November 1, 2003
(Los Angeles Times)
Tim Rutten:
Regarding Media
Miles from 'fair and balanced'
A veteran producer this week alleged that Fox News executives issue a daily memorandum to staff on news coverage to bend the network'sreporting into conformity with management's political views, refocusing attention on the partisan bias of America's most watched cable news operation.
The charges by Charlie Reina, 55, whose six-year tenure at Fox ended April 9, first surfaced Wednesday in a letter he posted on an influential Web site (www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45) maintained by Jim Romenesko for the Poynter Institute, an organization that promotes journalistic education and ethics.
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Looking back on his time with Fox, his greatest concern is for its young staff. "Many of them wanted to be on television but not necessarily in news. They haven't had the benefit of traditional journalistic training, so they're easily molded.
"Time after time I watched what management's politics did to the young anchors. As they near the time to get their own show, the hair gets blonder and the bias gets clearer."
http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/cl-et-rutten1nov01,1,234902.column?coll=la-headlines-lifestyle(This more on the "The Memo" story- lots of fun new details.)