Is Fox News Scared? Desperate Attacks On Watchdog Group Media Matters Suggest Yes

[Hissyspit]

http://www.alternet.org/story/151558/is_fox_news_scared_desperate_attacks_on_watchdog_group_media_matters_suggest_yes?akid=7230.24869.TR3VpH&rd=1&t=8

Is Fox News Scared? Desperate Attacks on Watchdog Group Media Matters Suggest Yes

The Fox News pack is on the warpath against media watchdog group Media Matters.
July 8, 2011 |

- snip -

The Fox News pack is on the warpath against the media watchdog group, Media Matters. In the past two weeks it has featured over 30 stories with the express purpose of challenging the group’s right to exist. Fox has assigned network stalwarts like Bill O’Reilly, Bret Baier, Charles Krauthammer, James Rosen, Dick Morris, and Bernie Goldberg to the mission. This is an unprecedented, broadly distributed attack by a major media enterprise against a non-profit group it regards as an adversary.

- snip -

On the basis of that criteria, Fox News argues that Media Matters is in violation and should have its tax-exempt status revoked. However, in order for that to be valid, Fox would have to admit that it is a political operation so that attacks on Fox News would qualify as opposition to political campaigns and/or candidates. Without that stipulation there is no violation on the part of Media Matters. So Fox is, in effect, conceding its role as a Republican mouthpiece. Shocking, I know.

Even if Fox were to come out of the propaganda closet, Media Matters would still be in the clear because the non-profit prohibition is explicitly related to campaigns and candidates and to lobbying. Since Media Matters is not directly aiding any political campaign or engaged in lobbying members of congress, there is no violation of its tax-exempt status. Politico cites attorney Marcus Owens, a former director of the Exempt Organization Division of the IRS, as saying that “the law is on Media Matters’ side.”

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Not only is that a waste of time because of the reasons stated above, it is also unethical. Has anyone ever heard of a news enterprise directing its viewers to file official complaints against another organization it regards as an enemy? If NBC were to instruct its viewers to file tax status complaints against the Tea Party because the organization attacks the network, would the folks at Fox News consider that acceptable?

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[aquart]

1. Forgot link?

[deacon]

2. Link!

[LARED]

3. I think it was Bill Clinton that said

"Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel."

Scared? I doubt it.

[PCIntern]

11. Mark Twain? n/t

[LARED]

13. I thought it was Twain that said that,

but I could only find an attribution to Bill Clinton

[tomm2thumbs]

4. posting what I think is the link

http://www.alternet.org/media/151558/is_fox_news_scared_desperate_attacks_on_watchdog_group_media_matters_suggest_yes?page=entire

hope that is the right one - I've left off links countless times - just tryin' to help out

[Hissyspit]

5. Already fixed it.

But thanks. :thumbsup:

[tomm2thumbs]

12. kewlz

always ahead of the game!

[Harry Callahan]

6. I imagine that when Media Matters declared "war" on Fox,

they expected some sort of response.

I wonder if they realize how amusing it is to watch as two hypocrites go after one another.

[rurallib]

7. how is media matters hypocritical?

just saying it doesn't make it so

[Hissyspit]

8. How is Media Matters hypocritical?

Please explain or appear to be posting just so much false equivalence.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Since media matters is critical of just about everybody

who is big media... just because fox lies more often... or more obvious, does not mean anybody went to war with them... are you sure you are in the right site by the way?

[LARED]

10. Declarations of media wars can only mean one thing

Higher ratings for both.

[vanlassie]

15. Uh....How IS Media Matters hypocritical?

[SpiralHawk]

14. "Fox (R) needs to come out of the propaganda closet." - Honorable Human Beings

"We are sick and tired of Republicon darkside propaganda masking itself as Fox 'news.' Cut the darkside closeted occult crap now."

- Honorable Human Beings