Crazy like a Fox

The video above documents the orchestrated propaganda campaign Fox “News” has been waging against Media Matters. I’ve never heard so many distortions, smears and outright lies in only 6 minutes, 38 seconds—well, apart from nearly any 6:38 spent watching the channel, of course.

Fact: All non-profit groups, even public advocacy groups, can file for federal tax exemption. They fall into two broad categories: Ones for which contributions are tax-deductible for the donor, and ones where they aren’t. The first has more restrictions on what it can do, the second has fewer restrictions, but neither can engage in outright partisan electoral campaigns (such organisations are regulated by different laws). The ideology and political biases of groups are irrelevant in determining whether they receive federal tax exemption or not.

Does Fox REALLY want to go down this road? Because if Media Matters shouldn’t have a tax exemption, then neither should dozens upon dozens of far right political and religious groups. If Fox “News” wants Media Matters to have its tax-exempt status revoked, then obviously they’ll also call for revoking the tax-exempt status of fundamentalist churches that engage in overtly political activity and they’ll put a direct link to a pre-filled IRS complaint form on their website to complain about those churches, right? Oh, that’s right, Fox “News” brands that an “attack” on “religious liberty” or some other such nonsense.

Fox’s problem with Media Matters is that it is the one organisation that has consistently called Fox on its lies, smears and distortions. If Fox doesn’t like that, maybe they should just stop lying, smearing and distorting. If Fox doesn’t like being called the propaganda arm of the Republican Party, maybe they could try being fair and balanced for a change.

Instead, Fox attacks its critics. Fox organises its programmes and orchestrates what’s covered and how in order to further the interests and agenda of the Republican Party and far right conservatives generally. That’s not news. What IS news is how frightened Fox clearly is of Media Matters, which means that Media Matters is obviously being successful.

Fox “News” is hoping to silence its critics, and the stronger the critics, the more desperate Fox is to silence them. Fox knows that if they succeed, if they’re no longer held accountable for their lies, smears and distortions, they’ll be better able to advance the Republican/extremist agenda.

So while this video makes it look like everyone on Fox “News” is insane, they’re not. They’re merely following their orders to lie, smear and distort, as always. The bosses who orchestrate the propaganda aren’t insane, either. Attempting to hoodwink their viewers into doing their corporate dirty work for them is evil genius. If Rupert Murdoch’s henchmen at Fox are crazy, they’re crazy like a Fox.