September 29, 2010

President Obama recently sat down with Rolling Stone magazine and offered his thoughts on our political and media climate. He also had some strong words for Fox News:

It is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view…It’s a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world.

He’s right. Since President Obama was inaugurated last year, Fox has undergone a transformation from a conservative-leaning news source to, as Fox News’ senior Vice President put it, “the voice of the opposition.”

On issues ranging from taxes to health care to the environment, the role of Islam to the role of unions, Fox acts like a political operation, not a news network. Fox’s “opinion” and “news” hosts routinely select whatever facts they need or advance falsehoods to sell the network’s conservative political agenda. In so doing, Fox pushes messages intended not to make people more informed, but to inspire fear and anger in its audience. What’s even more dangerous is that Fox provides a platform not just for a political party‘s talking points, but for racially charged attacks and religious smears.

Stand up to Fox — support Media Matters for America today.

Through its on-air promotion of Republican candidates and causes, its support for, and cheerleading of, the Tea Party movement, its tolerance of extreme rhetoric and willingness to ignore facts, Fox News is distorting the political process.

Every day, Media Matters for America stands up to the lies and smears Fox and its allies in the conservative media try to advance. We expose the extreme rhetoric that would otherwise fly below the radar and we counter falsehoods with facts, putting a halt to the smears and misinformation before they become accepted fact. Stand with us and help us carry on this important task.

Stand up to Fox — support Media Matters for America today.

Thank you for your support.

Ari Rabin-Havt
Vice President
Media Matters for America