Fox News needs to be STOPPED!

I am a member of MoveOn.org and today I received an email about signing a petition. This petition requests that Fox News owner apologize for saying that Glenn Beck (don't get me started on him!) was right to call President Obama racist. If you follow the link in the below email, you can sign the petition as well. I recommend reading this, signing the petition, and boycotting Fox News.

Dear MoveOn member,

Rupert Murdoch, owner of FOX and the News Corporation empire, just said Glenn Beck "was right" when he called President Obama "racist."¹

This is a rare moment of candor from Murdoch, one of the most powerful media barons in the world.

Our friends at ColorOfChange.org are calling out Murdoch for FOX's long history of race-baiting.² Can you add your name to the growing demand for Murdoch to apologize and end FOX's race-baiting? Clicking here will add your name to our petition:

http://civic.moveon.org/murdoch/o.pl?id=17925-9319803-HkSYxqx&t=3

The petition says: "Rupert Murdoch should apologize and put an end to FOX's race-baiting, or admit he agrees with it."

ColorOfChange.org has successfully urged over 80 advertisers to cut ties with Glenn Beck's show after he called President Obama "racist."³ Murdoch is now backpedaling to keep advertisers from dropping FOX altogether.

Last week, Murdoch said, "if you actually assess what he was talking about, [Beck] was right" to say Obama is racist. When heads turned, Murdoch's spokesman insisted, "He does not at all, for a minute, think the president is a racist."⁴

But the meaning of Murdoch's words was clear. And he hasn't agreed to stop FOX's race-baiting.

FOX's top hosts are using racism to whip up opposition to President Obama:

• Glenn Beck accused Obama of "a deep-seated hatred for white people."⁵
• Sean Hannity accused Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor of anti-white racism.⁶
• Bill O'Reilly talked about "a lynching party" against Michelle Obama.⁷

FOX insists there's a difference between its news shows and its right-wing opinion shows. But FOX's "news" anchors have been just as bad as Hannity and Beck in accusing Justice Sotomayor of "reverse racism."⁸

FOX executives now describe the channel as "the voice of opposition" to Obama's administration. ⁹ FOX President Roger Ailes—who played on racial fears to help George H.W. Bush defeat Michael Dukakis—said, "I see this as the Alamo."¹⁰

Now the man in charge of it all, Rupert Murdoch, says he agrees with Glenn Beck's "racist" charge against President Obama.

If Murdoch wants to apologize, he should stop FOX's race-baiting. Add your name to our petition by clicking here:

http://civic.moveon.org/murdoch/o.pl?id=17925-9319803-HkSYxqx&t=4

Thank you for all you do.

–Noah, Carrie, Kat, Laura, and the rest of the team

Sources:
1. Rupert Murdoch interview, Sky News, November 6, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsboAwzj7aY

2. "An Open Letter to Rupert Murdoch: What Exactly Do You Mean?" The Huffington Post, November 10, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85168&id=17925-9319803-HkSYxqx&t=5

"Murdoch: Make a choice," ColorOfChange.org, November 11, 2009
http://www.colorofchange.org/murdoch/

3. "Help us hold the line," ColorOfChange.org
http://www.colorofchange.org/beck/hold/

4. "Murdoch doesn't consider Obama racist: Spox," Politico, November 10, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85169&id=17925-9319803-HkSYxqx&t=6

5. "Mad Man: Is Glenn Beck Bad for America?" Time, September 17, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=84861&id=17925-9319803-HkSYxqx&t=9

6. "Fox's news programs echo its "opinion" shows: Smears, doctored videos, GOP talking points," Media Matters for America, October 13, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200910130047

"Fox News is just asking about Sotomayor's 'wise Latina' remarks: 'New Racism?'" Media Matters for America, June 1, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200906010003

"Hannity distorts Sotomayor's comments to claim she 'seems to disagree' with Dr. King," Media Matters for America, June 12, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200906120017

"Hannity says Sotomayor defense of comments 'didn't work' for Allen, Lott," Media Matters for America, July 15, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907150044

"Media imagine scorn 'white male' would receive for equivalent of Sotomayor's 'wise Latina' remarks," Media Matters for America, May 29, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200905290044

7. "FOX Attacks! Michelle Obama," FOXAttacks.com, July 9, 2008
http://foxattacks.com/michelle/

8. "Fox's news programs echo its "opinion" shows: Smears, doctored videos, GOP talking points," Media Matters for America, October 13, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200910130047

"Fox News is just asking about Sotomayor's 'wise Latina' remarks: 'New Racism?'" Media Matters for America, June 1, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200906010003

"Hannity distorts Sotomayor's comments to claim she 'seems to disagree' with Dr. King," Media Matters for America, June 12, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200906120017

"Hannity says Sotomayor defense of comments 'didn't work' for Allen, Lott," Media Matters for America, July 15, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200907150044

"Media imagine scorn 'white male' would receive for equivalent of Sotomayor's 'wise Latina' remarks," Media Matters for America, May 29, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200905290044

9. "'Voice of the opposition': Fox News openly advocates against Democratic Congress, White House," Media Matters for America, September 11, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/reports/200909110016

10. "Fox News' rhetoric echoes Ailes' long history of race-baiting," Media Matters for America, October 27, 2009
http://mediamatters.org/research/200910270001