Liberal Groups Want to 'Take Back Our Media!'

CNS News ^ | 7-15-04 | Susan Jones

[FlyLow]

(CNSNews.com) - A liberal advocacy group that's made a name for itself by bashing President Bush is now paying for an effort to bash Fox News.

"Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, Fox News Channel turns Republican talking points into news headlines," MoveOn.org says on its website -- as part of a promotion for a new film called "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism."

"Outfoxed" was funded in part by MoveOn and another liberal group.

The Fox News Channel markets itself as "fair and balanced," but "Outfoxed" director Robert Greenwald "exposes Fox for what it it: partisan spin, not news," MoveOn.org says.

In fact, MoveOn members helped Greenwald monitor the Fox News Channel for examples of "partisan spin."

MoveOn.org says "Outfoxed" will be screened this Sunday evening, July 18, at more than 2,500 house parties across the nation, which are being hosted by MoveOn and Common Cause members. The film "premiered" last week in New York City.

"Find a house party in your neighborhood.Watch 'Outfoxed' together," MoveOn.org says on its website. "Join an interactive online conference call with comedian Al Franken and director Robert Greenwald. Plan to take on Fox and take back our media."

According to MoveOn.org, "Outfoxed" features interviews with seven ex-Fox News employees "who describe how, every day, highly partisan talking points are drawn up to influence newscasts."

But Fox News says the film has "misrepresented" the employment histories of four of the "ex-employees," some of whom worked for Fox affiliates, not for the Fox News Channel.

"The former low-level Fox employees are hardly worth addressing," Fox News said in a July 13 statement. "Some of the 'sources' for this documentary never worked for Fox News Channel. Some left because of incompetence, and none expressed concern about editorial policy while employees. They represent fewer than 10 employees out of 2,000 over 8 years."

The MoveOn.org website says, "We'll use this movie to launch a campaign to 'out' Fox News -- making sure everyone in the country knows the network is stumping for the Republican agenda.

"This is our opportunity to defend the principles of fair journalism that are so essential to our democracy. Help us take back our media!"

The idea that liberals need help "taking back" the media is comical to many conservatives, who believe liberals already control the nation's major TV networks and newspapers.

In its July 13 statement, Fox News said "Any news organization that thinks this story is legitimate is opening itself to having its copyrighted material taken out of context for partisan reasons."

Fox accused MoveOn.org of "illegal copyright infringement" and it accuses the New York Times of "cutting a deal" with MoveOn.org that gave Fox News no "adequate time to react" to the film.

"The New York Times corrupts the journalistic process by taking orders from a George Soros-funded web site -- Soros is a left-wing billionaire currency speculator who funds many liberal efforts," the Fox statement said.

"This is the real story. If any news organizations decide to make this an anti-Fox News story, then all of their material becomes fodder immediately for possible out of context and biased documentaries."

Fox News said if any big media outlet agrees to publish "100 percent of their editorial directions and internal memos," Fox News Channel will do the same -- "and let the public decide who is fair."

The cable network said its challenge applies to "any legitimate cable news network, broadcast network, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post."

[skeeter]

Perhaps you'd recognize him better in action.

[tobyhill]

Interesting contradiction. Walmart allows Jackson Hewitt to perform tax returns in their stores at the same time allows ACORN.org to pass out voters registrations in front while preaching their cause. ACORN is boycotting Jackson Hewitt because too many idiots took the anticipation loans and ACORN wants to make these dumb a*ses smart again! I've contacted Walmart and Jackson Hewitt and both have assured me ACORN will no longer be out front, hint, hint...

[DeFault User]

Even if it were a Republican noise machine, which it isn't (I work here), what about the thousands of other news sources... CNN, NY Times, LA Times.... Maybe MoveOn.org and FAIR should analyze those sources as well.

I understand that "Outfoxed" has Cronkite saying that news is concentrated in the hands of a few, not like the good old days when he was at CBS. (3 networks, no Internet for the masses, etc.).

As you say there are thousands, especially through the Internet. Cronkite must inhabit another universe. (being charitable)

[Carbonsteel]

"If you took the points literally and believed every word, one would have to assume that cable viewers have voted and chosen Republican talking points over the lib spin on CNN and MSNBC."

Lib spin is putting it mildly. One Europeon CNN reporter has been quoted as saying "we don't have to pretend to like the U.S. the way our American counterparts do" accoring to Foxnews. The folks at CNN hates us.