by David Brock
3. On the Record, Fox News Channel, October 31, 2010; “Fox Primary: Palin and Van Susteren Lash Out at Politico ‘Trash Piece’ and Rove,” MediaMatters.org, October 31, 2010, mediamatters.org/mmtv/201010310029.
4. Jonathan Martin and Keach Hagey, “Fox Primary: Complicated, Contractual,” Politico, September 27, 2010, www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/42745.html.
5. Ibid.
6. Varney & Co., Fox Business Channel, September 9, 2010, video.fox business.com/v/4333060/bolton-for-president-im-thinking-about-it.
7. “Updated Report: Fox News’ $55 Million Presidential Donation,” MediaMatters.org, January 24, 2011, mediamatters.org/research/201101240010.
8. Glenn Beck, Fox News Channel, October 2, 2010; “Beck Revives Anti- Semitic Soros Conspiracy Theory,” MediaMatters.org, October 6, 2010, mediamatters.org/research/201010060033.
9. Berita Harian (excerpted by BBC Summary of World Broadcasts), October 10, 1997; “Beck Revives Anti-Semitic Soros Conspiracy Theory,” mediamatters.org/research/201010060033.
10. Glenn Beck, Fox News Channel, November 9, 2010; “ ‘Puppet Master’: Beck Lies About Soros, Day 1,” MediaMatters.org, November 10, 2010, mediamatters.org/research/201011100002.
11. James Besser, “Glenn Beck’s ‘Monstrous’ Soros Accusations Rile Holocaust Survivors, Jewish Groups,” Jewish Week, November 11, 2010, www.thejewishweek.com/
blogs/political_insider/glenn_becks_monstrous
_soros_accusations_rile_holocaust_survivors_jewish.
12. “Fox News’ Ailes Tells Team to Tone Down Rhetoric,” Roll Call, January 10, 2011, www.rollcall.com/news/-202342–1.html.
13. Glenn Beck, Fox News Channel, January 11, 2011; “Beck: Lawmakers Are ’Pushing a Ban on Certain Symbols and Words, a Ban on Guns, a Ban on Talk Radio,” MediaMatters.org, January 11, 2011, mediamatters.org/mmtv/201101110038.
14. Sarah Palin Twitter Account: https://twitter.com
/#!/sarahpalinusa/status/29677744457.
15. Gabriel Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room,” New York, May 22, 2011, nymag.com/print/?/news/media/roger-ailes-fox-news-2011–5/.
16. “America’s Enduring Strength,” Sarah Palin’s Facebook page, Janu- ary 12, 2011, www.facebook.com/notes/sarah-palin/americas-enduring-strength/487510653434.
17. Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room.”
18. Glenn Beck, Fox News Channel, January 31, 2011; Sean Easter and Todd Gregory, “In Egypt Protests, Beck Sees … a New Islamic Caliphate and Communist Revolution?” County Fair (blog), MediaMatters.org, February 1, 2010, mediamatters.org/blog/201102010001.
19. William Kristol, “Stand for Freedom,” The Weekly Standard, February 14, 2011, www.weeklystandard.com/articles/stand-freedom_541404.html.
20. Joe Klein, “How Long, Glenn Beck, How Long?” Swampland (blog), Time, February 5, 2011, swampland.time.com/2011/02/05/how-long-glenn-beck-how-long/.
21. “Glenn Beck to End Daily Fox News Program,” FoxNation.com, April 6, 2011, nation.foxnews.com/glenn-beck/2011/04/06/glenn-beck-end-daily-fox-news-program.
22. Ibid.
23. The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News Channel, August 3, 2009.
24. Eric Boehlert, “How Fox Teamed Up with Trump for Birtherpalooza,” MediaMatters.org, April 27, 2011, mediamatters.org/blog/201104270016.
25. “Report: Fox Promotes Birther Myth in at Least 52 Segments,” MediaMatters.org, April 27, 2011, mediamatters.org/research/201104270009.
26. Justice with Judge Jeanine, Fox News Channel, April 9, 2011, mediamatters.org/mmtv/201104100003.
27. Hannity, Fox News Channel, March 25, 2011; “Hannity Says It’s ‘Not True’ that Obama Has Shown His Birth Certificate,” MediaMatters.org, March 25, 2011, mediamatters.org/mmtv/201103250044.
28. Kirk Johnson, “Evidence Aside, State Lawmakers Debate ‘Birther’ Bills,” New York Times, April 21, 2011,
www.nytimes.com/2011/04/22/us/politics/
22birthers.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=birther&st=cse.
29. Interview with Media Matters for America conducted by Joe Strupp, May 16, 2011.
30. Fox News Sunday, Fox News Channel, November 29, 2009; “Huckabee: If I Don’t Run for President, It’s Because ‘This Fox Gig I Got Right Now’ Is ‘Really, Really Wonderful,’ ” MediaMatters.org, November 29, 2009, mediamatters.org/mmtv/200911290002.
31. Matea Gold, “Fox News Pulls Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum off the Air Because of Their Interest in Running for President,” Los Angeles Times, March 2, 2011, articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/02/news/la-pn-fox-candidates-suspended-20110303.
32. Gabriel Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room,” New York, May 22, 2011, nymag.com/print/?/news/media/roger-ailes-fox-news-2011-5/.
33. Interview with Media Matters for America conducted by Joe Strupp, May 17, 2011.
Epilogue
1. Mark Joyella, “Spin Cycle: How the Cable Nets Would Like Us to Report May’s Ratings,” Mediaite, June 2, 2011, www.mediaite.com/tv/spin-cycle-how-the-cable-nets-would-like-us-to-report-mays-ratings/.
2. The Radio Factor, Westwood One, December 14, 2004; “O’Reilly to Media Matters: ‘[You] Character Assassins … You Guys Really Are Despicable Weasels,’ ” MediaMatters.org, December 15, 2004, mediamatters.org/research/200412150005.
3. C. Boyden Gray, “Taxpayers’ Subsidization of War on Fox News,” Washington Times, June 21, 2011, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/21/gray-taxpayers-subsidization-of-war-on-fox-news/.
4. “Fox “News” Judgment: Media Matters Tax Status More Important Than NY Same-Sex Marriage Bill,” MediaMatters.org, July 12, 2011, mediamatters.org/research/201107120012.
5. Fox & Friends, Fox News Channel, July 5, 2011.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Media Matters 2009 IRS Form 990.
9. Keach Hagey, “Fox News Takes on Media Matters,” Politico, July 7, 2011, www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/58468.html.
10. “Stories Which Raised Prince William’s Suspicions,” Daily Mail, August 9, 2006, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-399818/Stories-raised-Prince-Williams-suspicions.html.
11. Paul LaRosa, “News of the World Hacking Scandal Began with Prince William,” CBS News, July 18, 2011, www.cbsnews.com/8301–504083_162–20080329–504083.html.
12. Nick Davis and Amelia Hill, “Missing Milly Dowler’s Voicemail Was Hacked by News of the World,” Guardian, July 4, 2011, www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world.
13. Ibid.
14. “U.K. Government Turns Against Murdoch’s Bid for British Sky Broadcasting,” Associated Press, July 12, 2011, bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1351351.
15. Sarah Lyall and Graham Bowley, “Murdoch Veterans Portray an Engaged Boss,” New York Times, July 25, 2011, www.nytimes.com/
2011/07/26/world/europe/26murdoch.html.
16. Kenneth Lovett, “Chalk It Up to the Hacks: New York Scraps $27 Million Education Contract with Murdoch Firm,” Daily News (New York), Au- gust 27, 2011, articles.nydailynews.com/2011–08–27/news/30103709_1_wireless-generation-phone-hacking-scandal-murdoch.
17. Bruce Orwall, “In Interview, Murdoch Defends News Corp.,” Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2011, online.wsj.com/
article/SB10001424052702304521304576446
261304709284.html.
18. Ed Pilkington, “Rebekah Brooks’s Departure Puts Les Hinton in the Spotlight,” Guardian, July 15, 2011, www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/15/rebekah-brooks-resignation-les-hinton-news-corps.
19. Tim Walker, “Phone Hacking: ‘Rupert Murdoch Tells Rebekah Brooks to Travel the World,’ ” Telegraph, August 6, 2011, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8684463/Phone-hacking-Rupert-Murdoch-tells-Rebekah-Brooks-to-travel-the-world.html.
20. Reid Epstein, “Rupert Murdoch: ‘Most Humble Day of My Life,’ ” Politico, July 19, 2011, www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59344.html.
21. “REPORT: How CNN, MSNBC, and Fox Are Covering News Corp. Hacking Scandal,” MediaMatters.org, July 14, 2011, mediamat
ters.org/research/201107140013.
22. Eric Hananoki, “ ‘I’m Not Going to Touch It’: Did Fox Admit They’re Avoiding News of the World Scandal?” County Fair (blog), MediaMatters.org, July 11, 2011, mediamatters.org/blog/201107110013.
23. “Bill O’Reilly: News Corp Being Attacked By ‘Vicious’ Opponents Exploiting Hacking Scandal,” Huffington Post, July 20, 2011, www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/20/bill-oreilly-news-corp-be_n_904258.html.
24. Meg James, “In Lawsuit, Investors Claim ‘a Culture Run Amok’ at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.,” Los Angeles Times, July 11, 2011, latimesblogs.latimes.com/
entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/07/rupert-murdoch-news-corp-
lawsuit-culture-run-amok.html.
25. Adam Shah, “Beck Turns to ADL-Condemned David Barton to Promote His Israel Rally,” MediaMatters.org, May 20, 2011, mediamatters.org/blog/201105200043.
26. Brian Stelter, “Glenn Beck Contemplates Starting Own Channel,” New York Times, March 22, 2011,
www.nytimes.com/2011
/03/23/business/media/23beck.html.
27. Brian Stelter, “Moving Online, Beck Will Charge Viewers a Fee,” New York Times, June 6, 2011,
www.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/
business/media/07beck.html.
28. “Glenn Beck and Mercury Radio Arts Announce GBTV—Home of Glenn’s NEW Two Hour Show!” GlennBeck.com, June 6, 2011, www.glennbeck.com/2011/06/06/glenn-beck-and-mercury-radio-arts-announce-gbtv-home-of-glenns-new-two-hour-show/.
29. The Glenn Beck Program, Premiere Radio Networks, May 16, 2011; Todd Gregory, “ ‘Restoring Courage’ in Jerusalem: Glenn Beck’s Latest Self-Aggrandizing Spectacle,” County Fair (blog), MediaMatters.org, May 16, 2011, mediamatters.org/blog/201105160031.
30. Glenn Beck, Fox News Channel, May 16, 2011; Todd Gregory, “ ‘Restoring Courage’ in Jerusalem: Glenn Beck’s Latest Self-Aggrandizing Spectacle,” County Fair (blog), MediaMatters.org, May 16, 2011, mediamatters.org/blog/201105160031.
31. The Glenn Beck Program,. Premiere Radio Networks, August 12, 2011; “Beck: ‘A Religious Figure That I Respect’ Told Me that Restoring Courage ‘May Be a Fulfillment of Zechariah Prophecy,’ ” MediaMatters.org, August 12, 2011, mediamatters.org/mmtv/201108120016.
32. The Glenn Beck Program, Premiere Radio Networks, August 10, 2011; “Beck: Restoring Courage ‘Will Alter Your Life … I Wouldn’t Be Surprised if This Did Alter the World,’ ” MediaMatters.org, August 10, 2011, mediamatters.org/mmtv/201108100013.
33. Ma Boer, Israel Defense Force Radio, August 16, 2011.
34. Noam Sheizaf, “Glenn Beck Brings Firebreathing Rhetoric Back to Israel,” Jewish Daily Forward, August 22, 2011, forward.com/articles/141673/#ixzz1WYpiRnON.
35. Yehoshua Breiner, “Rabbis Against Glenn Beck’s Rally in Support of Israel,” Walla News, August 23, 2011.
36. Madeleine Morgenstern, “Beck Blasts Boehner After Rep. Walsh Says House Members Banned from Israel Event,” The Blaze (blog), August 18, 2011, www.theblaze.com/stories/beck-lashes-out-at-boehner-after-rep-walsh-says-house-members-banned-from-israel-event/.
37. Ibid.
38. David Weigel, “What Ever Happened to Glenn Beck?” Slate, August 19, 2011, www.slate.com/
blogs/weigel/2011/08/19/what_ever_happened_to_
glenn_beck_.html.
39. “Fox News and Washington Examiner to Present Iowa Republican Party Presidential Debate on August 11,” FoxNews.com, June 2011, press.foxnews.com/2011/06/fox-news-and-washington-examiner-to-present-iowa-republican-party-presidential-debate-on-august-11/.
40. David Zurawik, “Bret Baier, Chris Wallace Make Fox News a Winner at Iowa Debate,” Baltimore Sun, August 12, 2011, articles.baltimoresun.com/2011–08–12/entertainment/bal-bret-baier-chris-wallace-fox-news-winner-at-iowa-debate-20110812_1_fox-news-gop-candidates-bret-baier.
41. James Poniewozik, “The Morning After: Fox Shows Teeth in Debate,” Tuned In (blog), Time, August 12, 2011, tunedin.blogs.time.com/2011/08/12/the-morning-after-fox-shows-teeth-in-debate/#ixzz1WYtI9Fmu.
42. Frances Martel, “GOP Debate Subplot: Newt Gingrich Continues ‘Gotcha’ Fox News Attack on Bret Baier,” Mediaite, August 11, 2011, www.mediaite.com/tv/gop-debate-subplot-newt-gingrich-continues-gotcha-fox-news-attack-on-bret-baier/.
43. Keach Hagey, “Fox Shifts Its Role in GOP Primary,” On Media (blog), Politico, August 12, 2011, www.politico.com/
blogs/onmedia/0811/Fox_shifts_its_role_in_GOP_
primary.html.
44. “Report: After Default Crisis Deal Struck, Fox Turned to GOP for Analysis,” MediaMatters.org, August 2, 2011, mediamatters.org/research/201108020021.
45. Rob Savillo, “The Fox Primary by the Numbers, August 8–14,” County Fair (blog), MediaMatters.org, August 17, 2011, mediamatters.org/blog/201108170008.
46. Ibid.
47. Dan Hirschhorn, “Rick Santorum Made $239K from Fox News,” Politico, September 29, 2011, www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/64740.html.
48. “Rove to Palin: Get a Slightly Thicker Skin,” FoxNews.com, August 24, 2011, www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-the-record/2011/08/25/rove-palin-get-slightly-thicker-skin#ixzz1WSdYHsDp.
49. Gabriel Sherman, “The Elephant in the Green Room,” New York, May 22, 2011, nymag.com/print/?/news/media/roger-ailes-fox-news-2011–5/.
50. “Roger Ailes Looks Back on 15 Years of Fox News,” Associated Press, October 5, 2011, www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/05/roger-ailes-looks-back-on-15-years-fox-news/.
51. Gabriel Sherman, “Sarah Palin Got Scolded by Roger Ailes for Not Announcing Her Non-Candidacy on Fox News,” NYMag.com Daily Intel, November 21, 2011, nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/11/sarah-palin-scolded-furious-roger-ailes-foxnews.html.
52. Michael D. Shear, “Huckabee to Announce Decision on Presidential Run Saturday,” The Caucus (blog), New York Times, May 13, 2011, thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/huckabee-teases-decision-on-presidential-run/.
53. Howard Kurtz, “Fox’s Reality Show,” Daily Beast, September 25, 2011, www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/09/25/roger-ailes-repositions-fox-news.html.
54. Ibid.
55. “The Fox Primary by the Numbers, October 10–16,” MediaMatters.org, October 18, 2011, mediamatters.org/blog/201110180020.
56. Rob Savillo, “The Fox Primary by the Numbers, November 14–20,” MediaMatters.org, October 18, 2011, mediamatters.org/blog/201111220014.
57. Joe McGinniss, “Roger Thinks Palin Is an Idiot. He Thinks She’s Stupid,” JoeMcGinniss.net, May 22, 2011, www.joemcginniss.net/roger-thinks-palin-is-an-idiot-he-thinks-shes-stupid/Joe%20McGinniss.
58. Michael Scherer, “Calling ’Em Out: The White House Takes On the Press,” Time, October 8, 2009,
www.time.com/time/politics/article
/0,8599,1929058,00.html.
59. Ben Smith, “On Fox, Where’s the Outrage?” Ben Smith (blog), Politico, September 29, 2010, www.politico.com/
blogs/bensmith/0910/On_Fox_wheres_the_outrage.html.
60. Kurtz, “Fox’s Reality Show.”
61. Ibid.
62. “ ‘Fox News Lies’ While Covering Pro-Labor Protests In Wisconsin,” MediaMatters.org, March 2, 2011, mediamatters.org/research/201103020013.
Acknowledgments
The Fox Effect is in many ways a review of the last several years of Media Matters work and is truly the work of an ensemble cast. There is not a single staff member whose work did not contribute to this book. As such we listed the organization itself as an author.
We are especially grateful to Jeremy Schulman and Melinda Warner who lead our research staff. Their guidance, advice, and leadership show at MediaMatters.org every day.
Matt Finkelstein was invaluable in editing and organizing our thoughts in the first draft of the manuscript. Todd Gregory’s advice helped improve and shape later drafts. Additionally we wish to thank Ben Dimiero, Jocelyn Fong, Matt Gertz, Jeremy Holden, Terry Krepel, Sarah Pavlus, Adam Shah, and Oliver Willis for their work fact-checking and editing. Simon Maloy deserves an extra note of thanks for
developing “the Fox cycle” and other pieces of analysis featured prominently in The Fox Effect. Eric Hananoki’s incredible analysis was also critically important.
Alex Zaitchik, Joe Strupp, and Eric Boehlert each provided priceless reporting—their work as investigative journalists is second to none.
Doug Stauffer, Jessica Levin, Danny Herrera, and Angelo Carusone do an amazing job promoting the work of Media Matters. Brad Herring and his incredible team of Jon Salvia and Evan Whitbeck produced the video content in our enhanced eBook.
Our executive team of Matt Butler, Katie Paris, and Este Griffith all work to keep Media Matters humming every day. Additionally Rachel Gaylord, Emma Sprague, and Christine Hammer kept us on schedule. We are indebted to Eric Burns, Marcia Kuntz, Kelly Ronan, and Tate Williams, without whose efforts The Fox Effect would not be possible.
Our agent Will Lippincott guided this book from scattered thoughts in our heads onto the page. He is not only the best representation, but also the greatest friend any author could have.
Our editor at Anchor Books, Jeff Alexander, provided exceptional advice and critiques. The publicity team at Vintage/Anchor Russell Perreault and Kate Runde and their production team lead by Nicole Pedersen also did incredible work.
Media Matters would not exist without the dedicated fund-raising efforts of Mary Pat Bonner and her team.
We would like to offer a note of extreme gratitude to Ari’s wife, Julie, and David’s partner, James, whose love and support sustain us every day.
Also a special note of thanks to Ventnor Sport Cafe in Adams Morgan—Scott and his crew (Julie, Molly, Brian, and Abel) allowed Ari to spend many late nights sitting at their bar writing, while they provided an infinite supply of Diet Coke.
We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the employees of Fox News who put their livelihood at risk simply by speaking with Media Matters staff members.
In November 2010, Ari, at David’s direction, spent $86,000 at a charity auction to purchase a “friendly lunch” with Rupert Murdoch. Sadly that meeting never came to pass. The News Corp. CEO chose to contribute an amount equal to our bid to the charity in question in order to avoid having lunch with us.