Comments on: Very sorry for the Sparkman family – not so much for my post on Sparkman’s death

By: shawngilbreath

shawngilbreath — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:18:04 +0000

Sorry about dragging up a perfectly dead piece, but school has kept me busy, and I just now checked in. I was actually directing my comments to James 75, not you Rick. I agree though, if I had gotten that impression about you, I would definitely need to re-read the article. Probably get checked for brain damage too.

By: Stephen R. Stapleton

Stephen R. Stapleton — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:03:46 +0000

Sometimes, one can best be evaluated by who counts themselves your opponent. If Glen Beck doesn’t like your writing, that counts as a plus to me. You must be doing something right if you have so enraged the right-wing, nut-case blogosphere.

By: Rick Ungar

Rick Ungar — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:05:48 +0000

My goodness! I think you need to re-read the piece! I’ve been accused of many things but never of being a Fox fan! Indeed, they were one of the news organizations who attacked me on the piece I had initially written. Take another look (and check out the original piece entitled “Send the Body to Glenn Beck”)

By: shawngilbreath

shawngilbreath — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:06:51 +0000

Where to start? We could begin with the Fox inspired reasoning that these people are commentators, not journalists. I would back that one. The difference is, they would have to stay commentators. Therein lies the “Fox” difference. Fox will infer that their talking heads are journalists until someone calls them out on it, and then they become commentators with opinion shows. Once things settle down, they will go back to being journalists. Or at least letting people think they are.

Next up, let’s run with your point about the Fox “News” team being talked about on these opinion shows. You see it as a mark of being unprofessional, that by not talking about whatever it is you seem to think the issues are, they are failing to do their job. I contend that Fox’s commentators are part of the issues, not through merit, but through their insistence to say the craziest, most asinine things in an attempt to stir controversy. If Olbermann was there for hard news, talking about Beck’s latest break down would be uncalled for. As a commentator with an obvious agenda though, it would be strange for him to not talk about it.

I suppose my real point is that you are obviously a Fox fan, with all the baggage that implies. Fair enough. I just wonder why, when the people you look to for your news constantly insert themselves into the stories they are supposed to be covering, you can still act shocked when other talking heads bring it up. Yeah it happens. It doesn’t mean they are unprofessional and it doesn’t mean they are automatically wrong. Nice try though.

By: Rick Ungar

Rick Ungar — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:25:48 +0000

fear not!

By: misterb

misterb — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:15:47 +0000

Rick,
On the one hand, you have the Big Lie -> tell an obvious falsehood so often that people start to believe it. On the other hand, you have the Tiny Truth -> find one completely insignificant error, whether untrue or just debatable, and turn that in to a negation of an actual truth.
Unfortunately, in these Internet days, the Tiny Truth has become the modus operandi of the echo chamber.
In this case, your condemnation of a style of rhetoric has been Tiny Truthed by the sentence you self-quote above. Stand tall, bro!

By: Rick Ungar

Rick Ungar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:23:08 +0000

You’re absolutely right. I was so stunned that anyone would suggest that Fox News ‘focuses on issues and upholds their professionalism’ that I could barely see let alone make out ‘rarely’ from ‘never.’ So, there is something for which I will apologize for.

By: james75

james75 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:10:45 +0000

Hence the word “rarely”

By: Rick Ungar

Rick Ungar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:03:05 +0000

Not to worry. I got that it wasn’t a compliment. But I’m not sure I would agree that the folks at Fox News never have anything bad to say about Olbermann, et al.
And Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.

By: james75

james75 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:46:33 +0000

It’s quite humurous to see grown adults act like children. So-called professional journalists such as Keith Olberman, Rachel Maddow, Norah O’Donnel, etc. like to say ridiculous things regarding Beck, O’Reilly…well pretty much anyone who works at Fox News. But I rarely hear the people at Fox News mention any of these people. So one side of the debate focuses on issues and upholds their professionalism while the other side…well, they’re like Rick Ungar. Just to clarify to Mr. Ungar (because he might not understand) that’s not a compliment. Otherwise, Happy Thanksgiving.