6.27.2010

Busting Fox News' BP propaganda

Those wonderful, tireless folks at Media Matters for America have done it again. They have identified the MYTHS Fox News would have you believe about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and just hammered that self-aggrandizing bunch of scoundrels with FACTS.

I can picture a sleep-deprived MMFA staff on a 48-hour, non-stop researchathon, chewing on Styrofoam cups of coffee, in zealous determination to defend truth.

I can picture it because I’ve been there, done that and bought the T-shirt.

They have produced an easy-to-read listing of myths, claims, realities and facts, which is 17 pages in length in a 12-point bold font. I have added subheads in all caps to guide the reader readily through their research and have placed the article in The Reading Room.

Treat this one like a good book: you have my word you won’t find it boring! And, boy, will you learn a few things!

To my family and friends in Gulf Coast states directly affected by this environmental and economic disaster, to all Americans, isn’t it time for Fox News to feel some shame for spreading lies on matters as dire and diverse as war and natural and manmade disasters?

Isn’t it time to recognize Fox News is in it for Rupert Murdoch’s bottom line and makes fools of its fans?

If the folks at MMFA can bust their butts busting media lies, distortions, half-truths and misinformation, can’t you take the time to examine their findings and prepare yourself to pass the facts along the next time you hear someone on Fox News say something like this:

"The (Obama) administration's response can be summed up as follows: demonize BP, seize its assets, raise taxes on energy and, therefore, raise prices, pile on regulation, appoint a commission, all to gloss over the failure to deal promptly with the oil spill. And then give us pipe dreams about a green future."

Well, can’t you?

Step into The Reading Room.

8 comments:

bondwooley said...

As Obama tackles the Gulf crisis, he's told America that if we can win WWII and put a man on the moon, we can solve our dependency on fossil fuels.

But there's a missing piece: the soldiers in WWII had the Pentagon and Neil Armstrong had NASA. What's the man on the street supposed to do to solve the fossil fuel problem? Is it time for an organized, funded effort?

The following link is to a satirical video, but it underscores this issue in real terms.

Link: You're Soaking In It

B.J. said...

bondwooley: I believe you were trolling the blogosphere looking for this issue, and that’s fine. I think we all would agree that the nation needs a grassroots, concerted effort to end our “addiction to fossil fuels.” I continually place the ultimate blame of the consumer.

But, this post is an effort to clear the air for my readers regarding certain media lies.

I hope you will come back to DemWit and read the post and related article. And, I hope my readers will check out your video – AFTER they read DemWit! :-)

Thanks for visiting. BJ

airth10 said...

With all the lies and myths Fox News has been rolling out about the Spill, I wonder if it has had a negative effect on its viewership of conservatives who live in the devastated area.

Tiny said...

Tiny watched the video and read the MMFA. Wanted to let bondwooley know Tiny grew up without electric and we made it just fine, raised all the food we put on the table. So it can be done. Solar energy does a great job of heating also.

It is way past time to put the skids under Fox talking heads and put them to work cleaning up the disaster we coastal people are dealing with. Let them do something productive for a change instead of all the damage they do with their lies and propaganda.

Give all of them a long vacation on the coastal beaches. Oil is furnished by BP for their tans, so no need to pack their own.

They can invite their reps in DC to accompany them. Then, taxpayers can quit paying for their tanning beds and salaries. We can put that money to better use for the masses of the people.

Since they won't want any money from the BP "slush fund" pay them minimun wage and the US will have a wad of money to pay down the deficit. America, we can make this work by banding together and demanding they work for their pay like 99% of the people have to do.

Excellent post, BJ. Wish you were the one running Fox and had a string of journalists like you. Truth in reporting is sorely missed in the MSM today.

Sue said...

airth I have wondered that too. With some conservatives crying and complaining about an Obama shakedown how could those Gulf coast conservatives vote for people who don't give a damn about their livelihoods and defend BP??

BJ I am a Media Matters reader as well as Think Progress and Alternet, great sites for sure!

Nance said...

It's late on the SoCal Coast, where I am visiting away from my SC Coastal home. I'm bookmarking the MMFA article for tomorrow morning's reading. Meanwhile, as always, it is so good to find a new Demwit post; I count the SC liberals I know on the fingers of one hand. It helps to know I am not alone. Thank you for link. (Bondwooley turned up on my site once, too. Only once, which always makes me suspicious.)

B.J. said...

Thanks for the comments (so far). I spent a great deal of time on this post because the oil spill is a story so big in scope, I felt it important that this very thorough fact-check be brought to readers’ attention and get as much exposure as possible.

I would like to answer airth10’s and Sue’s question:

“With all the lies and myths Fox News has been rolling out about the Spill, I wonder if it has had a negative effect on its viewership of conservatives who live in the devastated area.”

Fox News has a solid bloc of viewers in the states directly affected by the oil spill. A reading of the MMFA article makes it very clear that Fox News manipulates its viewers and purposefully leads them to believe the Obama administration is the culprit in what’s happening to them, not BP.

I believe this article is worth reading as this single issue clearly shows just how skillfully all at Fox News brainwash viewers – and that’s not too strong a term.

The most important thing Roger Ailes and Co. have done is convince viewers that what they say is true and all other sources of information are attempting to pull the wool over their eyes. In short, the “enemy.”

Hence, no matter how many sources of information prove Fox News lies, viewers will never know the difference because Fox News is their sole source of information. Look at the MMFA article: it quotes numerous dependable sources of information – including The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Denver Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, ABC News – yet Fox News viewers have been led to believe they can only trust Fox News.

And, they have such a good time doing it with program names like “Fox and Friends,” “America’s Newsroom” and “Happy Hour.”

This article certainly makes clear why Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly says Media Matters is “one of the most dangerous organizations in America.” Of course, they are to O’Reilly, because they consistently prove O’Reilly lies and uses his viewers.

I do so wish that every Fox News viewer could read the MMFA fact-check as they would come away with their eyes open to how they are being used.

All this is very personal to me for I have seen firsthand how it works.

Sigh.

BJ

Leslie Parsley said...

Sadly, I know so many people who watch Fox and believe every word of it. If you ask them if they bother to verify it, they either say no, they don't have to, or they say the sources you suggest are socialist sympathizers who distort the news!!! I put many of Media Matters on my FB but I suspect no one reads any of it. Too brainwashed.

Very good piece, BJ - I'm sure it took a lot of work.