Today marks our fourth anniversary of reporting on North Jersey politics. We are thankful for all of those who read us, share our stories, commnet and donate so that we can keep providing an independent news site covering the Garden State operating.
For those of us who cherish straight news, something we strive to provide, it has been a disheartening week.
It started with the revelations from the Fox News depositions in regards to the Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit. Let us state clearly: we have political ideological differences (as we do with MSNBC and CNN) but at one time it did provide a needed counterbalance from a conservative perspective.
But along the way it became the propaganda machine for what was the far right but has now become the mainstream for the Republicans party. We are not surprised that the Tucker Carlsons, the Sean Hannitys and the Laura Ingrahams of the world went on their shows and promoted a pro-Trump agenda after the 2020 Presidential election that they knew was wrong. They are not news people, they are commenters, opinion broadcasters.
But it is the action that Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch, owner of the channel and other conservative outlets, did in the lead up to the election that forever removes any credibility the channel will have until new ownership and management is in place.
Under oath, Murdoch confirmed that he gave Jared Kushner “confidential information” about then-candidate Joe Biden’s ads “along with debate strategy” in 2020, a filing said, offering Donald Trump’s son-in-law “a preview of Biden’s ads before they were public.” Plus they gave air and encouraged the GOP’s attack on the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election even though they knew it was false.
And Murdoch told Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott to “concentrate on Georgia” when the state was holding a high-stakes special election that would decide the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, instructing her to be “helping any way we can.”
The revelations about Fox News stains all of journalism and makes it harder for journalists of all types to do their jobs. The trust factor is eroded for many; some will believe this ethical breach is done by everyone and is no big deal. The latter makes the job harder for every journalist and you the informed citizen.
The revelations about how Fox unethically does business with Republicans makes it more stinging that NJ.com/Star Ledger closing its Washington, D.C. bureau and letting go of respected reporter Jonathan D. Salant. NJ.com pulling out of Washington leaves our nation’s capitol without a dedicated reporter covering the New Jersey delegation. That 15 bipartisan person delegation came together, minus Rep. Jeff Van Drew, to denounce the move and explain what a key role journalism and reporting plays in our democracy.
“This action will immediately leave millions of New Jerseyans with no first-hand access to the issues being debated in Congress or to information about how actions taken by federal agencies specifically affect our state,” they wrote. “The authors of this letter have different political ideologies, but this is one issue we agree on – we oppose the decision to close the Washington bureau. Our constituents rely on this coverage to be informed participants in our democracy.”
Journalism today has both a credibility and coverage crisis. They are truly intertwined. We are trying to bridge that gap, writing news stories that attempt to give perspective from both Republicans and Democrats. And we make sure our opinion pieces are clearly notified.
So thank you for supporting us the last three years. We will work harder than ever to provide the news stories that block out extremists and report on those offering centrist solutions. That is our mission and pledge to North Jersey residents.
That’s been obvious for years.
What do consider fair and balanced news?
So MSNBC and CNN are journalists? You got to be kidding. It is too bad judges did not allow the court case to be heard. So no one knows the truth unless the evidence was presented. Personally, I have seen some shady elections where I live in a blue state. However, the problem could be solved with voter ID.
So Fox’s people aren’t journalists, unlike Chris Cuomo, Don Lemon, Joy Reed and Brian Stelter to name a few.
Omg talk about the pot calling the kettle black. North Jersey news is easily one of the most biased hyper partisan outfits in the country. A lot of the articles come across like a shrieking hyper partisan lunatic is writing them.
New Jersey is one of the least free, highly taxed and regulated states in the entire country. And the people at North Jersey news think that this is all just fine; that Murphy is doing his best.
New Jersey is a failed state by every measure. The founding fathers of this country would be ashamed of themselves to find a disgrace like the state of New Jersey.
And the state media outfit NJ news functions like Pravda and cheerleads for every liberal progressive boondoggle
WHAT!! Now that’s be an Oxymorones, since Journalism’s & their Journalist’s have altered New’s since before the Times!! Well now, how does they Propose to start to Clean-Up their Act’s.. Way back in the early 60’s & at the height of the Cold-War’s,, Many journalist’s had Moonlited as CIA in the guise!! AND; Their reportings were then of a Dubious nature, always following strict Protocol’s set down by that agency & Gov’t!! LOOK; In those Immortal Word’s of,” William Randolph Hearst, the Creator of News” ,he said, “” When there is NO-New’s, then go Out and Make News.”” I liked it so much before, when all those News Anchor’s sat around their Mic’s & began to Interpret what the President had said & other elected officials. In short, they were putting Words into other People’s Mouth’s; Now what Kind of Journalism does one Call that!!//
The blind ignorance required to write this op-ed is fascinating to behold.
CNN and MSNBC have promoted the following lies, disinformation and dangerous conspiracy theories:
1. Trump colluded with Russia to get elected.
2. Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation.
3. Russia paid “bounties” for deaths of US soldiers in Afghanistan.
4. The possibility of the Wuhan Lab Leak was a right-wing conspiracy theory.
5. Trump called Neo-Nazis “fine people”.
That’s just 5 out of dozens of false narratives and Democrat talking points pushed by these outlets.
And you say that if the media coordinates with politicians they’re no longer journalists? How about the time John Harwood colluded with the Clinton campaign before he moderated a presidential debate? or how about when Chris Cuomo coordinated with his brother, the governor of NY, on how to respond to sexual assault allegations?
Of course, you sweep all this under the rug since it doesn’t fit your own false narrative that Fox News is some kind of outlier and needs to be treated differently.
If you were honest, you would admit that you are Democrat lapdogs and regularly push talking points that come straight from the DNC. Want an example?
Opinion: Finding the Balance as History is Revised, published Oct 2021, promoted the false narrative that Republicans who are trying to stop CRT, “make the unfounded claims that racial issues being taught in schools include that all White people, even today, are oppressors.”
There are literally hundreds of examples of exactly this being taught in public schools all over the country. Here is some evidence for you:
1. Los Angeles Public Schools Host Critical Race Theorist To ‘Challenge Whiteness’ While Saying They Aren’t Teaching Critical Race Theory (Nov 2021) https://thefederalist.com/2021/11/30/los-angeles-public-schools-host-critical-race-theorist-to-challenge-whiteness-while-saying-they-arent-teaching-critical-race-theory/
2. Whistleblower Teacher from Englewood, NJ Reports Being Forced to teach that White people must think of themselves as “oppressors” (Jun 2021) https://www.fair-for-all.org/profiles-in-courage/dwight-englewood-whistleblower/
3. Rhode Island Middle School Teacher Faces Retaliation After Reporting on New Curriculum That Teaches “White Europeans are evil and oppress African Americans” https://legalinsurrection.com/2021/10/im-a-middle-school-teacher-facing-retaliation-after-blowing-the-whistle-on-critical-race-curriculum/
But you won’t retract that op-ed or even admit you were wrong because you’re not journalists. You’re propagandists and you’re just jealous that Fox is more popular than the outlets you support, which is why you attack Fox and ignore lies that are just as bad or worse from liberal media.
“Journalists cannot serve two masters. To the extent that they take on the task of suppressing information or biting their tongue for the sake of some political agenda, they are betraying the trust of the public and corrupting their own profession.” – Thomas Sowell