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By Self-made screencap., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40168267

It happened again: One of Fox News’s most miserable buggers has been elevated to prime time and the MSM is buzzing! OMG! Those rascally rascals over there at the Murdoch horror show! What’ll they do to top whatever it was that set the press off the last time—set up torture chambers for the libtard snowflakes? With a live audience? Ooooo, juicy!

A Fox employee named Jesse Watters has just been elevated to a primetime slot, and the MSM is all over it. (I would provide links but there are way too many.) This is the same guy who, among other cries for attention, called for the murder of Dr. Fauci (but in such a clever way it was bound to make the news:)

Watters is no stranger to controversy. Most recently, Dr. Anthony Fauci called for Watters to be fired after Watters’ comments at a conservative conference, urging people to accost Fauci with ambush interviews over COVID-19.

Watters said, “Now you go in for the kill shot. The kill shot? With an ambush? Deadly. Because he doesn't see it coming.”

That’s an excerpt from an article I read this morning on the Poynter Institute website.

Yes, Poynter.

Poynter advertises itself this way:

What we do:

Through the work of the Center, journalism can evolve its values and the public will better understand how those values impact their everyday lives, building practices of mutual trust and transparency. We:

Provide custom advice and training to professional newsrooms on stories and policies.
Advance the ethical standards that guide professional news organizations.
Work with citizens and journalists to identify issues where journalism can better serve its audience.
Host gatherings where journalists and experts can exchange ideas.
Sponsor research into building trust in news and the democratic process.

I’ve followed Poynter since their early days, when I first began opinionating and wanted to make sure I was following at least the basic journalistic standards. They were my guiding light. I’m sure they believe their own hype—and if they’re still doing good work, I’m happy for that. But giving Fox News’s hiring practices top billing on their website tells me they’ve succumbed: Fox News is now ranked as ‘journalism’. At the Poynter Institute.

Something else: Poynter has teamed up with—are you ready?—The Charles Koch Institute. And they’re proud of it.

Per Poynter’s Ethics Policy, Poynter maintains editorial independence regarding curriculum and content. The media and journalism fellowship relationship between Poynter and the Charles Koch Institute is a teaching partnership. A list of Poynter’s largest funders and teaching partners can be found here.

Maybe it’s on the up-and-up— I don’t know what that even means anymore—but a serious journalistic ethics foundation has some ‘splainin’ to do when they team up with the likes of Koch.

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But back to the article: While the writer makes a lame attempt at smacking hands over there at MAGALAND—and I do mean ‘lame’—he chooses to end it this way:

Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement, “Jesse’s versatility and hosting acumen has grown exponentially over the last five years, and he has developed a deep connection to the audience through two hit shows ‘The Five’ and ‘Watters’ World.’ We look forward to watching him expand his connection even further through this new solo weeknight hour.”
Watters said he was “thrilled” and “grateful.”
Watters’ new show debuts Jan. 24.

I repeat, I’m not a journalist, but if I were I hope to hell I’d see that for what it is: A big old “Welcome to the Club. Here’s your membership card. Don’t make us sorry”.

But there’s more. In the next segment, Speaking of Fox News…, Poynter writer Tom Jones goes on to talk about Greg Gutfeld, Fox’s late-night talk-show host:

Washington Post feature writer Manuel Roig-Franzia has a new piece out about Fox News’ late-night talk-show host Greg Gutfeld: “Greg Gutfeld has risen to the top at Fox News — and that’s no joke.”

Aside from being “new,” the piece also could be described as rather generous to Gutfeld. Media Matters for America’s Eric Kleefeld called it “glowing.”

“Rather generous to Gutfeld…” is rather mealy-mouthed and damned infuriating, but Jones does manage to tsk-tsk the goings-on over there at ‘FOX NEWS’—as if he had just discovered a few things he hadn’t seen before:

But if you watch his late-night show, Gutfeld comes off more mean-spirited, with an agenda more than just a right-winger who is teasing the left with good-natured pokes. It’s much more dangerous, dishonest and insidious than that. Gutfeld follows Fox News’ playbook of chipping away and delegitimizing real issues — systemic racism, for example. In other words, Gutfeld’s “comedy” show isn’t much different than many of Fox News’ other shows, except it mixes in a few cringe-worthy jokes.

Aha! YES! “Dangerous!” “Dishonest!” “Insidious!” Now we’re getting somewhere!

But Jones wants to be fair:

To be fair, Roig-Franzia writes, “Far from mimicking the deadly serious voice of Fox News stalwarts, such as Hannity, Carlson and Laura Ingraham, ‘Gutfeld!,’ which airs weeknights at 11 p.m. on the East Coast, is banging many of the same topics, but with an irreverent tone.”

But irreverent does not equal less threatening.

Uh huh. Okay. What does? What does equal less threatening? Huh?

Alas, Jones has run out of space. He ends the piece:

Perhaps beside the point, I ask this with all sincerity: Despite its solid ratings, does anyone actually find this show funny? It’s one thing to do political comedy, but shouldn’t it at least be funny even if it is partisan? Roig-Franzia mentions that Gutfeld might be the right’s version of Jon Stewart, who hosted “The Daily Show.” (Trevor Noah is now host.) And while there very well might be a need for a conservative comedy show, Gutfeld falls short of “The Daily Show” because his show is missing two key things that “The Daily Show” has always had: cleverness and, most importantly, humor.

I know it’s not just me. I know I’m not the only one who sees Fox News as a major obstacle to the future of our democracy. It can’t be that the press is willing to give them a pass, if only they’ll come around and see the light.

Or at least be clever and funny.

They’re all doing it: The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, NBC, ABC, CBS, NPR—even C-Span. And now Poynter. Every time they show us what’s happening at Fox News they give them credibility. Fox News matters. That’s what they’re telling us.

They’re holding their noses and giving Fox News a seat at the table, because without them news cycles would be less interesting. They might even be boring. And the 2022 version of journalistic ethics says they simply can’t have that.

(Cross-posted at my sister publication, Constant Commoner)

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Can we talk about this? I’m seething here. Either talk me up or talk me down, but give this some attention. This is happening. The mainstream press is not just normalizing Fox, they’re giving them room at the podium. They may be booing in the audience, but they’re shining light on everything they do—not to expose them, but to provide themselves copy that sells.

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