And in this corner, Fox News!
When I was in junior high, I attended a professional wrestling match. While at the time I was open to believing that the highly theatrical bouts were real, as I grew older, I learned that things weren't as they appeared: the winners and losers of the bouts were predetermined.
Sadly, the Fox News Network has followed in the professional wrestling tradition and successfully convinced millions of Americans that it too is legit. Just like professional wrestling (where the wrestlers really do bleed), Fox News integrates true elements into its presentation to increase believability.
Unfortunately, unlike professional wrestling, where the predetermined conclusion is relatively harmless, Fox's predetermined conclusions undermine elections, belittle the environment, embolden the paranoid, enrich the rich, and in general, divide our county.
If Fox News truly lived up to its "Fair and Balanced" slogan, websites like this one would be unnecessary. There's nothing wrong with going after the bad on both sides of the aisle, but slanting the news with deceptive editing and phantom facts is simply un-American.
While the purpose of this website is not to continuously track Fox News deceptions (for that I recommend
Media Matters for America and The Huffington Post), the following video provides a rare look behind the curtain. Sometimes the claims made on Fox News are so "out there" that even the network's own personalities laugh about it:
This 93 second-long video may take a moment to start. If you have difficulty viewing the video, please click here.
Unfortunately, working to make our government fail—just to build and entertain an audience—is not a laughing matter.
I was moved to develop this website while traveling the United States on a college speaking tour. Whether I was in airports, hotel lobbies, or restaurants, I often found myself subjected to TVs tuned to Fox News. These experiences often left me feeling tense, even angry. Looking around the television area, I could tell others shared my feelings.
Just changing the channel or turning off the TV isn't as easy as it sounds (but this pdf handout will make it easier). Airports seldom give their patrons an option, and taking over the remote in a hotel breakfast room or lounge can lead to a nasty confrontation (with loyal Fox News viewers). No—channel control is ultimately the management's responsibility.
With TurnOffFoxNews.com, my goal is to empower people to speak up to the management wherever Fox News is forced upon the public. Once business owners and managers realize that Fox News on their television says "only the far right are welcomed here," many will realize that the courteous thing to do is change the channel.
In addition to Fox News being offensive for many, captive audience locations, such as airport terminals, make it easy for the network to add new viewers. A large percentage of these viewers simply aren't politically aware enough to realize they're watching the broadcast news equivalent of professional wrestling. For them, Fox's concoction of fear and hate become an irresistible and addictive drug.
It's time to end Fox News's free ride! Please join me in the Turn Off Fox News movement.
Marty Essen
Multi-award-winning author and college speaker