Media Matters' war against Fox

[cal04]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51949.html

The liberal group Media Matters has quietly transformed itself in preparation for what its founder, David Brock, described in an interview as an all-out campaign of “guerrilla warfare and sabotage” aimed at the Fox News Channel.

(snip)
“The strategy that we had had toward Fox was basically a strategy of containment,” said Brock, Media Matters’ chairman and founder and a former conservative journalist, adding that the group’s main aim had been to challenge the factual claims of the channel and to attempt to prevent them from reaching the mainstream media.

The new strategy, he said, is a “war on Fox.”

(snip)
Media Matters, Brock said, is assembling opposition research files not only on Fox’s top executives but on a series of midlevel officials. It has hired an activist who has led a successful campaign to press advertisers to avoid Glenn Beck’s show. The group is assembling a legal team to help people who have clashed with Fox file lawsuits for defamation, invasion of privacy or other causes. And it has hired two experienced reporters, Joe Strupp and Alexander Zaitchik, to dig into Fox’s operation and to help assemble a book on the network, due out in 2012 from Vintage/Anchor. (In the interest of full disclosure, Media Matters last month also issued a report criticizing “Fox and Friends” co-host Steve Doocy’s criticism of this reporter’s blog.)

[A wise Man]

1. GREAT.......

IF ONLY THEY WOULD HAVE COMPLETE SUCCESS AT DESTROYING FOX. AT LEAST EXPOSE THEM FOR WHAT THEY REALLY ARE....MAYBE 1 OUT OF 100 VIEWERS MIGHT JUST MIGHT WAKE UP IN AMERICA FROM A LONG IGNORANT SLEEP.

[rosesaylavee]

2. If you follow them on Facebook

this makes sense. Good for them. I hope tho that they don't forget the others involved like CNN and MSNBC and PBS when applicable. Destroy Fox and the rats will just run to other networks. The whole damn 'news' mechanism needs to be eventually analysed and fixed. I like Al Jazeera best at the moment but still have to filter their version of 'news' for the propaganda surrounding it.

[greytdemocrat]

3. Best of luck to them. N/T

[flamingdem]

4. Best of luck to them!! nt

[Scuba]

5. Best wishes !!!

[fittosurvive]

6. You've gotta wonder why there is so much fascination with Fox News.

To the knowing observer, it is abundantly clear that they represent a "certain point of view." Similarly, the same applies to MSNBC.

There are too many information resources available at people's fingertips to worry about Fox News. Accordingly, this is a trivial and insignificant issue.

[Bandit]

12. You gotta wonder why any poster here would be defending Fox News.

We know the influence Fox News has and it's detriment to America. Why would you or anyone here Pooh Pooh the idea of challenging them?

[fittosurvive]

13. Defending...? What is there to defend? Likewise, what is there to fear?

People are influenced by many things, far too many to warrant my effort to be concerned about it.

[blondeatlast]

16. Brock knows how they operate--he was one of them. Read

"The Republican Noise Machine"--you won't dismiss them so causally after that and it's an entertaining read to boot.

[QED]

18. The "problem" with Fox is that so many low information voters believe what they see on Fox

It's hard for me to fathom, but some people do think Beck is for real. He's already influenced violence, i.e. the guy in California who was apprehended on his way to shoot up an agency Beck had vilified.

And, if it weren't for Fox, I doubt that the Tea Party would have taken off. Fox gave it loads of publicity and I think sponsored some of its rallies. How else would Rand Paul have been elected? Of course there's the Koch Brothers money too - I wonder if they're *working* with Ailes. Conspiracy? Yeah, maybe.

[snot]

7. Great! And . . .

. . . this is a very short-term strategy. Even assuming it's successful, are they going to do the same thing again next year, and the year after that?

Would it not be best to focus at last as much time and energy on reforming media law, including getting real net neutrality passed?

I'm not saying it's either/or; but the problem is systemic.

It would be great if they win this battle, especially if the spoils turn out to be something that can be used in the larger war.

But this is an infowar, and it's not about pressuring particular networks into temporarily behaving better; it's about breaking up and preventing information monopolies.

[Lint Head]

8. Fox's existence adds no value to the news or political discourse and should disappear

Their organization is a propaganda sham and intelligent people are unwilling to shut their lies down. This has nothing to do with free speech otherwise the KKK and Storm Watch would have an international cable network

[AC_Mem]

9. Media Matters serves a VITAL role in America today

and we should not underestimate the importance of what they are taking on. MMFA and staff have been my "heroes" for several years and my admiration for exposing the ugly underbelly of FoxGOP is deep.

I plan to do my part to promote any book that comes from their efforts and I hope everyone who is worried about the destruction of our country by the billionaires and the billionaire-bought congress will join me.

Right now I have a sticker on the door of my apartment that says "Turn off Fox - Bad News For America" - I get allot of interesting comments about it! :)

Annette

[Kingofalldems]

10. K and R for Fox little pallies

[SpiralHawk]

11. Oh o. More skanky dirty Republicon - Fox diapers to be EXPOSED

This won't be pretty.

Gack. Republicon diaperloads.

The very thought :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[SalviaBlue]

14. Now, there's a war I can support 100%.

[Hawaii Hiker]

15. Excellent news!

:woohoo:

[UTUSN]

17. K&R #22. BROCK is about the only case of authentic rehabilitation that there is. n/t

[NorthCarolina]

19. K&R

[spanone]

20. 'thank you' media matters....someone needs to rebut their horseshit

presented as news

[Keith Bee]

21. You had me at "war against Fox"

K&R ;-)

[Ramulux]

22. Hell yeah

Media Matters already has years and years of dirt and lies from Fox and I'm glad they are finally going to start playing offense.

[druidity33]

23. The Soros connection?

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/nyt-soros-donates-1-million-to-fight-fox-and-glenn-beck/

Media NYT: Soros Donates $1 Million to Media Matters for Fight Against FOX and Glenn Beck

George Soros has long claimed not to be a funder of the liberal media group Media Matters for America (MMFA). That will all change today when the billionaire philanthropist donates a reported $1 million to the organization, which will use the money to hold “Fox host Glenn Beck and others on the cable news channel accountable for their reporting,” the New York Times reports.

According to a statement obtained by the Times “The Caucus” blog, MMFA is set to announce the donation later today. That statement reads in part:

Fox has transformed itself into a 24-7 G.O.P. attack machine, dividing Americans through fear-mongering and falsehoods and undermining the legitimacy of our government for partisan political ends. … We are especially pleased that in this moment of hidden right-wing billionaire money corrupting our democracy, Mr. Soros, upon deciding to support our efforts, quickly and transparently has made that support public.

In an accompanying statement obtained by the Times, Soros continues his stance that he has “not to date been a funder” of the organization, but says the donation is now necessary in order to fight Fox News and the “incendiary rhetoric” of its hosts.