says:

    Comment by Lescoeurs — June 18, 2007 @ 5:13 pm

    Spot on!


  15. Jabba the Ailes says:

    This is proof that ABC News has a Librul agenda.
    I hereby issue a red neck Fatwa on Charles Gibson and ABC.
    All Fox “News” useful idiots are to send harrassing emails and fake anthrax letters to the above aforementioned entities.
    Sincerely, Roger “Jabba the” Ailes.
    (this is called sarcasm for you ignorant 28 percenters)


  16. Krazny says:

    I gotta say, this was more of a dig then a slam. I mean to say it is a slam would be overstating what he said. Not to say he wasn’t spot on though.


  17. Patrick1 says:

    What? A Lobtard that makes a bit of sense? Has the barnacle fell off the whales ass?


  18. Jim Hobson says:

    oxymoron – FOX NEWS


  19. Kilo says:

    Saying that Fox news ‘probably’ isn’t fair and balanced doesn’t amount to ’slamming’ them.

    In fact it’s lamest almost-criticism of them I’ve ever heard.


  20. Tracy says:

    Gibson slammed himself.


  21. Karim says:

    Who would have guessed the Charles Gibson would be the voice of reason?


  22. Been There says:

    Re #3: Upside00

    This household is very progressive, very educated; yet we still watch NASCAR. My husband watches more than I, as he grew up in North Carolina (left there 30+ years ago).

    Painting everyone with the same brush gives liberal bloggers a bad name. Try to keep it civil and understand the world is made up of many diverse personalities. Not all NASCAR fans have a “double-digit IQ”, and stating so demeans you, not me.


  23. Kahoneez says:

    I agree Lescoeurs, it’s not enough PNAC, or actually it’s not being reported at all, nor is the neocon connection to Bush, so Gibson maybe correct about Fox, which is like saying the sky is blue, he nor is channel has NEVER reported about the PNAC document that we progressives found out about a long time ago, the BLUE PRINT for Bush’s attack on the Middle East.
    Other words Gibson never utters, “OCCUPATION” or WHY is the bush government building such a HUGE high tech embassy if they are NOT planning for a permanent OCCUPATION.
    “Is there any connection between Karzai’s oil pipeline deal, after taking power and the occupation of Afghanistan, and the history of the U.S. willing to work with the Taliban, to build that pipeline”. Gibson will NEVER, NEVER assert or question the connection between the Caspian OIL, the U.S. military and the permanent occupation of Afghanistan or Iraq.


  24. Joseph says:

    What a fraud Gibson is. If you read his whole speech, he talks about how important it is for those young people in attendance to participate in their democracy, to be involved. Yet, when it comes to his own profession – a failing profession, no less – the most he can muster is “go elsewhere”. Sorry, Charlie, but it doesn’t work like that.


  25. Larry from C says:

    Mr. Gibson, put your money where your big lying mouth is. Now is the time for you to cover all the earth-shaking stories you INTENTIONALLY IGNORED to protect the neo-cons.

    Remember all these stories you passed on which has effectively killed our Democracy:

    (1) Downing Street Memos…Smoking gun proof of being lied into the Iraq War
    (2) Disappearance of Habeas Corpus…Poof!! most of the Bill of Rights Disappears
    (3) The strategic importance of running that oil pipeline through Afghanistan
    (4) Borrowing trillions of dollars from the Communist China to fund the Iraq occupation.
    (5) Oil executives secretly meeting with Dick Cheney to plan America’s energy future and possibly staking their claim of Iraq’s oil.
    (6) Sibel Edmonds being silenced and denied her day in court and what she knows about 9/11.
    (7) Your total lack of reporting on Bush’s 500+ Executive Orders/Signing Statements
    (8) Americans eating genetically altered food, no testing ever done on humans, food not labeled.
    (9) Iraq Hydrocarbon Law…THE REASON for the invasion which would give BP, Chevron etc 80% of Iraq’s Oil Profits for 30 YEARS!…Robbing the country of THEIR wealth.
    (10) Bush’s private extreme right-wing mercenary army Blackwater operating under no authority in Iraq. (And why the hell does the President have his own provate army??)
    (11) Rove’s/Tim Griffin Cagin List of black, mexican and native american voters, many who are soliders in Iraq. Millions voted but they were “caged” out of their votes which were never counted.
    (12) A Newsweek poll from Oct. 06 showing 50%+ Americans favored impeachment.
    (13) Presidential Directive NSPD51 giving Bush dictatorial powers in event of ANY emergency he deems worthy.

    Mr. Gibson I could go on and on and on. Please explain your dead silence on all these stories??? You and your network are little different from the propagandists at Fox. You are just a different more subtle form of dis/mis information.


  26. dithered says:

    The way I read it, he slammed Wolf Blitzer twice, Fox News once, and all politicians. When I read “report you have to see” and “shocking details,” I heard Blitzer’s voice. No question that Fox is the largest purveyor of manure out there, except of course for the individual shovelers like Kristol, Limbaugh, and Coulter who have other venues. But Gibson’s indictment was more universal. I think the “Gibson Slams Fox News” headline is a bit off the mark.


  27. Harry Truman says:

    Of course Charles Gibson slams Fox News. this is not News , ABC News Ratings being in The Tank is News , and with Fox New’s Rating being Sky High what else can he do but go WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA


  28. Chris says:

    i knew there was a liberal media


  29. Kilo says:

    the PNAC document that we progressives found out about a long time ago, the BLUE PRINT for Bush’s attack on the Middle East.
    Comment by Kahoneez — June 18, 2007 @ 7:46 pm

    No, the blueprint for the invasion of Iraq along with refence to all alternative and previous plans can be found in the book Cobra II.

    The PNAC ’securing america’s defenses’ document was a policy recommendation, which at this point has been derailed by reality.


  30. Xlr8r says:

    All news outlets are the same… whether you have the extreme right (Fox News) or the extreme left (just about everything else). If he’s “slamming” Fox News, then he should just as easily be slamming all the rest of the news networks.


  31. Buck says:

    All news outlets are the same… whether you have the extreme right (Fox News) or the extreme left (just about everything else). If he’s “slamming” Fox News, then he should just as easily be slamming all the rest of the news networks.

    Comment by Xlr8r — June 19, 2007 @ 9:46 am

    And what planet are you from?


  32. Null says:

    and charles gibson has the teeny balls to talk! he represents everthing that is wrong and evil about the media if not the world . i would not expect the correct time from him if asked.


  33. jeff gordon says:

    Yes, you’re right, most have a single digit IQ. I polled our very educated, progressive household and found it unanimous: fox sucks, nascar is on fox, and charlie gibson holier than thou.

    The preceeding message is not meant for children. Coming up next, something we would never show you.

    you said:

    Re #3: Upside00

    This household is very progressive, very educated; yet we still watch NASCAR. My husband watches more than I, as he grew up in North Carolina (left there 30+ years ago).

    Painting everyone with the same brush gives liberal bloggers a bad name. Try to keep it civil and understand the world is made up of many diverse personalities. Not all NASCAR fans have a “double-digit IQ”, and stating so demeans you, not me.



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