# How would one get Fox News people to admit to on-air lies? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730 "2006-10-08T19:08:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/1 "2006-10-08T19:08:57Z")
I believed that Fox News deliberately published incorrect information for partisan plitical reasons. A few days back, they published Mark Foley’s photo captioned [(D-FL)](http://www.newshounds.us/2006/10/03/fox_uses_subliminal_ploy_on_foley_head_shot.php) three separate times. Ok course, I have no evidence of this except common sense, and some general knowledge of how news operations work. But I imagine that if some of their production people were put into a witness stand under threat of some legal sanction to discourage perjury, it probably wouldn’t be terribly hard to get an admission from someone. The problem of course, is finding a venue into the legal system. I don’t think I could claim any damages that would allow me to sue Fox. I doubt that even the Democratic party could establish damages for some kind of defamation/libel/slander case. But maybe I’m wrong… is there anyone or any organization better situated to bring a suit and get some discovery process going? The other route I can think of would be the FCC. Except I don’t think they have any special rules anout honesty in newscasting. I wouldn’t think for a minute that Fox itself would admit wrong-doing or change how it operates, I just think it would be a public good to have such skulduggery exposed. Any ideas on how to get these people into either a court or a hearing room giving statements under oath? To repeat my disclaimer: I have no actual avidence that this happened as a deliberate act. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/2 "2006-10-08T19:14:51Z")
I think you’d be wasting your time trying to get any network to admit to lying. Whoever typed in the “D” instead of the “R” did it either by accident or because s/he wanted to or because her/his job was on the line. Those conditions remain. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/3 "2006-10-08T19:31:43Z")
Select a company that advertises on FOX, for example General Motors, Nissan, whatever. Send the CEO of that company a letter stating that FOX has no credibility, and by association their company has brought into doubt their credibility as well. And you won’t be buying products from them any more. Be objective, use low-key rational language and include the examples in this thread. Most important - copy FOX on the letter as well. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/4 "2006-10-08T19:42:13Z")
Waterboard 'em 'til they talk. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/5 "2006-10-08T19:46:18Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Waterboard 'em 'til they talk. [/QUOTE] That’s it. Standard torture. Or steal all their make-up and force them to appear as they really are. Vanity trumps integrity. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/6 "2006-10-08T19:47:53Z")
> [@](#): > > To repeat my disclaimer: I have no actual avidence that this happened as a deliberate act. Then the answer to your title’s question is, “You can’t.” Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/7 "2006-10-08T19:58:17Z")
Well, it’s from Project Censored and therefore probably not all that unbiased ( the mainstrem media doesn’t like to talk about this sort of thing ), but according to [this](http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/11.html) FOX not only admits to lying, they claim to have the right, and have been upheld by the courts. > [@](#): > > According to Akre and Wilson, the station was initially very excited about the series. But within a week, Fox executives and their attorneys wanted the reporters to use statements from Monsanto representatives that the reporters knew were false and to make other revisions to the story that were in direct conflict with the facts. Fox editors then tried to force Akre and Wilson to continue to produce the distorted story. When they refused and threatened to report Fox’s actions to the FCC, they were both fired.(Project Censored #12 1997) > > Akre and Wilson sued the Fox station and on August 18, 2000, a Florida jury unanimously decided that Akre was wrongfully fired by Fox Television when she refused to broadcast (in the jury’s words) “a false, distorted or slanted story” about the widespread use of BGH in dairy cows. They further maintained that she deserved protection under Florida’s whistle blower law. Akre was awarded a $425,000 settlement. Inexplicably, however, the court decided that Steve Wilson, her partner in the case, was ruled not wronged by the same actions taken by FOX. > > FOX appealed the case, and on February 14, 2003 the Florida Second District Court of Appeals unanimously overturned the settlement awarded to Akre. The Court held that Akre’s threat to report the station’s actions to the FCC did not deserve protection under Florida’s whistle blower statute, because Florida’s whistle blower law states that an employer must violate an adopted “law, rule, or regulation." In a stunningly narrow interpretation of FCC rules, the Florida Appeals court claimed that the FCC policy against falsification of the news does not rise to the level of a “law, rule, or regulation,” it was simply a “policy.” Therefore, it is up to the station whether or not it wants to report honestly. > > During their appeal, FOX asserted that there are no written rules against distorting news in the media. They argued that, under the First Amendment, broadcasters have the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on public airwaves. Fox attorneys did not dispute Akre’s claim that they pressured her to broadcast a false story, they simply maintained that it was their right to do so. After the appeal verdict WTVT general manager Bob Linger commented, “It’s vindication for WTVT, and we’re very pleased… It’s the case we’ve been making for two years. She never had a legal claim.” I’m sure I read a story years ago about them trying the same thing in some European court and being slapped down, but I can’t find a link. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/8 "2006-10-08T21:09:11Z")
You can find more reputable links with the same image. A lot of people here saw it live, and there’s no real dispute THAT it happened. I’m interested in the how and why ot happened. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/9 "2006-10-08T21:14:38Z")
The FCC doesn’t regulate cable channels and it’s not against the law to publish false news. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/10 "2006-10-08T21:21:33Z")
Did Dan Rather admit he lied? Does any broadcaster admit it lied? Sure we’ve got the [Press Complaints Commission](http://www.pcc.org.uk/) and [Ofcom](http://www.ofcom.org.uk/) here in the U.K., but I haven’t heard mention of anything similar in the U.S. and even with those, any corrections are squirrelled away somewhere inobvious. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/11 "2006-10-08T21:36:22Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] The FCC doesn’t regulate cable channels and it’s not against the law to publish false news. [/QUOTE] Fox is a broadcast networkm as well as bring on cable. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/12 "2006-10-08T21:41:22Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Did Dan Rather admit he lied? Does any broadcaster admit it lied? Sure we’ve got the [Press Complaints Commission](http://www.pcc.org.uk/) and [Ofcom](http://www.ofcom.org.uk/) here in the U.K., but I haven’t heard mention of anything similar in the U.S. and even with those, any corrections are squirrelled away somewhere inobvious. [/QUOTE] I wouldn’ expect O’reilly to admint anything, but maybe some some production schlub got an order to re-write the character-generator text. That’s the kind of person who might admit something under oath. I don’t think O’Reiolly ever SAID Foley was a Democrat, and he personally could plausibly claim to have no idea what graphic was put on air over his commentary. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/13 "2006-10-08T21:49:18Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Did Dan Rather admit he lied? [/QUOTE] About what? (And don’t say Bush’s NG records, it was CBS’s post-broadcast “investigation” that was the lie.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/14 "2006-10-09T00:53:16Z")
In a defamation case, the injured party has to show that (1) the information was false, (2) the defendant knew the information was false or was negligent in checking whether it was false, and (3) the false information injured the plaintiff. Personally, I think you’re making a mountain out of a mole hill. You have no evidence that the error was deliberate, and Fox News could probably show you scores of other references their programming made to Foley recently that accurately referred to him as a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/15 "2006-10-09T01:23:13Z")
Cue the Leonard Cohen song, “Everybody Knows” … ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/16 "2006-10-09T01:27:40Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] Fox is a broadcast networkm as well as bring on cable. [/QUOTE] Fox News is not a broadcast network. Fox is a broadcast network. There is a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/17 "2006-10-09T01:46:58Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] Fox News is not a broadcast network. Fox is a broadcast network. There is a difference. [/QUOTE] I stand corrected. I know Fox has numerous broadcast stations, but I don’t know whether the particular program was actally broadcast, or just cablecast. I imagine that might make a difference to the FCC. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/18 "2006-10-09T02:10:54Z")
[QUOTE=Airman Doors, USAF] Fox News is not a broadcast network. Fox is a broadcast network. There is a difference. [/QUOTE] Thanks, that makes all the difference in the world. Suddenly, Fox News is the apotheosis of truth because you cleared up that little mistake. Wait, I just checked out Fox News, and they’re no more honest than they ever were before. Well, thanks anyway. > [@Boyo Jim](#): > > Any ideas…? I can definitely tell you how to get news folk to tell the truth; however, you’re thinking within the context of the current legal system, and they’re wise to that. That’s why certain soulless, subhuman shitbags preface their slander with “I believe.” The cheap baststards love the poor-man’s slander. However, if you can get O’Dildoass alone, I will be happy to make him admit to his lies. With a fillet knife and some salt, O’Liesalot will tell you about all his lies. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/19 "2006-10-09T02:14:45Z")
I’ll tell you step two once you bring the unicorn. No, seriously, it won’t happen. You couldn’t prove it was a deliberate lie, and even if you did, Fox (or anybody else) would say it was rogue employees. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730/20 "2006-10-09T02:24:35Z")
[QUOTE=js\_africanus] Thanks, that makes all the difference in the world. Suddenly, Fox News is the apotheosis of truth because you cleared up that little mistake. Wait, I just checked out Fox News, and they’re no more honest than they ever were before. Well, thanks anyway. [/QUOTE] What’s your problem? All I did was clear up a misconception. I made no excuses oe justifications. Geez. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-one-get-fox-news-people-to-admit-to-on-air-lies/375730.md?page=2)