Monday, February 17, 2003

Out of lockstep alert!
The NY Times amuses with A Fox News Ad Roils Some Readers of The Nation:
Many readers of The Nation, a magazine of the political left, seek shelter in its pages from what they consider the news media's conservative bias. So executives at the magazine anticipated some criticism when they accepted a full-page advertisement from the Fox News channel, one of those outlets considered to fall in the enemy camp.

What they did not expect after accepting a back-page ad (and $8,100) from Fox News was roughly 250 vehemently angry letters, e-mail messages and phone calls, and more than 50 subscription cancellations.

"The words that they're using are outraged, shocked, confused, absolutely appalled, dismayed and dumbfounded," said Ellen Bollinger, vice president for advertising at the magazine.

One e-mail message even read, "It is like an ad for Klan News."
I'm sure the readers of The Nation have very "refined sensibilities". I wonder what caused such outrage?
"We're fair and balanced," said Robert Zimmerman, a spokesman at Fox News in New York. "Why wouldn't we advertise in The Nation?"

The ad, in the issue dated Feb. 17, thanked America for making Fox the highest-rated cable news network.
Aw, poor babies!