How Liberal Activists Outfoxed Fox

[babylonsister]

http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/how_liberal_activists_outfoxed_fox

How Liberal Activists Outfoxed Fox

Submitted by Rick Perlstein on June 19, 2007 - 5:52pm.

A really illuminating panel showed how a major right-wing organization was set back on its heels -- and how it can be done again and again and again.

When the Nevada Democratic Party announced that it was cosponsoring a presidential candidate debate with "Fox News," Robert Greenwald, the maker of the outstanding documentary Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism, started hearing from friends. "Can we convince them that this is a serious mistake?" they asked. And said: "We need to make it crystal clear to people that Fox is not a news organization."

He ended up circulating a video about Fox's war on Democrats that eventually got the debate canceled. And, even better, managed to do something Democrats have never been able to do, and never even tried: get people questioning Fox News's very legitimacy.

Greenwald told the story about what happened in between, at the panel, in a riveting way: via video. Yes, a video about a video. A simple video, to be sure, featuring short talking head interviews with the major activists who made it happen: Greenwald himself; Matt Stoller of MyDD.com; Adam Green of MoveOn.org. There was even a soundtrack behind them. (I recall synthesizers, and strumming guitars.)

By starting the panel that way, Greenwald made a crucial point: outfits like Fox can be fought on their own terms - via images - with surprising ease, and in incredibly compelling fashion. It was kind of, if you know what I mean, Brechtian. (If you don't know what I mean, no matter.)

Then Greenwald, in the flesh, took the podium, and fleshed out the rest of the story: how a new model of "mutually reinforcing activism" saved the day. Greenwald produced a video of the most damning clips of Fox savaging Democrats. The video included an address for an online petition at the end. Within 24 hours the petition had received thousands of signatures. They got angry local Nevada Democrats to bug Nevada Democratic leaders. They got local Nevada bloggers - people with but a thousand or two thousand readers a day - on the case. These blogs were read by local politicians, party officers, local media. The elites started taking notice. They managed to get national coverage of a local story. That made it bigger locally.

more...

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Would love to see that video he used for this

Went to the link hoping but...

The whole thing is a great read!

(K&R)

[babylonsister]

2. If I see it, I will post it. nt

[babylonsister]

4. Here it is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x25098

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Thanks! n/t

[truedelphi]

7. Yes thanks! n/t

[Greyskye]

9. Thanks!

Just noticed that Monkeyman posted that video. :cry:

[babylonsister]

10. Yes, I noticed that, too.

:-(

[Emit]

12. That's not the video they used. It appears to be a video they made afterwards. n/t

[Emit]

13. Here's the video called "Fox Attacks Obama"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouKJixL--ms

[Emit]

14. Here is link for the "Fox Attacks Obama" video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouKJixL--ms

[The Count]

3. here's a link to a collection that may be as convincing

http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/03/fox_news_crazy_.html
Some day, even people like Schumer, Begala etc will believe the media is notSgoing to be "nice" to us if we're nice to them. The entire Democratic convention of 2004 was based on an appeasement effort of the media - as if "it" is a non-partisan, independent entity up in the sky.
We are in fact, taking advice from the enemy - less now, but still.
When I see posts here about so and so being "electable" (or not), having "baggage" or being a "media target" (more so, than democrat X opposing THEIR guy),

[ellenfl]

5. excellent! eom

[WillyT]

8. There Are Also These Videos:

From Take Back America 2007.

Link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9121037727815758

Link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1361142536354646888

Watched them last night. Throughly enjoyable, except the first one cuts off before it is finished.

:hi:

For some reason the second one is taking a while to load, but it is worth watching.

[Levi3]

11. hmmmm

hmmmmmm

[dkofos]

15. Seems to me this model could be used many different messages

that liberal/progressives want aired.

Like getting corporations out of politics.