Former FNC Lib: CNN and MSNBC Further Left Than Fox Is Right

Change font size:  A |  A

Recently fired liberal Fox News contributor Marc Lamont Hill claimed Tuesday the White House attacks on his former employer reek of propaganda.

Speaking with WOR radio's Steve Malzberg, Hill also agreed that the two other cable news networks he used to contribute to, CNN and MSNBC, are far more to the left than Fox News is to the right.

These were fascinating comments from someone that was considered one of Fox's most liberal contributors prior to his recent termination from the network (14-minute audio available here, relevant section at 4:20):

STEVE MALZBERG, WOR RADIO: Do you think that the criticism that the White House has leveled at Fox over the past two weekends -- sending out Axelrod, Emanuel, and, and Anita Dunn - do you believe that that's fair criticism?

MARC LAMONT HILL: This is probably the wrong day to ask me that. What do I think? I think that, oh there's two issues here. One is the strategic issue, and one is a, is a, is a sort of a facticity issue. Strategically, I don't think it's wise for the Obama administration to continue to complain about Fox. I don't think that makes good sense to do that. I think it makes them look like, like they're whining. I think it makes them look like they don't play well from behind. It makes them look like they can't take criticism. I think that whenever you have a and, and, a presidential administration devoting that much energy to a media outlet and shutting down a media outlet or trying to silence a media outlet I think it, it reeks of everything from propaganda to just mismanagement and immaturity. Are there legitimate critiques of Fox? Of course there are. Is Fox News a right-leaning organization? No doubt about it. Even the people on Fox who are, who are on the left other than myself tended to be far more moderate than I was. Alan Colmes, Kirsten Powers, Juan Williams, Bob Beckel has certainly moved towards the center. And that's not a critique of them. I mean, again, Geraldo's a Republican.

MALZBERG: Geraldo's a Republican? I don't think so. He hung up on me not too long ago because I dared criticize Sonia Sotomayor. I doubt that he's a Republican, but go ahead.

HILL: Well, he's registered as a Republican.

MALZBERG: Well, that doesn't mean anything. Anyway, go ahead.

HILL: Well, you know, I think fiscally, I think you guys may disagree on social issues, but fiscally I think you guys are on the same page.

MALZBERG: Alright, but, but, but, but, but, so but this criticism, yeah go ahead.

HILL: No, but the point, the deeper point here is Fox does have a, it does engage in battle and debate on both sides of the aisle far more often than some of the other networks. I would just as easily say that MSNBC is a left-leaning network as I would say Fox is a right-leaning one. And that's not necessarily a critique, it's just sort of the way it is.

MALZBERG: So don't you believe that the White House looks, I mean, well they're not doing that, they, they, to you and me, they look foolish, but to the average American, they're trying to put one over to pretend that MSNBC or to pretend that Fox exists in a vacuum. Even if you believe they're biased to the right, MSNBC is much more biased to the left.

HILL: I would agree.

MALZBERG: And, and CNN is also. You would agree you said, right?

HILL: Of course I would agree.      

This from a liberal who used to contribute to CNN and MSNBC and was recently fired by Fox.

With this in mind, maybe the White House should reconsider what its definition of a news organization is.