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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/10/bowe-bergdahl-fox-news-experts
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Bowe Bergdahl is Fox News' perfect villain for the propaganda machine | Bowe Bergdahl is Fox News' perfect villain for the propaganda machine |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Booking | Booking |
| guests for cable news can be a taxing job. You're underpaid, | guests for cable news can be a taxing job. You're underpaid, |
| overworked and constantly on deadline. It's no surprise, then, that most bookers | overworked and constantly on deadline. It's no surprise, then, that most bookers |
| form a symbiotic relationship with PR people, "fixers" who specialize in | form a symbiotic relationship with PR people, "fixers" who specialize in |
| connecting producers with the right expert, in possession of the right | connecting producers with the right expert, in possession of the right |
| point-of-view, right away. The pitfall, of course, is that when someone is | point-of-view, right away. The pitfall, of course, is that when someone is |
| desperate to go on television, it's usually a safe bet that they have an axe to | desperate to go on television, it's usually a safe bet that they have an axe to |
| grind. Ideally, the booking producer acts as a gatekeeper, to filter out those who are | grind. Ideally, the booking producer acts as a gatekeeper, to filter out those who are |
| pushing an agenda. | pushing an agenda. |
| There's no such filter at Fox News | There's no such filter at Fox News |
| Channel, where pundits are not only | Channel, where pundits are not only |
| allowed to push an agenda but are very much expected to do so. Guests at Fox are booked | allowed to push an agenda but are very much expected to do so. Guests at Fox are booked |
| specifically to advance the latest anti-government narrative – be it Obamacare | specifically to advance the latest anti-government narrative – be it Obamacare |
| or Benghazi, the Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy or now the released Sergeant Bowe | or Benghazi, the Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy or now the released Sergeant Bowe |
| Bergdahl ... or on some nights, all of the above. | Bergdahl ... or on some nights, all of the above. |
| I say this as someone who spent the | I say this as someone who spent the |
| better part of Obama's first term tracking down guests for the O'Reilly Factor: when you're a guest on Fox, having an | better part of Obama's first term tracking down guests for the O'Reilly Factor: when you're a guest on Fox, having an |
| axe to grind is kind of the whole point. | axe to grind is kind of the whole point. |
| One of the driving forces behind Fox's all-out, week-and-a-half-long campaign | One of the driving forces behind Fox's all-out, week-and-a-half-long campaign |
| to paint Bergdahl as a traitor is reportedly the PR firm run | to paint Bergdahl as a traitor is reportedly the PR firm run |
| by Richard Grenell, a GOP operative who worked for the George W Bush White House and Mitt Romney campaign – | by Richard Grenell, a GOP operative who worked for the George W Bush White House and Mitt Romney campaign – |
| and a Fox News contributor. Grenell has been busily connecting | and a Fox News contributor. Grenell has been busily connecting |
| soldiers from Bergdahl’s unit ("pro bono", as if that mattered) with | soldiers from Bergdahl’s unit ("pro bono", as if that mattered) with |
| media organizations, most of | media organizations, most of |
| which have included disclaimer that the interviews were facilitated | which have included disclaimer that the interviews were facilitated |
| by “strategists”. | by “strategists”. |
| But in Week Two of Bergdahl-gazi, Fox has apparently decided that disseminating | But in Week Two of Bergdahl-gazi, Fox has apparently decided that disseminating |
| the propaganda is more important than informing viewers about the identity of | the propaganda is more important than informing viewers about the identity of |
| those pushing it. | those pushing it. |
| Case in point: Josh Cornelison, a medic | Case in point: Josh Cornelison, a medic |
| who served alongside Bergdahl, went | who served alongside Bergdahl, went |
| on Fox News Sunday to declare that "the American people need to be educated that Bowe | on Fox News Sunday to declare that "the American people need to be educated that Bowe |
| Berdgahl is not a hero". But host Chris Wallace | Berdgahl is not a hero". But host Chris Wallace |
| made no mention that the soldier – the same one with whom the New York Times arranged an | made no mention that the soldier – the same one with whom the New York Times arranged an |
| interview by way of those "Republican strategists" – also | interview by way of those "Republican strategists" – also |
| happened to be employed by his network. | happened to be employed by his network. |
| No one is saying that the opinions of | No one is saying that the opinions of |
| the Bergdahl's fellow soldiers should be discounted simply because they've | the Bergdahl's fellow soldiers should be discounted simply because they've |
| affiliated themselves with a partisan minder, but it's information that | affiliated themselves with a partisan minder, but it's information that |
| Wallace's viewers deserve to have. | Wallace's viewers deserve to have. |
| I consider Wallace a serious and | I consider Wallace a serious and |
| generally tough journalist who should know better – when I was at Fox, he had a | generally tough journalist who should know better – when I was at Fox, he had a |
| reputation for pushing back against the company line, and refusing to get | reputation for pushing back against the company line, and refusing to get |
| involved in the blatant partisanship that the rest of the anchors casually trafficked | involved in the blatant partisanship that the rest of the anchors casually trafficked |
| in – so it was surprising to see him so credulous. | in – so it was surprising to see him so credulous. |
| Now I have no such lofty expectations | Now I have no such lofty expectations |
| about Sean Hannity, and true to form, he did not disappoint. On | about Sean Hannity, and true to form, he did not disappoint. On |
| Saturday night he hosted a hastily-put-together special on Bergdahl, | Saturday night he hosted a hastily-put-together special on Bergdahl, |
| featuring a panel of no less | featuring a panel of no less |
| than 15 regular Fox | than 15 regular Fox |
| contributors, pundits and guests, all of whom – including Grenell himself in the front row – were arrayed on bleachers facing | contributors, pundits and guests, all of whom – including Grenell himself in the front row – were arrayed on bleachers facing |
| him like the world's saddest pep rally audience "to help us investigate". | him like the world's saddest pep rally audience "to help us investigate". |
| Hannity started the show with a quick survey of the panel: | Hannity started the show with a quick survey of the panel: |
| I have | I have |
| interviewed many of those that served with Sergeant Bergdahl. Every one of | interviewed many of those that served with Sergeant Bergdahl. Every one of |
| those says he was a deserter, and maybe worse. How many think maybe worse? | those says he was a deserter, and maybe worse. How many think maybe worse? |
| About two-thirds of the panel raised | About two-thirds of the panel raised |
| their hand, as did the host himself. | their hand, as did the host himself. |
| "Wow," Hannity exclaimed, seemingly shocked that his hard-working booker's hand-picked | "Wow," Hannity exclaimed, seemingly shocked that his hard-working booker's hand-picked |
| panel of Bergdahl detractors would somehow believe the worst about the soldier. | panel of Bergdahl detractors would somehow believe the worst about the soldier. |
| The "wow" was | The "wow" was |
| noticeably absent on Monday, when a neighbor of the two white supremacists | noticeably absent on Monday, when a neighbor of the two white supremacists |
| accused of shooting police in Las Vegas claimed they bragged about having visited the Bundy ranch. (Bundy's son said they'd been kicked out.) | accused of shooting police in Las Vegas claimed they bragged about having visited the Bundy ranch. (Bundy's son said they'd been kicked out.) |
| Could Hannity's weeks-long lionization of Bundy | Could Hannity's weeks-long lionization of Bundy |
| and his "revolution" have inspired two unstable "patriots" to go on an | and his "revolution" have inspired two unstable "patriots" to go on an |
| anti-authoritarian shooting spree? There's certainly a stronger case to be made | anti-authoritarian shooting spree? There's certainly a stronger case to be made |
| for that scenario than there is for the specific soldier deaths for which some on | for that scenario than there is for the specific soldier deaths for which some on |
| the right are blaming Bergdahl – a claim even Fox | the right are blaming Bergdahl – a claim even Fox |
| News' own reporting is casting doubt upon. | News' own reporting is casting doubt upon. |
| Fox switches whip to different dead horse: "Obamacare" mentions fall to 184 as "Benghazi" crescendo rises to 1132. pic.twitter.com/BsigXiwsZZ | Fox switches whip to different dead horse: "Obamacare" mentions fall to 184 as "Benghazi" crescendo rises to 1132. pic.twitter.com/BsigXiwsZZ |
| Fox's latest foray into the fever swamp | Fox's latest foray into the fever swamp |
| is not unexpected – it's been a rough couple of months for the network. As a diversion from the | is not unexpected – it's been a rough couple of months for the network. As a diversion from the |
| growing success of the Affordable Care Act, Fox switched to Plan B: shouting "Benghazi" as loudly | growing success of the Affordable Care Act, Fox switched to Plan B: shouting "Benghazi" as loudly |
| and frequently as possible. | and frequently as possible. |
| Despite hours of airtime, desperate | Despite hours of airtime, desperate |
| flailing from the usual suspects and breathless teasing of a "smoking gun" email, Americans | flailing from the usual suspects and breathless teasing of a "smoking gun" email, Americans |
| weren't buying it: a poll last week found that Fox, even with all its hyperventilating, has been unable to move the needle – the same | weren't buying it: a poll last week found that Fox, even with all its hyperventilating, has been unable to move the needle – the same |
| percentage of people doubt the administration on Benghazi as they did a year | percentage of people doubt the administration on Benghazi as they did a year |
| ago. | ago. |
| Next came | Next came |
| Bundy, a states-rights hero and a symbol of liberty and the Second Amendment who appeared on the network so | Bundy, a states-rights hero and a symbol of liberty and the Second Amendment who appeared on the network so |
| many times it seemed he was days away from being handed Greta Van | many times it seemed he was days away from being handed Greta Van |
| Susteren's time slot. | Susteren's time slot. |
| Then he had to ruin everything by going on a rant about "the Negro" in | Then he had to ruin everything by going on a rant about "the Negro" in |
| front of a New York Times reporter. | front of a New York Times reporter. |
| With the | With the |
| entire network slowly slinking away from the unrepentantly racist Bundy, the | entire network slowly slinking away from the unrepentantly racist Bundy, the |
| outrage machine was in need of something new to stoke it. And | outrage machine was in need of something new to stoke it. And |
| as Bill O'Reilly was fond of pointing out during my time at Fox,the only thing that drives more viewers than | as Bill O'Reilly was fond of pointing out during my time at Fox,the only thing that drives more viewers than |
| a hero ... is a villain. | a hero ... is a villain. |
| And Bergdahl makes for a surprisingly | And Bergdahl makes for a surprisingly |
| good villain. There is the email | good villain. There is the email |
| he wrote that he was "ashamed to even be [A]merican]", the video of him performing | he wrote that he was "ashamed to even be [A]merican]", the video of him performing |
| ballet, a father with a beard that O'Reilly says "looks like a Muslim". Add these | ballet, a father with a beard that O'Reilly says "looks like a Muslim". Add these |
| to Obama vouching for him, | to Obama vouching for him, |
| and Bergdahl never had a chance: Fox | and Bergdahl never had a chance: Fox |
| viewers and hosts alike generally love soldiers, but Bergdahl just didn't fit | viewers and hosts alike generally love soldiers, but Bergdahl just didn't fit |
| the mold. He was an independent thinker who dared to question his insane | the mold. He was an independent thinker who dared to question his insane |
| circumstances – in the eyes of Fox, that's traitorous in and | circumstances – in the eyes of Fox, that's traitorous in and |
| of itself. | of itself. |
| Now, as the | Now, as the |
| White House tries to control the message by trotting out military officials of its | White House tries to control the message by trotting out military officials of its |
| own, all of Fox's | own, all of Fox's |
| favorite friends seem to be colliding at once: Hillary Clinton's book is | favorite friends seem to be colliding at once: Hillary Clinton's book is |
| raising new questions about Obamacare, Benghazi and Bergdahl ... who still dominated Fox's primetime shows on Monday. ("That is our focus tonight," Hannity said.) As for the militia-loving, white | raising new questions about Obamacare, Benghazi and Bergdahl ... who still dominated Fox's primetime shows on Monday. ("That is our focus tonight," Hannity said.) As for the militia-loving, white |
| supremacist disciples of Cliven Bundy, whose alleged shooting spree can arguably be traced | |
| to Fox's doorstep? I think the bookers are mostly going to leave that one | to Fox's doorstep? I think the bookers are mostly going to leave that one |
| alone. | alone. |