moveon.org :statements challenging the veracity of Fox News’ attacks on "Outfoxed" whistleblowers

Yahoo! Mail - j_olmsted@yahoo.com: A variety of statements have emerged challenging the veracity of Fox News’ attacks on the whistleblowers in Robert Greenwald’s new documentary “Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism.”

As an example, CableNewser.com, an anonymous web site profiled in the New York Times as a place where journalists and others have gone to blow the whistle on journalistic gaffes, posted a statement on Wednesday from a current Fox employee, supporting the whistleblowers’ claims.

Below, please find statements from the anonymous current Fox News employee and two former Fox employees who appeared in Greenwald’s film:


Statement by Anonymous Current Fox Employee

(as found of CableNewser.com)

There are many talented, hard-working people at FNC. Their politics span the spectrum, just as you might expect at any workplace. Everyone's different.

...Let me say for the record that all the prime time shows are NOT straight news programs. These are all host-driven shows, and no matter the politics espoused, I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with them. Hosts have opinions and are free to express them...

The real problem at FNC is the straight news coverage where politics are concerned. FNC always touts the fact that they have lots of Democrats on the network. That's true. But, and this is a huge BUT, Democrats are consistently challenged by the anchors of the daytime news shows, while Republicans are almost always given a pass in the form of a softball interview. That's fair?

The true journalists here, be them on-air or news gatherers, want EVERYONE challenged, not just Democrats. But that's not the Fox News way.

I can't stress how important that distinction is in news reporting. David Asman does it, Jon Scott does it, Linda Vester does it, and on, and on, and on. Let the GOP off easy, and pound the Democrat du jour. And let me ask, can anyone on this planet say with a straight face that "Fox and Friends" is anything but a Pro-Bush/Anti-Kerry show Seriously!

Maybe all of us who do disagree with how news is presented here at FNC should stand on principle and leave. Some high profile people have. Catherine Crier, a Republican judge, no less, couldn't stand the fact that management wanted her to keep pounding on the Monica Lewinsky story night after night on her show. She couldn't take it anymore, and found another home.

I read with interest the comments made by John Moody about people being free to email and/or call him about things they might disagree with. Let's be clear here. What John Moody says is the gospel here. There's no real dissent. He knows better than to suggest otherwise. FNC isn't run as a democracy, nor should it be. But to suggest that the on-air talent and producers are free to report the news as they see fit is disingenuous at best.

Finally, one of the things the rank and file absolutely cringe at is the way ex-employees or any detractors of FNC are treated by management. Nothing short of scorched-earth will do as far as slamming these individuals. It's really disgusting, and embarrassing for all of us. That can be laid right at Ailes' doorstep. He sets the tone for that kind of nonsense.

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Statement by David Korb, Former Fox Employee

(as found of CableNewser.com)

Ouch! I and the other “ex-Foxies” in Outfoxed" had been wondering how and when Roger Ailes would launch his campaign to 'attack and destroy' those of us who participated in the production. In fact I fully expected that the personal note I emailed to [a FOX senior editor] last February would be 're-surfaced' by Fox management. Fact is, too, I wrote to [him], in some measure with tongue in cheek, to convey "no hard feelings."

(Indeed, while [he] and I don't share the same idea of "Fair and Balanced" journalism, I hold many of my former colleagues at Fox in the highest regard. Overall, they're a great bunch, and yes, I did look forward to working with them every day, and to the opportunity to try to bring some real journalism, fair and balanced, to Fox. Alas, a futile effort.) I never had any expectation of returning to Fox. I surely would not have done so. And I thought Gaffney would get the thinly veiled joke...

Attitude problem? Well, sure. I've been in the news business for more than 30 years, and I'd never seen anything quite like Fox. My commitment to traditional Journalistic principles occasionally did put me at odds with producers, who instructed writers to stay away from mention of dead American soldiers and Iraqi civilians and to keep the war coverage up-beat. Sorry for any headaches I might've caused, but while at Fox, my goal was to play it straight: I wrote, they decided how to rewrite...

Fox's attack is pretty transparent. It proves a central theme of "Outfoxed," that Ailes rules the newsroom by threat, intimidation, and bullying.

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Statement by Clara Frenk, former Fox Employee

I'm disappointed but not surprised that Fox News Channel executives have tried to discredit those of us who came forward by referring to us as “former low level Fox employees.” Among the people interviewed were former bookers, producers, writers and on-air personalities for his film - in other words, the very people who got Fox's product on the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If I were a currently employed by Fox in any of these capacities, I'd be pretty insulted that my job was being diminished by the company I worked for.

As for the allegation that I was only a booker and not a producer, this is just nonsense. My former colleague Geraldine O'Connell and I produced a segment that ran in the morning, Monday through Friday, called "Beltway Buzz". I was asked to log tape, go on stakeouts, and conduct interviews that were used in packages - all the work of a producer, not a booker. Furthermore, I was moved from one workspace to another in the Washington bureau to make way for the new booker they hired to replace me after I became a producer.