In 2009, a video was released on YouTube of schoolchildren at B. Bernice Young Elementary School singing songs that promoted President Obama as a class project for black history month. A response article was written and published by FOX News contributors claiming that the content of the video was inappropriate. The article contains quotes from concerned parents claiming that they are outraged that their children are singing of the President as though they were part of a cult, and expressing the opinion that they viewed this act as their children being indoctrinated to worship their leader (Corbin, Miller, & Sorrentino, 2009). Although the article cites the testimonies of concerned parents, it portrays the incident in a highly negative light, using words such as “indoctrinated”, and comparing a video of children singing songs to 1930s Germany. Furthermore, it only displays one quote negating this outrage and claiming that the children sang songs about other Presidents as well, while conveniently displaying numerous quotes condemning the incident. In response to this article, a New York Daily News Contributor wrote an article criticizing the hysteria of FOX News. Samuel Goldsmith of New York Daily News accused FOX News of trying to convince people that liberal teachers were attempting to brainwash students. The article assured readers that the songs the children were singing were harmless and that it was a class project teaching children the accomplishments of famous African Americans for black history month. This article did not report directly on the video of the children, but rather in response to another news story in an attempt to discredit it, by portraying the video in a more positive light.
Corbin C., Miller J.R., Sorrentino M. “Review Ordered of Video Showing Students Singing Praises of President Obama.” FOXNews.com, 24 September 2009, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/24/review-ordered-video-showing-students-singing-praises-president-obama.html. Accessed 11 September 2017.
Goldsmith. Samuel. “New Jersey kids sing about President Obama; get slammed by Fox News.” NYDailyNews.com, 26 September 2009, http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/new-jersey-kids-sing-president-obama-slammed-fox-news-article-1.382032. Accessed 11 September 2017.
