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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Picture of the Day - Fox distinguishes itself

















Would any other network (I hesitate to say "news") put a candidate's religion in their introductory fact box? At the top?

(PS. How much did the set look like a gameshow?)

7 Comments:

  • It was common many, many years ago -- pre-WW2 -- for newspapers to identify people by their ethnicity:

    "Mr. Donati, an Italian, reported an overturned cart behind his market."

    "Mrs. Hall, a black woman from Bank Village..."

    This had nothing to do with nationality or citizenship. Mr. Donati may have been third generation American. And what Mrs. Hall's skin color had to do with anything is beyond me. It simply says that at one point noting a persons' ethnicity was part of the story. It conveyed information the reader needed to get a fuller understanding of the story. It provided the reader with the "appropriate" stereotypic filter.

    In the same way, we see the right wing using religious affiliation. Sure, religious affiliation has always been part of a politicians bio, but not usually in the headline of identifying who the politician is.

    By Blogger -epm, at 9:03 AM  

  • Good point about the historical parallel.

    Beyond the weird inclusion, I was also struck that their religion was put above, you know, their careers and experience for the job of president.

    And, I couldn't find a screenshot, but the family section also pointed to Giuliani's mess referring to stepchildren.

    So, Fox puts up divisive information about two of the "liberal" candidates.

    Not that they would ever try to shape their coverage for political ends.....

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 10:48 AM  

  • "I was also struck that their religion was put above, you know, their careers and experience for the job of president."

    Yes. Exactly. Just plain weird outside of a religious broadcasting forum.

    What's next:

    "2 children from a previous marriage, 1 step child, a bastard son from a college live-in girlfriend, and an aborted baby from a high school fling."

    By Blogger -epm, at 11:22 AM  

  • That's sorta what they did to Giuliani.

    They spaced it out so the "stepchild" was prominently displayed.

    They didn't mention McCain's adopted kid(s).

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 11:29 AM  

  • I just picked up on your game show reference. My God you're right!

    It's like the middle-aged, Republican version of The Bachelor, or something. Ha! I made myself laugh...

    By Blogger -epm, at 4:19 PM  

  • I know you didn't see it on cable, but to me it looked kindof like the Weakest Link.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 6:24 PM  

  • I think that made it to broadcast TV for a very brief period.... some black-clad, severe, British dominatrix as host? Kind of like Rice but white?

    But with this crop of politicians, it might be called The Missing Link.

    By Blogger -epm, at 8:27 PM  

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