Progressive Democrat Issue 112: MEDIA ACTION: Ann Coulter and Fox News

This also comes from Daily Kos. We are in the middle of what seems to be a successful campaign to convince advertisers that they should not be advertising with Ann Coulter because of her advocacy of terrorism, incitement to violence, and her use of hate speech. Already more than 20 advertisers, including Verizon, AT&T/Cingular, Gulf Shores.com/Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Netbank, are removing their ads from Ann Coulter's website and this has gotten the attention of the mainstream media which has reported on the Daily Kos effort.

Remember, Ann Coulter has publicly advocated bombing the NY Times building, poisoning a Supreme Court justice, beating up American citizens she disagrees with, and has expressed hatred of 9/11 widows. Some advertisers, once made aware of the kind of things she says, do pull their ads.

So we are keeping up the pressure and need your help. The Daily Kos Story has an extensive list of advertisers and I strongly urge you to take a look and contact a few. I will highlight a handful here, but this is only a fraction of the targeted advertisers. Go to the Daily Kos Story for a full list.

USA Today: Marketing/Advertising email contact page is here.

Dish Network: Media/Public Relations email is press@echostar.com.

Hertz Rent-A-Car: 800-654-4173 (remind them that Dollar rentals has already pulled their ads and that makes you feel more favorable towards them because they are responsive to customers)

Best Western Hotels: 1-800-780-7234

Please take a moment to contact these advertisers.

I also want to emphasize that one place Ann Coulter is a favorite is Fox Propoganda. And they are trying to host one of the Democratic Primary debates. So I want to append my last week's action alert regarding MoveOn.org's fight against Fox. But I also want to add that Edwards has announced that he would boycott a debate hosted by Fox. This makes me like Edwards more! But he probably can't follow through if he is the only candidate who does this. So please contact the other candidates to tell them to boycott Fox:

Barack Obama:
campaign phone number (866) 675-200

Hillary Clinton:
campaign phone number (202) 263-0180

Bill Richardson:
campaign phone number (505) 982-2291

Chris Dodd:
campaign phone number (202) 737-3633

Joe Biden:
campaign phone number (202) 547-2221

It is even better if you contacat whichever candidate you support, if you have decided yet. But now the repeat of last week's MoveOn.org action and related info:

MoveOn.org, the organization that may well have done the decisive get out the vote efforts for the November 2006 elections, is now turning its attention to the Fox Propoganda Machine. Here's the latest MoveOn.org campaign:

The Democratic Party of Nevada just announced plans to let Fox News host a presidential primary debate.1 But Fox isn't a legitimate news channel. It's a right-wing mouthpiece like Rush Limbaugh and the Drudge Report—repeating false Republican talking points to smear Democrats.

Fox has already tried to skew the '08 race by accusing Senator Barack Obama of attending a terrorist school. CNN immediately exposed the charge as false,2 and Obama hit back by refusing to appear on Fox—sending them scrambling.3 Democrats can force Fox to be fair and balanced by fighting back hard.

Can you sign this petition asking the Democratic Party of Nevada to drop Fox as its partner for the presidential primary debate?

The full text of the petition is: "Fox is a mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a legitimate news channel. The Democratic Party of Nevada should drop Fox as its partner for the presidential primary debate."

Clicking here will add your name to the petition.

It's very important to also invite our friends to sign this petition. If ever there was a battle where we could beat Fox, this is it—since Democrats will make the ultimate decision, not Fox executives. But to be convinced, Democratic leaders need to see a growing public backlash.

We'll deliver the petition signatures to the Democratic Party of Nevada and let petition signers know what next steps they can take to make a difference.

When you click the petition link, you'll see a great new YouTube video from filmmaker Robert Greenwald called "Fox Attacks: Obama." It exposes Fox's numerous attacks on Senator Obama—saying he attended a terrorist school, belittling his race, and implying that his name sounds like that of a terrorist.

Fox has also spread false smears about Hillary Clinton this year.4 Plus, when Democrats trusted Fox to host a presidential debate in 2003, Fox undermined Democrats with on-screen headlines like "Democratic Candidates Offer Grim View of America."5

We can fight back. The Washington Post reported that "the Obama camp has 'frozen out' Fox News reporters and producers in the wake of the network's major screw-up in running with the erroneous Obama-the-jihadist story." "'I'm still in the freezer,' one Fox journalist said." Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has personally called Obama twice to smooth relations.3

As the 2008 cycle begins, we need to show Fox there will be serious repercussions for being part of right-wing smear jobs—and we need to show voters they cannot trust Fox for news.

Can you sign this petition asking the Democratic Party of Nevada not to partner with Fox for a presidential primary debate?

The full text of the petition is: "Fox is a mouthpiece for the Republican Party, not a legitimate news channel. The Democratic Party of Nevada should drop Fox as its partner for the presidential primary debate."

Clicking here will add your name to the petition.

Thank you for all you do.

–Noah, Adam G., Marika, Wes, and the MoveOn.org Civic Action Team
Thursday, February 22nd, 2007

Sources:

1. "FNC Hosts Democratic Debate," Mediabistro.com, February 16, 2007

2. "CNN Debunks False Obama 'Madrassa' Smear," ThinkProgress.org, January 22, 2007

3. "Obama's Grudge Factor," Washingtonpost.com, January 30, 2007

4. "O'Reilly and Miller recycled false attack on Clinton's attendance at 9-11 memorials," Media Matters, February 15, 2007

"Right-wing media figures claim Clinton behind Obama/Muslim smears," Media Matters, January 19, 2007


5. "Nevada Dems getting outfoxed?" Lasvegasgleaner.com, February 20, 2007

If the Nevada Dems do the right thing here, I'd send them a donation to thank them. I suggest you make a similar offer.

For those who want to take things a bit further, here are some sites you can get more information on the extremist right wing lies and propoganda that Fox spews at us:

http://www.outfoxed.org/

http://mediamatters.org/

Also, there are ongoing boycotts of Fox Progoganda Channel advertisers. Check out the following sites, pick an advertiser or two, and start writing them as often as you want complaining about their advertising on a channel that spreads lies, advocates terrorist attacks on America and anti-Semitism. Here are some sites you might be interested in if you want to take on Fox Lies:

http://foxattacks.com/

http://skinthefox.com/boycott_001.htm

Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.