Obama Says Fox News Promotes 'Destructive' Viewpoint

In his sharpest critique yet of the nation's highest-rated cable news channel, President Barack Obama said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine that Fox News promoted a point of view that was "destructive" to the growth of the United States.

President Obama was asked by Rolling Stone whether Fox News is "a good institution for America and for democracy." He began his answer with a look back at history noting that "we've got a tradition in this country of a press that oftentimes is opinionated," invoking William Randolph Hearst's use of his newspapers to promote his viewpoints. "I think Fox is part of that tradition -- it is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view. It's a point of view that I disagree with," President Obama said. "It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world." President Obama also suggested that Fox's parent, the News Corporation, put profit ahead of politics.