News Corp. Civil War? Wall Street Journal Veterans Blast Beck Eqypt Coverage

Glenn Beck's month-long effort to portray the protests in the Middle East as a conspiracy between Islamic radicals and leftists pursuing a "New World Order" has drawn criticism from veterans of his News Corp. sister outlet, The Wall Street Journal.

Current and former Journal reporters contacted by Media Matters criticized Beck, with at least one warning that the host's strange theories could hurt reporting efforts by other News Corp. reporters.

"The guy either has several screws loose or he is intentionally manipulating the worst fears of his audience in a cartoonish way. For a 'news organization' to give some lunatic that kind of platform that he has tells you all you need to know about Murdoch and Fox News," said Ryan Chittum, who served as a Journal reporter from 2002 to 2007 and now writes for Columbia Journalism Review.

He said that when Fox News gives Beck a show, it gives him undeserved credibility.

"It lends credibility to it and Lord knows what is going to happen. Nothing good is going to come of it. Nothing is getting fact-checked. I know people who are influenced by that. It is the height of irresponsibility to let someone go like this."

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201102230031