First on CNN: White House pens letter to Fox News executives calling on network to retract bogus FBI informant claims
Source: CNN Business
Published 12:14 AM EST, Thu February 29, 2024
New York CNN The White House is formally calling on Fox News to walk back its coverage of bribery and corruption allegations against President Joe Biden.
In a letter sent to the right-wing networks top brass this week, which has not been previously reported, Ian Sams, a top White House spokesperson, noted that the ex-FBI informant who was the source of the bribery claims has now been charged by federal authorities for allegedly fabricating the story. Despite this, Fox has taken no steps to retract, correct, or update its reporting on this false allegation from 2023, Sams said in his letter to Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott, president Jay Wallace, and Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton.
The letter is the latest from the Biden White House, which has taken a more aggressive approach to news coverage of the president that it sees as unfair in the run-up to the November election. Earlier this month, Sams sent a letter to the White House Correspondents Association, protesting coverage of Special Counsel Robert Hurs report on Bidens handling of classified material.
Over the course of the last year, Fox News hosts have relentlessly promoted serious corruption claims against the purported Biden crime family, which have saturated the conservative information space, spawning GOP-led probes on Capitol Hill and fueling an eventual impeachment inquiry against the sitting president.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/media/white-house-fox-news-informant-claims-biden-hnk-intl/index.html
thesquanderer
(11,991 posts)so has to depend on Fox' good will and conscience. Not optimistic.
peppertree
(21,664 posts)Ah, the wonders of judicial fiat.
Scrivener7
(51,004 posts)that the lies systematically work against the interests of the public?
I don't know, but there should be some way to do that.
thesquanderer
(11,991 posts)...content providers have no responsibility that their content favor the interests of the public.
SouthernDem4ever
(6,617 posts)Dominion voting is the only one so far that challenged that . You would think the FCC would have a long time ago.
onenote
(42,759 posts)SouthernDem4ever
(6,617 posts)azureblue
(2,150 posts)to allow Fox network to get away with lying.
BumRushDaShow
(129,446 posts)Promoting competition, innovation and investment in broadband services and facilities Supporting the nation's economy by ensuring an appropriate competitive framework for the unfolding of the communications revolution Encouraging the highest and best use of spectrum domestically and internationally Revising media regulations so that new technologies flourish alongside diversity and localism Providing leadership in strengthening the defense of the nation's communications infrastructure
Specifically - https://www.fcc.gov/general/cable-television-0
Cable television is a video delivery service provided by a cable operator to subscribers via a coaxial or fiber optic cable. Other subscription video service distributors include direct broadcast satellite providers, home satellite dishes and local telephone companies. The Commissions rules and regulations relating to cable television include carriage of television broadcast signals, commercial leased access, program access and carriage, commercial availability of set-top boxes, emergency alert systems and the accessibility of closed captioning and video description of television programming. In addition to video services, most cable operators offer non-video services, including high-speed Internet access and telephony.
onenote
(42,759 posts)To the extent they regulate cable networks it generally is by regulating the systems that carry them.
BumRushDaShow
(129,446 posts)But you pretty much indicated (perhaps inadvertently) that the FCC didn't regulate them at all.
ScratchCat
(2,002 posts)It is my opinion that the FCC could do the following:
1) Since Fox News is chartered as an entertainment channel and not a news corporation, the FCC could dictate to cable tv providers that the channel be identified as such.
2) Then dictate that FNC be moved in the channel line-up away from channels which are actual news corporations and instead put with entertainment channels(just like Newsmax and the other nonsense RW nonsense channel). They can stick it in between E! and Bravo.
It would at least piss them off.
thesquanderer
(11,991 posts)and I don't think their incorporating requires that (or dictates how) their content is categorized.
I also don't think FCC dictates anything about numeric channel placement on cable systems.
whopis01
(3,523 posts)et tu
(905 posts)did they settle out of court? just haven't heard much about that case~
gab13by13
(21,402 posts)See Monsanto v Fox, Fox in Florida fired 2 reporters who would not lie on air about its investigations into the use of steroids, antibiotics in farms.
Novara
(5,851 posts)I mean, why would they, just because they were asked?
Justice matters.
(6,941 posts)to the White House press corp's briefing room.
What next other than a bunch of dangerous clowns be given access to it??
SouthernDem4ever
(6,617 posts)Any sensationalized media should not be included.
LiberalFighter
(51,084 posts)Scrivener7
(51,004 posts)was ever given a platform.
Remember when they kept calling him the budget expert? On the basis of nothing whatsoever?
Captain Zero
(6,823 posts)Saying he asked them but they ignored him, like they ignore his accomplishments.
PJMcK
(22,048 posts)If Fox News doesnt walk back their lies, the White House should publicly and loudly pull Foxs press credentials.
Since they have stated in court filings that Fox News isnt a news organization but an entertainment channel, they have no business in the White House press room.
Then the White House should ignore the noise.
Initech
(100,102 posts)I can already see Hannity reading this letter in a joking context and laughing about it. Fuck Fox News.
onecaliberal
(32,894 posts)orangecrush
(19,617 posts)riversedge
(70,299 posts)In other words--it does Not seem like Fox will be retracting anything.
White House demands Fox News retract coverage of bribery allegations against Hunter Biden, president
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/4497256-white-house-fox-news-hunter-biden-president/
by Dominick Mastrangelo - 02/29/24 10:16 AM ET
.............
.....................
I would cite the number of times Jesse Watters and Sean Hannity promoted this allegation and made false statements about President Biden on primetime television throughout this time period, but the footnote citations would fill multiple pages, Sams wrote in his letter to Fox News top brass, which was obtained Thursday by The Hill.
As you of course now know, the source of this allegation has been federally indicted for making the whole thing up, Sams continued. Despite this, Fox has taken no steps to retract, correct, or update its reporting on this false allegation from 2023.
.................In a statement to The Hill, a Fox News spokesperson said: Fox News Media has reported on all key developments since the announcement that Alexander Smirnov was charged with lying to the FBI, featuring the story prominently.
We will continue to report on developments in all aspects of the ongoing investigations, hearings, and trials, the spokesperson said.
...............
...........
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,192 posts)Martin68
(22,877 posts)seriously. If not, the costs will add up.
Freethinker65
(10,048 posts)First, that the GOP star witness lied in the current case about President Biden benefiting in some way from Hunter's actions.
And second, that FoxNews continues to spread the lies to influence the election.
FoxNews will not comply, but getting the rest of the media to talk about how there is no evidence and to get back to concentrating on facts, rather than accusations is the goal.
Just last night the TV was in in background and I saw local coverage of the dual border speeches. Trump snippet had one minute of Trump citing as fact Trump had tightest most secure borders ever and that Biden opened them (absolutely no pushback) vs. Biden saying stop playing politics and for Trump to join Biden in getting the bipartisan legislation passed. This type of coverage needs to stop.