Fox News: The Psychic News Network

by Eric Jaffa, Friday, March 25, 2005

Steve Doocy (left) and John Edward (right)

Fox News claims to be "Real journalism: fair and balanced."

Psychic John Edward appeared in person as a guest on the March 24 broadcast of "Fox & Friends" on the cable channel.

The psychic announced about Terri Schiavo, "She's definitely clear on what's happening now around her."

The problem: All psychics are frauds.

Fox News isn't "real journalism" or "fair and balanced."

Let's call Fox the "Psychic News Network" as a takeoff on Dionne Warwick's "Psychic Friends Network."

To watch Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" present cable tv video clips including of the psychic go to the blog "Crooks & Liars."

The whole five-minute-45-second Jon Stewart bit is worth watching, and he gets to the psychic on Fox News after about four minutes.

Equally "fair and balanced" Fox News coverage of the Terri Schiavo case appears on their website. Regular columnist John Gibson declares in a March 24 essay that "Jeb Bush should give serious thought to storming the Bastille."

I found the John Gibson essay via the blog DC Media Girl.

Update of March 27, 2005

Media Matters for America has a partial transcript of the March 24 appearance of John Edward on "Fox & Friends:"

STEVE DOOCY: You mentioned the Terri Schiavo case. Some might wonder, "Well, you know what, I wonder if he could communicate with her."

JOHN EDWARD: I do believe that the soul, the consciousness, can communicate when they're in a state, whether it be a mentally incapacitated person, someone who's in a coma. It's a consciousness, and the soul has a living consciousness. So whether it's in a physical vehicle or not, there is still the ability to connect. Many people will have what they call out-of-body experiences, or astral dreams. Two very living people, that are healthy, could have a kind of connection in a dream state that can be validated. So why not somebody who's in this case?

STEVE DOOCY: So she may not be able to talk with her brain, but she can with her soul --

JOHN EDWARDS: But she's clear on what's going -- and I can tell you that she's definitely clear on what's happening now around her.