MoveOn.org Petition Asks Democrats to Boycott Fox

Posted by Staff, AlterNet at 5:00 PM on October 20, 2009.

Should Democrats refuse appearances on Fox?

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MoveOn.org just launched a petition urging Democrats to stay off Fox. From the press release:

All year, FOX has worked 24/7 to block President Obama's agenda—repeating lies about "death panels," promoting Tea Party protests, and whipping up fake political scandals.¹

Now, President Obama is fighting back. The White House communications director said FOX is a "wing of the Republican Party...let's not pretend they're a news network."² To draw attention to its biased coverage, President Obama will not appear on FOX for the rest of this year.³

It's about time Democrats stood up to FOX! Can you sign this petition asking Democrats to support President Obama's stance by staying off FOX as long as he does? We'll deliver it to Sen. Feinstein and Sen. Boxer and Rep. Lee. Clicking here will add your name:

http://civic.moveon.org/foxobama/o.pl?id=17603-1682570-HWqFLQx&t=3

The petition says: "Democrats should support President Obama's effort to call out FOX. Please stay off FOX for as long as he does."

Democrats often appear on FOX in hopes of reaching out to conservative viewers. But FOX cuts off their mic, distorts what they say, or runs biased headlines at the bottom of the screen.⁴ In the end, Democrats always lose on FOX.

FOX insists there's a difference between its news shows and its right-wing opinion shows with Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and others.

But in August, FOX's so-called news shows "aired 22 clips of town hall meeting attendees opposed" to Obama's health care plans and zero in support. CNN and MSNBC were more fair and balanced.⁵

In another "news" story, FOX passed off a GOP press release as its own research—typo and all.⁶

FOX executives now describe the channel as "the voice of opposition" to Obama's agenda. FOX president Roger Ailes—a former adviser to Nixon, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush—said, "I see this as the Alamo."⁷

But a Capitol Hill newspaper reports, "In the House and Senate, Democrats who pledged to follow the administration's near-boycott of Fox were hard to find, although many expressed support for Obama's stance."⁸

Democrats will only find the courage to join Obama if they hear from enough concerned voters. Sign this petition to ask Sen. Feinstein and Sen. Boxer and Rep. Lee to stay off FOX. Clicking here will add your name:
http://civic.moveon.org/foxobama/o.pl?id=17603-1682570-HWqFLQx&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Noah, Nita, Michael, Kat, and the rest of the team

Sources:
1. "Fox News viewers overwhelmingly misinformed about health care reform proposals," Think Progress, August 19, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84884&id=17603-1682570-HWqFLQx&t=6

"Fox News Signs On To Tea Party Agenda, Aggressively Promotes Anti-Obama Protests," Think Progress, April 10, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84885&id=17603-1682570-HWqFLQx&t=8

"Beck-led Fox News "czar" witch hunt moves to ridiculous smear of Anita Dunn," Media Matters for America, October 16, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200910160004

2. "White House: Fox News 'a wing of the Republican Party'," New York Daily News, October 12, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84886&id=17603-1682570-HWqFLQx&t=9

3. "The Battle Between the White House and Fox News," The New York Times, October 17, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84898&id=17603-1682570-HWqFLQx&t=10

4. "Outfoxed: Fox News technique: cut their mic!" Brave New Films, May 11, 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkFU4MtubU

"The Case Against FOX," FOXAttacks.com
http://foxattacks.com/facts.php

5. "Fox News' town hall coverage amplifies opponents of health care reform, ignores supporters," Media Matters for America, September 8, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/print/research/200909080004

6. "Fox passes off GOP press release as its own research—typo and all," Media Matters for America, February 10, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200902100019

7. "'Voice of the opposition': Fox News openly advocates against Democratic Congress, White House," Media Matters for America, September 11, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/reports/200909110016

8. "Congressional Democrats defend the White House's snub of Fox News," The Hill, October 14, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84899&id=17603-1682570-HWqFLQx&t=11

Tagged as: fox, democrats, obama

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