Now that my marathon quarter of reading is done, I finally have some time to post. So, I thought I'd kick things off by keeping my promise to post the paper I wrote for my Shakespeare class in which I compare the tactics of Fox News to those of Othello villain, Iago - complete with MLA formated citations and bibliography. I must, however, admit that this version of the paper is edited from the original copy that I turned in. There was one paragraph in the original that was very weak and didn't really make much sense because it was written very early in the morning while I was very tired. My professor was still good enough to give me full credit for the paper, but as soon as I read his note on the paper, I knew I would have to re-write it before I posted it here. You guys deserve much better than the crap that was originally turned in. So, without further ado...
Iago’s Deceptive Tactics In Modern Conservative News Media
Shakespeare’s fork-tongued villain, Iago, from the tragedy Othello stands accused, bleeding, and sneering “I bleed, sir; but not killed.” (5.2.288). Othello himself stands ruined, and killing Iago will not reverse the damage that Iago’s web of deceit and treachery has done. When a production of Othello is done correctly, it is hard not to be repulsed by the ruse Iago employs to bring about Othello’s destruction. Interestingly, watching Fox News can often arouse the same feeling.
Throughout Othello, Iago is described as honest and trustworthy by the characters he eventually betrays. Iago uses this trust repeatedly to plant seeds of falsehood that he knows will grow to suit his own devices. Indeed if Iago did not have his reputation of honesty, none of his plans would have worked. After setting Cassio up to lose his job, Iago convinces Cassio that the key to restoring his honor resides with Desdemona. As Cassio leaves he Iago, he says “Good night, honest Iago.” (2.3.335). Later, when Iago begins his attempt to make Othello jealous of Cassio, Othello says Iago is “…full of love and honesty.” (3.3.118).
Trustworthiness is the cornerstone of Fox News’ reputation as well. In a recent nationwide poll, almost half of the participants said that they trust Fox, which was a significantly higher percentage than any other network. The network’s slogan is “Fair and Balanced,” and if these poll results are to be believed, it is “the most trusted television news network in the country” (Barr) This kind of trust in a person or an organization that provides information can easily lead to corruption, as we see in Othello.
Iago’s makes clear that among his motives are “…sport and profit.” (1.3.386). From this moment on, Iago’s every move is pointed at achieving his goal of destroying Othello. Ethically Fox News should be bound to live up to its slogan, and provide unbiased news reporting. One must remember however, that as a corporation, Fox’s first obligation is to create profit for its shareholders. Currently, the news media market is saturated with 24-hour news networks, magazines, newspapers, and blogs; and in order to compete, companies must find ways of retaining market share.
One way that Fox accomplishes this is by sensationalizing events and rabble-rousing. A perfect example of this was the network’s involvement with the “Tea Party” protests held across the country on April 15th, 2009. The success of these events was largely because Fox’s “right-wing stars – Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, Neil Cavuto and Sean Hannity – not only advocated but also served as organizers, using their ‘fair and balanced’ cable network to jump-start the protests.” (Fanto) These events have since become a movement that has dominated political discussion in the U.S. ever since, and have undoubtedly created millions of dollars in advertising revenue for Fox News.
Part of Iago’s malicious genius resides in his subtlety. When Othello and Iago enter in Act 3, Scene 3 and find Cassio rushing away from Desdemona in the background, Iago says – almost under his breath – “Ha! I like not that.” (3.3.35). After throwing this small tidbit to Othello, he then practically makes Othello beg him to say what he means. Othello repeatedly asks, and Iago repeatedly says that he didn’t mean anything by the comment. One of Fox News’ most popular personalities, Glenn Beck, also tries to use this technique, although not nearly as artfully as Iago. In just one example, Beck said on the July 28th, 2009 episode of “Fox and Friends,” one of Fox News’ daily news commentary programs that “This president (Obama) has exposed himself, I think, as a guy, over and over and over again, who has a deep seeded hatred for white people.” After being challenged moments later by one of the hosts about this, Beck then clearly, and with a straight face said, “I’m not saying that he doesn’t like white people… This guy is, I believe, a racist” (Anonymous).
Besides his honest reputation, Iago’s deception also usually depends on some small nugget of proof in order to really take effect. When convincing Othello of the fabricated affair between Desdemona and Cassio, Iago uses the handkerchief that Othello gave to his wife as evidence. He claims first that he has seen the handkerchief in Cassio’s possession (3.3.438-439), then later plants it on Cassio for Othello to see with his own eyes (4.1.146-158). Fox News recently used similar tactics to destroy the non-profit organization Acorn. In this instance, the network gave more than its share of airtime and praise to a video made by right-wing activists, James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles. The video portrayed O’Keefe and Giles, dressed in over-the-top pimp and prostitute outfits, respectively, soliciting help from Acorn employees in a fabricated child prostitution ring. The California Attorney General, Edmund G. Brown said that the videos shown in the media had been heavily edited, and that O’Keefe and Giles did not appear in the Acorn offices dressed the way they were dressed in the introductory segments (Edwards).
In the end, of Othello, the only thing that eventually brings Iago to some form of justice is the unabashed honesty of Emilia, who tells Othello that Iago had Desdemona’s handkerchief all along. Unfortunately for Othello and Desdemona, the damage has already been done. Iago’s use of his reputation and his devious trickery have eaten away at Othello’s trust in Desdemona’s love and ultimately driven him to murder that which mattered most to him. The same situation can be seen in the news media today. Fox News has gained the nations trust as a legitimate news source, and now that they have it, their abuse of that trust is doing more damage than ever. Competing news organizations seem to be devoted to doing little more lately than correcting factual errors in Fox News’ reporting. As we see in Othello, however, there is only so much redemption the truth can offer. Once a small grain of misinformation catches hold from a trusted source it takes a gargantuan effort to stop it – and by that time, the damage is usually done.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Shakespeare Navigators. Web. Weller, Philip.
http://www.shakespeare-navigators.com/
Barr, Andy. "Poll: Fox Most Trusted Name In News." Politico.com. Jan 27 2010 2010.Web. Politico.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/32039.html.
Edwards, Andrew. "No Crimes in Acorn Tapes, but Group may have Broken Laws on Other Occasions, Says State Attorney General." The Sun Apr 1 2010Web. http://ezproxy.library.ewu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=2000546491&Fmt=7&clientId=5545&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
Fanto, Clarence. "Tea Party Success in Eye of Beholder." The Berkshire Eagle Apr 17 2009 Web. http://ezproxy.library.ewu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1680759031&Fmt=7&clientId=5545&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
Anonymous. "Fox Host Glen Beck: Obama Is A "Racist" (Video)." Huffington Post. July 28 2009 2009.Web. Huffington Post. Google. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/28/fox-host-glenn-beck-obama_n_246310.html.
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