It would be fair to say that President Barack Obama is no fan of the Fox News network. President Obama was speaking during a panel discussion on poverty at Georgetown University when he took his latest swipe at the right wing Fox New s network. USA Today reports that on this occasion Obama criticized Fox News for making a special effort to “suggest the poor are sponges, leeches, don’t want to work, are lazy, are undeserving.”
Obama said, “I have to say that if you watch Fox News on a regular basis, it is a constant menu, they will find folks who make me mad. I don’t know where they find them… They’re like, ‘I don’t want to work, I just want a free Obama phone,’ or whatever. And that becomes an entire narrative, right? That gets worked up.”
According to Mother Jones, President Obama went on to say that Fox News never portrays the hard working family who do everything right, but still cannot make ends meet.
According to Raw Story, Obama claims that Fox New’s narrative is part of a broader political argument which sets out to undermine the case for welfare support for those in poverty. Obama claims that this serves to make middle-class voters “mad at folks on the bottom” for feeling like they struggle to get ahead.
Raw Story also claims that the Fox News network is often under criticism, as well as ridicule, for arguing that poverty is caused by a person’s “lack of virtue” while attacking social-service programs. Obama argues that if stereotyped views are to be overturned then Fox News and other outlets have a responsibility to report stories in a fair and balanced way.
The Hill reports that Obama also used his speech to hit back at critics who oppose his plans to raise taxes to enable him to spend more money on welfare programs. Obama highlighted criticism from hedge fund managers, saying that he had been called “Hitler” for trying to close tax loopholes enjoyed by the super-rich.
USA Today say that Fox News has denied any kind of bias and suggested that the president “should be proud” of the network instead of criticizing it.
Charles Krauthammer said “I think Fox ought to run a full-page ad welcoming Obama into the viewership of the number one network, he should be proud of us.”
Fox anchor Bret Baier said: “He does seem to have us on his mind a lot.”
What do Inquisitr readers think? Is Obama wrong about Fox News coverage of poverty issues? Does the network cover poverty in a balanced and sympathetic way? Let us know what you think.
[Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]
