It seems the somewhat liberal view held by the more partisan side of the news/infotainment/media regarding ‘free speech’ is going to be tested. Free speech does not guarantee the right to ‘hate speech’ particularly with the intent to do harm or the right to misinform and now the White House is fighting back against Fox News.

the conflict had been mostly a one-sided affair, with Fox News hosts promoting tax day “tea parties” that focused protest on the new president, and more recently bringing down the presidential adviser Van Jones through rugged coverage that caught the administration, and other news organizations, off guard. During the health care debate, Fox News has put a megaphone to opponents, some of whom have advanced far-fetched theories about the impact of reform. And even farther out on the edge, the network’s most visible star of the moment, Glenn Beck, has said the president has “a deep-seated hatred for white people.”

Administration officials seemed to have decided that they had had enough.

“We’re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent,” Anita Dunn, the White House communications director, said in an interview with The New York Times. “As they are undertaking a war against Barack Obama and the White House, we don’t need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave.”

About time the White House called out Fox News’ legitimacy as a news organization although it should be noticed since the network has been attacking Obama ratings have increased 20%. Apparently, irresponsible journalism sells.

Speaking of irresponsible, Rush Limbaugh is also under fire by Al Sharpton

This feud started after the recent announcement that Limbaugh was a part of a group of investors interested in buying the NFL’s St. Louis Rams. Limbaugh was dropped from the group after an ensuing firestorm in which some players, team owners and NFL honchos said they were against Limbaugh, whom some accused of making racially insensitive statements.

Sharpton, however, was along for the ride. The Harlem agitator took advantage of the news to demand that Limbaugh drop his membership to the all-white Everglades Club in Palm Beach.

Controversy boosts ratings and clearly many of these provocateurs will abandon journalistic ethics and shamelessly mislead their readers, viewers and listeners for advertising money. Taking them on in court may be the only way to apply the brakes to the ‘hate speech’ peddlers of free speech. On the other hand, why give them any credence at all? Why engage them as if they are legitimate media when they clearly are not?

Perhaps it is best to ignore them, just like our local provocateurs and Limbaugh wanna be’s, and just step over them like a pile of dog poop on the sidewalk and continue on your way. Stepping in it is just plain icky.

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