Usually when the topic of media distortions is brought up, it is Keith Olbermann, his simian research skills, and near felonious misrepresentations of the news that are the topic. In this case it is Fox News that has to take the hit for being part of a problem rather than an honest news agency. In a recent story on FoxNews.com entitled, “Despite Popularity, Poker Can’t Shed Taboo Marketing Status”, the writer, Matt Egan, talks about how poker players are not getting the big dollar sponsorship opportunities from mainstream corporations. He points out that despite the fact that poker has taken off in the television market, and references ESPN’s success with the World Series of Poker, blue chip advertisers are still leery of it. The problem with this story is that when it comes to the crime of labeling poker as a taboo subject, Fox News is driving the getaway car.
Most of the people who are reading this are aware that Courtney Friel was once a hostess for the World Poker Tour. She is now a popular personality at Fox News. In the past Courtney has been very generous towards us with her time, but we have had to be mindful of the restrictions that are in place when it comes to the topic of poker. While Fox is well within their rights to decide what their personalities can and can’t talk about in an interview situation, maybe mainstream corporations would be less apprehensive about poker if a big name news network like Fox embraced that part of one of their personality’s personal histories instead of trying to sweep it under the carpet.
To be fair, I haven’t requested an official interview with Courtney since before the World Poker Tour became affiliated with Fox Sports, so things may have changed since then. If they haven’t though and Fox is still going to write a story about how major corporations are nervous about being connected with the poker industry, they should write themselves into the story. That would truly be fair and balanced.
