MoveOn activists throughout the nation are demanding that companies together with Subway, AT&T, Basic Motors, and Comcast cease funding Fox Information, in efforts to carry the community accountable for dividing Individuals and spreading disinformation, bias, lies, and hate. Cable corporations and advertisers present two main income streams for Fox Information, thus enabling the lies they unfold. The best method MoveOn members can maintain Fox Information accountable is to demand that these corporations “lower the wire” and cease funding the channel by any new promoting or potential elevated cable charges.
Why Fox Information is problematic:
Based on a latest Navigator report, two-thirds of Individuals, together with 69% of independents and 46% of Republicans, imagine Fox Information divides the nation and places a political agenda and earnings forward of getting the story proper. Two in three Individuals report they’ve heard about Fox Information firing speak present host Tucker Carlson, and a plurality imagine it was the best determination.
The report additionally revealed that Individuals are troubled by the community’s inaccuracy, propaganda, and division. Individuals’ issues are taking a transparent toll on the community, as Fox Information’ viewership has dropped inside the final month: Navigator studies that common viewership has declined by 4 share factors (from 38% to 34%) since mid-April of this 12 months.
Fox Information pushes a right-wing political agenda, undermining our democracy with its inherent deceit and spreading of disinformation. “Fox Information’ lies are fueled by the monetary assist of company advertisers like Basic Motors, AT&T, and Subway–each greenback that these companies and others give to Fox Information funds its excessive rhetoric, bigotry, disinformation, and conspiracy theories,” shares MoveOn Govt Director Rahna Epting. “Potential advertisers ought to be on discover: We gained’t again down from protesting these companies till they cease funding Fox’s lies.”
How MoveOn members are taking motion in opposition to Fox Information:
Simply final month, Fox Information paid Dominion Voting Programs practically $800 million in a blockbuster settlement over the community’s 2020 election lies. Sadly, this sum is nothing greater than the “price of doing enterprise” for the media big. This isn’t accountability. Not solely does Fox Information nonetheless have to go on-air to acknowledge pushing lies and conspiracy theories that undermined our democracy, however the corporations who financially assist Fox Information should cease funding the community–or else allow them to proceed stoking division and spreading disinformation.
Within the final a number of weeks, our #StopFundingFox initiative has heightened following the Dominion trial, Fox Information’ latest annual upfront pitch to advertisers in New York Metropolis, and Fox’s firing of Tucker Carlson. Our members are taking motion in quite a lot of methods to get advertisers’ consideration and persuade them to cease funding Fox:
Protesting on the Fox Information upfront in NYC: MoveOn coordinated a rally with Media Issues for America and Reality Tuesdays on the Fox upfront to make sure advertisers heard our calls for to cease funding Fox as they walked into their assembly with the community. Protesters gathered with indicators declaring, “Advertisers: Drop Fox,” “Fox Information is Fake Information,” and extra–all in an try to discourage advertisers from funding Fox Information.
Internet hosting Cease Funding Fox rallies in different cities: MoveOn hosted Cease Funding Fox rallies on the headquarters of Subway in Miami and Basic Motors in Detroit with cellular billboards. Members delivered our petition with 60,000 signatures echoing this demand for the businesses to cease promoting with Fox Information.
Launched a digital advert concentrating on AT&T, Subway, and Basic Motors: The identical day because the rallies and the Fox upfront, we launched a digital advert highlighting that the lies Fox Information spreads are funded by companies. Any quantity of promoting on Fox Information subsidizes and helps the community’s far-right propaganda programming.
Calling Subway, AT&T, and GM out by way of social media: MoveOn members have additionally taken to Fb to get advertisers’ consideration and maintain them accountable for persevering with to fund Fox. In a Fb response to AT&T, MoveOn member Sundra Allen mentioned, “Please cease supporting Fox Information till their information is reality and opinion provided that acknowledged as such. Thanks.” MoveOn member Ronnie Carlson wrote the next on Subway’s Fb web page: “I’ve at all times gone to Subway. Till you cease funding Fox [N]ews, myself and my whole household will NOT be returning!”In a Fb response to Basic Motors, MoveOn member Christine Bourg shared, “I personal a GM automobile. I believe GM is a professional American firm. However supporting Fox Information with their lies and hate crammed bigotry in opposition to the individuals of shade, members of the LGBTQ group and progressives typically could be very unAmerican…”
How one can take motion in opposition to Fox Information:
The Fox Information controversy gained’t finish with out direct, steady motion in opposition to the businesses funding Fox’s biased political agenda. We launched our Cease Funding Fox web site in April 2023 to take motion in opposition to mentioned advertisers for funding Fox Information’ harmful rhetoric and spreading conspiracy theories.
You possibly can take motion by signing the petition to make Fox Information non-compulsory, calling your cable firm and telling them you don’t need your cable invoice to extend due to Fox, and emailing Fox funders demanding that they cease enabling Fox Information’ lies, propaganda, and bigotry by dropping all future promoting on Fox Information. Go to Cease Funding Fox to study extra and become involved.
