Media Matters vs. Rupert Murdoch

---I suuurree do hate it for you Mr Foe News....Media Matters has your number and wipes the floor with your ass....I love it.---


Letter from David Brock to Rupert Murdoch
April 20, 2005

Rupert Murdoch
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Fox Broadcasting Company
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036-8799

Dear Mr. Murdoch:

I was intrigued to read your recent statement to World Screen magazine about alleged conservative bias at the Fox News Channel. "We are fair and balanced and we challenge anyone to show Fox News has any bias in it," you said.

My organization, Media Matters for America, has been monitoring the U.S. media, including Fox News, for nearly a year. We try to avoid using the term "bias" in describing news coverage, preferring to focus on the observable content of news stories, rather than try to discern the private attitudes of those who produce them, which amounts to speculation. Still, we can't help noticing a pronounced rightward tilt in your channel's news programs.

Attached you'll find just a few of the many examples that Media Matters has compiled, which demonstrate that conservative voices on Fox far outnumber progressive voices; that Fox anchors, reporters, and ostensibly non-ideological guests routinely inject pro-Republican opinion into "news" programs; and that even Fox's "hard news" anchors and reporters regularly distort the news to further the GOP agenda.

Many more examples of Fox News' promotion of conservative misinformation can be found on the Media Matters website.

Finally, Media Matters responds with a challenge of its own: Because we suspect your challenge was rhetorical, rather than a reflection of a sincere desire to assess Fox News' "balance," I suggest submitting these examples to a mutually-agreed-upon panel for review. Let's let a neutral body, rather than the CEO of Fox News' parent company, decide if Fox News "has any bias in it."

Sincerely,

David Brock
President & CEO
Media Matters for America

cc: Roger Ailes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Fox News Channel


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Here are some examples of Fox News' advancement of conservative opinion and misinformation:

Imbalance: Conservatives outnumber progressives

Hannity & Colmes' Schiavo case guest list not "fair and balanced"
Hannity & Colmes repeatedly featured Minuteman Project organizers and supporters, with almost no opposing viewpoint
Special Report's solo interviews reserved for "liberals" with conservative views
FOX aired 48 minutes more (20 percent) of RNC speeches than of DNC speeches (Even Fox News host Cal Thomas seemed to agree this fails the "fair and balanced" test)
Dems invisible in Fox News Channel Bush speech coverage

Unfairness: Injecting pro-GOP and conservative opinion at every opportunity

Fox News doctors AP reports to mimic White House terminology
Fox & Friends anchors heaped insults on Democrats during inauguration coverage
Fox's Kerry-bashing real estate agent
On Fox: "I really haven't heard anything negative about John Negroponte"
Cameron's fake Kerry story capped Fox commentators' manicure fixation
Led by Fox, "hard news" anchors on cable injected opinion into Schiavo coverage
33 internal editorial memos reviewed by Media Matters reveal Fox News Channel's inner workings

Inaccuracy: "Hard news" reporters make false claims

Distorting FDR: Bennett and Hume claimed father of Social Security system wanted privatization
Fox News reporter echoed Hannity's misleading claims on ANWR drilling
Hume accused Kerry of lying about Vietnam

Posted to the web on Wednesday April 20, 2005 at 3:48 PM EST

http://mediamatters.org/items/200504200004

---Mr. Brock I LOOOVEEE your site...Keep them honest. Your a hero.---