The Christmas War: "This Phoney Call To Arms."

As a former member of the dreaded MSM (AKA, the MainStream Media) I am addicted to a wonderful blog called Romenesko, which touts itself as “your daily fix of media industry news, commentary, and memos.” Romenesko not only provides a dose of links to insiders’ comments on the news media, but also takes side trips into the blogosphere and other aspects of the information age. I highly recommend the blog to anyone who wants to understand what guides the very human people who put together the news.

Romenesko posted a letter Wednesday from former Fox News producer Charlie Reina about Fox’s drum beat for the “War Against Christmas” hysteria. Reina writes that "It’s no surprise that this phony call to arms, this 'Christmas (ergo, Christians) Under Attack' hysteria, emanates from the bowels of Fox News Channel”

As with many conflicts, particularly the manufactured kind, dishonesty, greed and ignorance are the culprits behind Fox News Channel's so-called “War on Christmas.”

Fox responded here in what, sadly, is a predictable way.

I found Reina’s comments to be interesting, especially his thoughts about why nastiness is the centerpiece of the Fox News style.

As FNC’s man at the top, Roger Ailes, knows well from his years as a political operative, there is no more effective wartime strategy than to divide and conquer. That’s why so much of his network’s programming is confrontational. The “us against them” gambit animates not only FNC’s night-time entertainment shows, like “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Hannity & Colmes,” but the network’s daytime “news” report, where anchors regularly browbeat guests who are on the wrong (Democrat or liberal) side of issues.