Fox News Caught Editing Al Franken's Wikipedia Entry

Posted by Matt Stoller at 5:54 AM on August 15, 2007.

Matt Stoller: Fox News propagandists delete Franken statements mocking Fox.

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This post, written by Matt Stoller, originally appeared on Open Left

There's a new tool out there that lets you search the destination IP addresses for people editing wikipedia entries. Arthur Bergman found that folks at Fox News's IP address were editing Al Franken's entry. Apparently, Fox News propagandists deleted Franken's statement that Fox News's legal case against Franken was ""literally laughed out of court" and that "wholly (holy) without merit" is a good characterization of Fox News itself." The Fox News users also added a 'liberal' adjective when characterizing the NPR show 'Fresh Air'.

There are two takeaways here. One, though I'm sure that bloggers and the internet generically will somehow be blamed for vitriol and this very episode, let's remember that unethical stuff done on the internet can be done by journalists or propagandists at media organs like Fox News as easily as it can be done by bloggers. We got a lot of shit for 'hacking' Lieberman's web site the day of the primary, simply because we write for a web-only audience. That's beyond stupid. And two, Fox is an advocacy organization that works against Democrats and seeks undermines legitimate news outlets.

Both of these points should be, but somehow aren't, obvious to most media executives and a whole lot of establishment people. I write on the internet. Boo! Call me cyberhawk, or something.

Tagged as: fox news, wikipedia, npr, franken

Matt Stoller is a political activist/blogger in DC, and was an editor at MyDD from November 2005 until June 2007. He also consults for the Sunlight Foundation, FreePress.net, and Working Assets as well as proactively networking other progressive bloggers/internet activists and progressive professionals.

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No surprises finding Fox wallowing in the gutter [Report this comment] Posted by: JayMagoo on Aug 15, 2007 8:05 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] If EXXON will hire a New York Public Relations firm to pose as an amateur blogger and trash legitimate arguments about global warning, why should be believe that Fox News, the slime-merchants of journalism, would behave any differently? This kind of sneaky, underhanded, back-stabbing character assassination did not begin with Karl Rove or Lee Atwater (both brought into politics by presidents named "Bush."), but they refined it to the enth-degree, and it's now standard operating procedure for the Conservative bottom dwellers and garbage slingers of the Republican party and their accomplices. If we look again I'm sure we'll see much more of it. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] FAUX "News" [Report this comment] Posted by: frank69 on Aug 15, 2007 8:31 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Remember, Roger Ailes is the "news" director for FAUX "News." Roger has long been a Republican operative. He goes back to the "Willie Horton" hit piece used against Michael Dukakis. Nothing underhanded done by FAUX "News" surprises me. I expect them to act like thugs since they are thugs. You may not remember, but FAUX actually put the Fat Drug Addict on TV. Limberger didn't last long since he stunk up television! The ditto-heads like him better when they listen to him on radio but were not thrilled when they could see him on TV! Ailes and FAUX "News" really suck! [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] mo faux [Report this comment] Posted by: gregii on Aug 15, 2007 9:53 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Motivated only by greed; pursuing an intellectually dishonest endeavor - making a career of it; "Mommy, what does Daddy do?" "Hush, child, you don't want to know." Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity offering themselves on the national scene as journalists, political commentators and authors, carrying themselves with almost (but not quite) the same carriage as real authors, as real thinking people with the respect of their peers (these two know they are faking it but they also know they are deceiving enough people to get away with it indefinitely: they can fool some of the people all the time!) So they continue to swindle an above average income from those who prefer to advertise to the sickest among us. So, who is surprised by their efforts at Wikipedia? I am somewhat surprised at their stupidity: or is it hubris? Hmm. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Retaliation: [Report this comment] Posted by: magistre on Aug 15, 2007 1:25 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I think Al should go online and edit FoXX "News"! Or get the FoXX "News" Jokesters to sit in threes: (1) Hands over eyes, (2) Hands ofer ears, and (3) Hands over mouth! [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Blogger Backlash and What are you going to do? [Report this comment] Posted by: taureandevi on Aug 15, 2007 3:04 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] A person that contributes or alters a wikipedia entry is now considered a blogger? This event is going to further diminish the legitimacy of blogging commentary. The administration get "terrorists" to do their dirty work and corporations get "bloggers". If they are caught it doesn't matter much to the administration or the corporations they have covered their footsteps. So now we know of this one incident, what are we going to do about it? Stop watching Fox networks? Contact advertisers paying money to Fox for air time and voice your disgust! Do something! For more of my Modern Musings [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] I am about as surprised by this as I am by a new outrage by the Bushies. [Report this comment] Posted by: UnEasyOne on Aug 15, 2007 3:50 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Real journalists have something unheard of at Feaux News - ethics. Remember this is the "news" organization that went to court to defend their right to simply make things up and report it as fact! Amazingly, they won the case! Any real news organization would have been embarrassed and issued an immediate apology. Not FOX! When they were caught with their pants down, they mooned us! What self-respecting organization would employ Loofah Boy! O'Lielly is still goin strong in spite if his multimillion dollar settlement for truly disgusting sexual harassment. Except for Keith O, the Media give em a pass on both issues. I'm not sure who disgusts me most. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] muahahahahahahah! [Report this comment] Posted by: BlueBerry PickN on Aug 17, 2007 2:42 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] that is priceless. utterly pricelessly, classically... Ministry of Truth, eh? BlueBerry Pick'n can be found @ ThisCanadian "Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced" [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Wikipedia has become a joke [Report this comment] Posted by: Shey on Aug 18, 2007 6:07 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I'm all for the egalitarian concept behind Wikipedia, but there need to be a few ground rules. Such as, you can't delete another person's contribution. You can add to it, as in "I don't agree with the above and this is why", but to be able to just delete what someone else has posted, without even stating that it's been done, makes this site a complete waste of time lacking the barest smidgen of credibility. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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