On Reddit, a popular Web Post Sightings Site, there was an interesting set of responses to Fox News blatantly manipulating the “News” again. Briefly, Jon Stewart showed how Sean Hannity had video remarks by President Obama edited so the wrong impression/conclusion was drawn. Ever since Andrew Brietbart got a black HUD official fired by also manipulatively editing a video of one her speeches, there appears to less tolerance for such shenanigans.
But the complete lack of slander suits against Fox [or Andrew Breitbart] seems to indicate that ever more outrageous stunts will be done under the the protection of “freedom of speech”. “LOUD and SHRILL” in the political debate are being replaced by outright slander – with continuing impunity. It speaks to the testing times ahead as the US falls from being the number one economic and innovative power, as large segments of the population remain jobless because feckless political squabbles sabotage any concerted action for improvements.