Just What is Glenn Beck Media ?

Every cable TV news anchor is entitled to his opinion. That's basically the heartbeat of cable news; individual opinions and leanings get air time - big time air time. Hosts complain about this, rally against that and rant on behalf of whatever their political leanings are.

Generally, I watch a few minutes and then turn away because the biases on both sides of the fence, so to speak, are so obvious. I don't feel like I'm getting any news, just prejudices that could actually keep me from the news if I let it.

I want the news; I'm interested in learning about the issues and current affairs of the day, not what someone feels about them. Geez, I guess I'm missing "the good old days" when I expected to have both sides of a story presented so that I could make an informed decision of my own.

Today, in particular, I was stunned (again) that Glenn Beck makes sweeping accusations and assumptions without substantiating evidence. And yet, he gets SO much airtime. Is it because Fox wants the ratings and doesn't care what it takes to reach those magical numbers? Or is it because Fox supports Beck's consistent anti-fact stances?

On the White House Blog writer Jesse Lee takes Beck to task for his consistent inaccuracies.

For example, Lee points out that Beck's laments about Obama trying to secure the Olympics for Chicago is a waste of time because such an opportunity is in fact not profitable.


RHETORIC: BECK SAID VANCOUVER LOST $1 BILLION WHEN IT "HAD THE OLYMPICS." Glenn Beck said, "Vancouver lost, how much was it? they lost a billion dollars when they had the Olympics." [Transcript, Glenn Beck Show, 9/29/09]


REALITY: VANCOUVER'S OLYMPICS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 2010. Vancouver will host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games from February 12 - 28, 2010 and March 12-21, 2010, respectively. [Vancouver2010.com, accessed 9/29/09]


When I hear this I wonder just how cluttered Beck's media mind is. Doesn't he at least have staff to fact check his information before he throws it out as news?

And doesn't Fox have some responsibility for the quality content of its news shows?

I don't know what Beck brings to his task. In fact, I'm not even sure of what his task is other than to attack anything remotely Democratic in anyway that he can.

His tendency towards reporting faulty information is embarrassing. As a former journalist I cringe because he's not making a good impression in the biggest way possible; broadcast media is powerful and there are literally millions of people watching or intentionally ignoring him and what he has to say every day.

I think he should be paying attention to the fact that media can break people - including him - just as easily as it can make them.

My advice: he should choose his words carefully... very carefully.