Column: What I learned from watching Fox News after the New Orleans terrorist attack
As someone who has spent most of my life immersed in the world of news and current events, I must say that my recent experience watching Fox News was both shocking and disheartening. Growing up, I always thought of Fox as a reliable source for information and analysis, but the network I saw on New Year’s Day was unrecognizable from the one I remembered.
I have worked in law enforcement myself, so I understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality when it comes to investigations. However, the suggestion made by former San Bernardino County sheriff’s Deputy Meagan McCarthy that the American public should be allowed to “be a part of the investigation” is not only irresponsible but also dangerous.
It seems that Fox News has abandoned its slogan of “We report, you decide,” and instead opted for one that more accurately reflects their current state: “We whine, you believe.” The frothing, paranoid, vengeful rhetoric I witnessed on the network was not aimed at informing viewers but rather at inflaming them.
The fact that Fox News was the highest-rated cable network for the ninth consecutive year is a testament to the fact that too many Americans have decided that this whine-world is reality, and have voted into office fellow true believers. I cannot help but wonder what the next four years will bring if this trend continues.
On a lighter note, I guess we can take comfort in the knowledge that at least Fox News has finally figured out a way to make money off of shoplifting. Who knows, maybe they’ll start airing live coverage of every petty theft in the country!
Every New Year’s Day, I typically start off by watching the Rose Parade on Channel 5. Later in the day, I shift my focus to college football games. This is one of those rare days where I genuinely make an effort to unwind and refrain from working, which is quite challenging for me.
Sadly, that’s not how I began my 2025.
This morning, I learned that a supporter of ISIS had rammed a truck onto Bourbon Street in New Orleans, resulting in the death of 14 individuals and injuring numerous others earlier today. Later on, I received a text from a relative assuring they were safe following an explosion involving a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.
Whenever major national incidents occur, I swiftly tune into CNN, a cable network known for its unmatched team of reporters stationed at the scene. Their approach is fact-focused, with anchors and commentators keeping opinions and speculations to a minimum, providing an authoritative tone instead. On Wednesday, as I attempted to comprehend the distressing events marking the beginning of the new year, I found myself glued to it, rather than parades or football strategies.
Perhaps it was the lingering effects of the previous night’s celebrations or maybe I had eaten too many breakfast tamales, causing me to feel quite full. Regardless, I found myself switching from my usual CNN channel to one that I don’t often watch.
Fox News.
World & Nation
Federal authorities have stated that the New Orleans attacker operated independently, however, they are investigating potential connections to the explosion of a Cybertruck in Las Vegas.
I don’t confine myself to a liberal echo chamber. I regularly tune into Ben Shapiro’s and Rep. Dan Crenshaw’s podcasts, receive numerous conservative newsletters that span from libertarian to white nationalist perspectives, and subscribe to traditional Catholic publications like The Wanderer and New Oxford Review. My right-leaning acquaintances enjoy engaging me in debates because they recognize I’m not a rigid ideologue. For quite some time, I have followed the surge of pro-Trump Latinos in this context, and I’ve frequently cautioned liberals against disregarding or mocking Republicans at their own risk.
A prudent U.S. citizen considers multiple perspectives and forms their own opinions, just as one would verify their mother’s affection. For this reason, Fox News has never resonated with me.
Over time, a procession of inflammatory television hosts such as Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, and Bill O’Reilly have contributed to the deterioration of public discussions, much like rust gradually destroying a sink. I prefer unbiased analysis rather than emotional commentary when it comes to critical news events, which is why I seldom tune into MSNBC. Moreover, my television viewing has consistently been focused on local channels – Channel 5 in the morning, KCAL-TV Channel 9’s evening three-hour news block, and finally, the nightly half-hour newscast on KNBC-TV Channel 4.
I’m open-minded enough to explore things I disagree with. I didn’t regret my choice to tune into Fox News on New Year’s Day, as it served as a wake-up call, highlighting the polluted information network that helped elect Donald Trump, establish a majority in both Congress houses, and portray critics like me as adversaries.
For a stretch of four hours, I tuned in to Fox News, where Kayleigh McEnany (a former White House press secretary under Donald Trump), Tammy Bruce, and Trace Gallagher took turns on air. The broadcasts began with updates on the tragic attacks, sharing what information was available at that moment and displaying footage of press conferences by the agencies involved in the investigations. These brief segments, at least, gave an illusion of impartiality – a claim to “fair and balanced” reporting that Fox News has frequently made.
However, when Fox News invited its commentators on air, their programs began to mirror the extreme perspective currently shaping the nation’s viewpoint.
One by one, visitors accused the FBI of prioritizing diversity programs and investigating the Capitol insurrection on January 6th over preventing terrorist attacks, instead. Phrases unrelated to the actual crimes were thrown about like scattered confetti: Antifa, open borders, law enforcement detractors, and the radical left.
As a movie buff putting things into perspective, I’ve noticed that McEnany, Bruce, and Gallagher didn’t directly suggest that the attacker had just stepped foot in our nation, contrary to what Trump and their network initially suggested. Instead, they persistently labeled the perpetrator as an “American citizen,” which seemed almost disbelieving given his unique name, Shamsud-Din Jabbar. Interestingly, this term wasn’t used on Fox News when referring to Matthew Livelsberger, the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion suspect, according to a review of transcripts.
Jim Hanson, formerly of the Green Berets, criticized President Biden as someone showing signs of dementia and appearing lifeless. Jessica Milan Patterson, chair of California’s Republican Party, urged for the swift confirmation of all Trump’s nominees to facilitate the incoming president’s plans more effectively. Aaron Cohen, a commentator on counterterrorism, linked a pro-Palestinian rally in Times Square with the New Orleans incident that day, stating that such events should not be stopped because they may lead to similar occurrences.
The Fox News that I recall was quite intense: Fervent, apprehensive, vindictive. It seemed more intent on stirring up its audience than providing factual information.
Politics
Although an American citizen was responsible for the deadly attack on Bourbon Street, some experts suggest that the incoming president may capitalize on this incident by falsely accusing immigrants and Islam of being behind the New Year’s Day violence.
However, it was ex-Deputy Meagan McCarthy from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office who delivered the most extraordinary comments. Previously, Fox News had published and subsequently retracted a story suggesting that the truck used in the tragic incident had entered the U.S. from Mexico a few days prior. This false report sparked a flurry of calls for closing the southern border, with Trump himself taking to social media to assert that “the individuals entering are far more dangerous than those currently residing within our nation.
In an interview, Gallagher featured New Orleans-based Republican Representative Steve Scalise who cited the initial border crossing assertion by Fox News.
Gallagher mentioned to McCarthy, “We’re uncertain about the cause, and we haven’t found a connection yet. We’re not accusing anyone, but we find it intriguing that we’ve reached this stage.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” she replied. “And two things can be true at the same time. You can have an individual who was infiltrated while he was an American citizen, and you can have a problem at the southern border that maybe influenced this attack.”
This is why McCarthy proposed that the FBI involve the general public in their investigations – an idea I find unlikely that she would have endorsed during her time as a sheriff’s deputy.
She remarked, “Given your role in law enforcement, you might prefer to keep certain information confidential.” However, considering the turmoil at our southern border over the past four years, it seems reasonable to suggest a connection exists.
In retrospect, Gallagher referenced a law enforcement official who had commented earlier in the day. He stated that focusing on petty offenses like shoplifting made it more challenging for them to pursue the real culprits – the major criminals.
McCarthy agreed.
In my days as an officer, I’d perform traffic stops to uncover moving violations which often led to discovering larger crimes,” she explained, then continued, “It’s time we return to our duty of protecting people, rather than fearing offense. This begins by engaging in difficult discussions and speaking harsh truths.
Moving from shoplifting at a local drugstore to acts of terrorism in New Orleans – this was a former tagline for Fox News. Their old motto was “We report, you decide.” With its ratings reaching a decade-high and being the top-rated cable network for nine years straight, it seems that an alarming number of Americans have started to perceive the world as portrayed on Fox News and have elected officials who share similar views.
Buckle up your seat belts, everyone else: It’s going to be a hell of a next four years.
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2025-01-04 14:32