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Tonya
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Tonya
Post Number: 5247
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 12:58 am: | 
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CBC Institute gets blistering criticism for FOX News debate
quote:I am disappointed by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's partnership with FOX and strongly encourage them to reverse that decision. Why would presidential candidates, or an organization that is supposed to advocate for Black Americans, ever give a stamp of legitimacy to a network that continually marginalizes Black leaders and the Black community? FOX moderating a presidential debate on issues of importance to Black Americans is literally letting the Fox guard the henhouse- Fox should be rejected.
By Ahkiah Allen
NNPA Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON (NNPA)— Rainbow/PUSH Coalition's Jesse Jackson Sr. is among a string of activists denouncing the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's planned presidential debate partnership with Fox News, calling for the decision to be reversed and for presidential candidates to boycott the debate.
"I am disappointed by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's partnership with FOX," said Jackson in an interview with ColorOfChange.org, "and, strongly encourage them to reverse that decision. Why would presidential candidates, or an organization that is supposed to advocate for black Americans, ever give a stamp of legitimacy to a network that continually marginalizes black leaders and the black community? FOX moderating a presidential debate on issues of importance to black Americans is literally letting the Fox guard the henhouse. Fox should be rejected."
This CBC Institute's decision came even after black members of Congress were contacted through emails and phone calls by nearly 12,000 activists from ColorOfChange.org, an online lobbying group aimed at promoting and resolving issues effecting black Americans.
The growing criticism is largely in the form of an online petition from ColorOfChange.org. Launched on March 30, the petition demands that the CBC sever its ties with the Fox News Channel. It is also asking that presidential candidates reject the Fox debate in favor of the CBC's CNN debate, which has also been scheduled.
The first FOX News debate will be Democratic candidates on Sept. 23 in Detroit. The second Democrat debate, scheduled for January 2008 on CNN will take place in South Carolina. The Republican debates for both stations are still being scheduled.
The seven-year-old FOX News Channel, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, is a 24-hour general news service available in more than 82 million homes.
Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes issued a statement saying, "Fox News is proud to work with the CBC Institute in 2007 as we did in 2003… for the candidates to present their ideas and allow voters to make informed decisions.
The issue is bigger than that, said James Rucker, executive director of ColorofChange.org.
"The CBC cannot claim to represent black Americans and at the same time legitimize a network that calls black churches a cult, implies that Barack Obama is a terrorist, and uses the solemn occasion of Coretta Scott King's funeral to call black leaders 'racist,'" said Rucker.
Within the last two weeks, thousands of new members have joined ColorOfChange.org as the organization has begun pressuring the CBC not to partner with Fox.
Fox is considered a right-wing news network that has a history of opposing the issues and principles maintained by the CBC and its supporters. This, however, is not the first time that Fox and the CBC have come together for a presidential debate. The CBC Institute chose this network, over BET, to air its debate in September of 2003.
At that time then CBC Chairman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), who brokered the deal, said, "We have no permanent friends. We have no permanent enemies. We have only permanent interests."
Rep. Bennie Thompson (DMiss.) chair of the CBC Institute could not be reached for comment during Easter recess.
He said in a release that, "As a leading organization dedicated to educating the public on issues of national policy, the CBC Institute is committed to presenting the presidential candidates to the broadest audience possible."
Candice Tolliver, a spokeswoman for the CBC Institute said the organization is once again trying to reach a broader audience.
"I would encourage people to continue to give their feedback because we're hearing all of this and we are going to ensure that each one of our debates is an unfettered, unfiltered opportunity for the candidates to present their platforms and means not impacted by news or political organizations," said Tolliver in an interview with the NNPA News Service. "Our goal, was, number one to get broadcast partners who would enable us to reach the greatest number of households. And, CNN and FOX news, whether they are liberal or conservative are the largest cable news networks in the world."
Fox News boasts 86 million viewers while CNN boasts 105 million.
Regardless of volume, Rucker said the principles remain as steady as they were in 2003.
"We shouldn't expect anything different," insisted Rucker. "I don't think people will see it anymore legitimate than they do now."
Rucker said this decision "sullies the brand" of the CBC, which calls itself the "conscious of the Congress."
Since the decision broke, nearly 12,000 e-mails and approximately 800 phone calls from ColorOfChange.org have gone unanswered by the CBC. For Rucker, this proves a lack of accountability and leadership.
"We couldn't get a single member of the CBC to explain why they would want to do this… Our belief is that most folks who are constituents of these folks do not think this is a good idea," Rucker explained.
Rucker is at a lost as to what the CBC seeks to gain from its partnership with Fox besides the fact that Fox is a contributor to the CBC Foundation and the Institute's 2003 reasoning that Fox will reach a broader audience.
Rucker said the CBC appears to have divided allegiances.
"I think there is a loyalty component," he said. "The CBC Institute's decision is shamefully out of step with most black voters—and now black voters will hold our leaders accountable and demand they end their partnership with Fox."
Ahkiah Allen is a writer for the Howard University News Service. NNPA Washington Correspondent Hazel Trice Edney contributed to this story.
http://www.frostillustrated.com/full.php?sid=1061 |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 9244
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 07:45 am: |
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I'm ambivalent about the CBC partnering with Fox. However, how is this different from the NAACP or other Black advocacy groups meeting with the Bush Administration or other GOP group with whom they'd mostly disagree? And I've seen Al Sharpton and other Black, liberal advocates appear on Fox shows. Why are they condemned for doing that?
Maybe the CBC feels their involvement with the debate will increase the chances of the Fox's debate not having quite a conservative, reactionary, Bush buttkissing tone to it. |
Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 4168
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 12:54 pm: |
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Why not go on there? That's what it's about, isn't it. Bearding the lion in his den?
As long as they don't accept any rules that make them look like wusses or make them hold back. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 8351
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 02:10 pm: |
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Why pass a up chance to provide a platform for blacks to refute conservative racists? C'mon, Jesse, get with the program. |
Chrishayden
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 4171
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - 03:33 pm: |
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Why pass a up chance to provide a platform for blacks to refute conservative racists? C'mon, Jesse, get with the program.
(They need to have me and you on there) |
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