In his "State of the Union" interview with CNN's John King, Emanuel said, "It's not a news organization so much as it has a perspective."
Maybe more importantly, Emanuel told King that the White House doesn't want other news outlets to emulate Fox because the cabler isn't offering "both sides' sense of a valued opinion" (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript, h/t NBer Melody):
RAHM EMANUEL, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: No, it's not so much a conflict with Fox News. But, unlike I suppose the way to look at it, and the way we, the President looks at it, we look at it is it's not a news organization so much as it has a perspective. And that's a different take. And more importantly is not have the CNN's and the others in the world basically be led and following Fox as if that what they're trying to do is a legitimate news organization in the sense of both sides' sense of a valued opinion.
So, any media outlet that has a perspective isn't a news organization?
Using that guideline, doesn't it rule EVERY entity that offers opinion and commentary with a decided slant -- which is virtually every media group in America -- out as a news organization?
As the likely answer is "Yes," Emanuel unwittingly made the case that there aren't ANY real news organizations in America anymore, a contention I wouldn't disagree with.
Yet, maybe most important was Emanuel's last line concerning the White House discouraging "the CNN's and the others in the world" from being "led and following Fox as if that what they're trying to do is a legitimate news organization in the sense of both sides' sense of a valued opinion."
Both sides' sense of a valued opinion? Who's to determine that: the White House or the public?
Right now, Fox News is destroying its competition as far as ratings. Most nights Fox gets more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined.
As such, at the present time, more people value Fox's opinion than CNN's and MSNBC's.
With this in mind, Emanuel is basically saying the White House has a better understanding of what represents "valued opinion" than the people do.
Even scarier, the Administration doesn't want other news outlets to offer opinions being presented by Fox despite how in demand those opinions are given that network's dominance in the ratings.
Reading between the lines, Emanuel basically admitted the White House motives are not only to discredit Fox, but also to discourage other news outlets from offering similar opinions -- aka conservative views
Be afraid, America. Be very afraid.
