The Obama White House has shown an unprecedented willingness to attack private journalism that is not favorable toward its agenda, wasting countless tax dollars and targeting Fox News, commentators and even bloggers.

"We’re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent,” White House Communications Director Anita Dunn told CNN over the weekend. "The reality of it is that Fox News often operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party." In a media blitz against the network, Dunn also gave interviews with Time magazine and the New York Times.

Discussing his possible support for a “bailout” of the news media, Obama personally criticized bloggers. "I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding," he said. Obama’s Federal Trade Commission also announced recently that it will regulate bloggers for the first time.

In recent weeks, the administration has also been using the White House website to attack its critics, particularly Glenn Beck. “Fox News continued its disregard for the facts in an attempt to smear the Administration's efforts to win the Olympics for the United States,” read a White House “Reality Check” posting. “In the past, hosting the Olympics has been a source of pride and unity for the country, but once again Fox News' Glenn Beck program has shown that nothing is worthy of respect if it can be used as part of a partisan attack to boost ratings.”

Beck had inaccurately claimed on his show that Vancouver lost a billion dollars hosting the Olympics, which the administration pointed out would not happen until 2010. Noting that the White House attack had sent a chill down his spine, Beck apologized and admitted his mistake, clarifying that he meant to refer to Calgary, but also noting that the billion dollar estimate was well below the true figure. “I'm talking about the Olympics losing billions of dollars. I'm talking about corruption, and they are calling me out on the order of Olympic cities?” Beck said.

The White House blog also challenged the accuracy of some statements made by one of Beck’s guests. But Beck has since ridiculed the government attacks, even pretending to install a red phone for the administration to call and “correct anything on this program." He said the war on Fox was more important to the “warmonger” administration than the Afghanistan war and he even whipped out a map of New York and created a fictional government battle plan complete with toy tanks and a helicopter.

"Instead of governing, the White House continues to be in campaign mode, and Fox News is the target of their attack mentality," said Fox News senior vice-president for news Michael Clemente, also noting that the channel’s programming includes a variety of news and opinion. "Perhaps the energy would be better spent on the critical issues that voters are worried about."

Defending itself in an article entitled ‘White House Escalates War of Words With Fox News,’ the media outlet points to a study by Pew Research Center which showed that Fox presented more balanced coverage of candidates during the 2008 election than any other major cable network. Also noted was that Obama himself even joked about the overwhelming media support, saying "most of you covered me, all of you voted for me" at the White House correspondents dinner, then facetiously apologizing to Fox News.

Observers and critics have blasted Obama’s attack strategy, claiming it is inappropriate, “unpresidential,” risky and even petty. In addition, most analysts question whether it will actually work, with some speculating that “attacking the messenger” will backfire and boost critics’ ratings.

Director Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics told the AFP for an article entitled ‘White House targets Fox as it goes after press critics’ that “the world was expected to be transformed in approximately a month and it just didn't quite happen that way." So since Obama failed to live up to expectations and “the democratic base is starting to be more critical,” he may be attempting to rally his supporters with a “common enemy,” explained Sabato.

There may be another intelligent strategy at work here in playing up the spat between Fox and Obama, an ulterior effort to try to keep the spectrum of debate within limits set by the establishment. For example, Fox commentators criticize the president for failing to send enough troops fast enough to Afghanistan, making Obama’s proposals seem “moderate” while framing the debate in a context that omits the most sensible and the only constitutional option: ending the war now. The network’s criticism and exposure of the president barely scratches the surface often times.

However, there is no doubt that Beck has proved to be a thorn in Obama’s side while providing wide spread exposure to some important issues. Other Fox personalities have done some great reporting. too. And bloggers have done a fantastic job pushing for honesty in the media, expanding the range of voices and building grass roots pressure to slow the government’s agenda.

Regardless of motives, government lashing out at the media is unacceptable and should be totally off limits. The truth does not need government support. Neither the White House nor any branch or agency of government have any business or authority in going after private journalists. Rupert Murdoch’s media empire may be hyping the “war” for its own purposes, but the administration should immediately cease and desist its taxpayer funded attacks on private journalism and blogging.

Alex Newman is an American freelance writer and the president of Liberty Sentinel Media, Inc., a small media consulting firm. He is currently living in Sweden and has spent most of his life in Latin America, Europe and Africa. He has a degree in foreign languages and speaks Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian and a little Swedish and Afrikaans. In addition, he earned a degree in journalism from the University of Florida, with emphasis on economics and international relations.

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RP said:

	... That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. - Isaiah 30:9-11
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October 15, 2009
Votes: +6

AshleyAnne said:

	... Americans have the right to freedom of speech- and so does Obama. Maybe these comments will discourage news media outlets from having such biased and opinionated coverage. For more on the reaction- check out this video: http://www.newsy.com/videos/wh...n_fox_news
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October 15, 2009
Votes: -5

DDW said:

	Ahhh The "liberal" left once again shows its true self.
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October 15, 2009
Votes: +4

David B said:

	... God forbid anyone dispute the word of the "Messiah"... the Usurper in Thief!! Obama is opposed to anyone speaking the truth about his radical, Marxist revolutionary-filled administration. I'm to the point of believing that there are no Americans left in Washington. If there are, they are all too cowardly... too spineless to speak out.
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October 15, 2009
Votes: +9

Christopher Alan Butler said:

	enslaved by religion yeah yeah yeah...so our white house is corrupt, the courts are corrupt, our media is corrupt...all these institutions a was brought up to entrust so much to have been lying all along. how am i to believe that the religious institution hasn't done the same? i do not need this bandage 'round my eyes
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October 16, 2009
Votes: -4

Ellen Christine Smith said:

Opposition As a Canadian freelance journalist, of course I cannot speak to the notion of whether the White House is right and Fox News is wrong, or indeed make credible comment on whether Fox News really is an arm of the Republican Party in America. I know what the word on the street is however and will choose to keep it there, where it belongs; after all, journalism is all about maintaining credibility amidst the onslaught of information from many sources and remembering the need to stay neutral and present all sides of any issue, allowing the reader to determine the final concensus. Taking all that into consideration, let's pretend Fox News does generally represent the Republican Party's agenda and CNN the Democrat slant -- would that be such a terrible thing, provided everyone more or less knows? Putting aside the jaded perspective all politics are rampant with corruption, etc. In theory, wasn't the protection of free speech one of the major premises of America's founding fathers? Please correct me if I am wrong here. Let's add in the concept of a need for healthy opposition in governing bodies. Wasn't democracy created on the coattails of dictatorships and imperialism in Europe, whose starving majorities rebelled; some fleeing to form new nations that take up what we now know as the bulk of North America? Legally instituted, readily recognized and respected opposition. Maybe you can see where I am going here. Opposition that prevents things like oligarchies and dictatorships from forming. I challenge my southern cousins to think serioiusly about the danger any attempt to stifle voices of opposition may engender...and I leave you finally with a little story to make my point go home: Once when I was a little girl, I was teased mercilessly by a neighbour boy and asked my brother to defend me. He said something to me which spoke volumes; he told me if I argued and remonstrated the boy's comments, it would make me look guilty. He said the best defense was silence.

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October 16, 2009
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SALFLOOD said:

	GLEN BECK PROMOTES MORMON DOCTRINE Christians oppose cults ....SO why do the right wing Christians here in USA listen to the teaching of demons from the lips OF MORMON CONVERT GLEN BECK ....... http://revlu.com/mormon.htm
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October 19, 2009 | url
Votes: -2

Pico RG said:

Spit house Its more of a spit house than White house. So many Americans from USA expect so much from one man that is elected so even if he could fly they would not be satisfied. But really he can't work for you. That is for what FBI is made. To fill the gap that most USA people don't do with their work. If you didn't noticed these people steal and ruin other people's property. Evil is always so 60's and these people from Pentagon are dead ones who believe that only their animal instict will save them.

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October 30, 2009 | url
Votes: +0