"[H]e was right."
-- Rupert Murdoch discussing Glenn Beck's comment that President Obama is "a racist."
In July, Glenn Beck infamously stated that he believes President Obama is "a racist" with a "deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture." These comments played a major role in at least 80 advertisers dropping their support of Beck's television program. Numerous media outlets and personalities rebuked the comments, but Fox News gave Beck a free pass. Why?
Well, the reason is now clear: Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp., the parent company of Fox News, agrees that President Obama is a racist. This is a new low even for Fox, and one we cannot let stand.
Since Murdoch refuses to rebuke Glenn Beck - we need to hold him accountable and demand that he apologize for his own hateful remarks.
Join us and demand that Murdoch apologize. We'll deliver the signatures to NewsCorp: mediamatters.org/action/murdochapology
In an interview with Sky News Australia, Murdoch said of Beck's notorious comment:
On the racist thing, that caused a [unintelligible]. But he did make a very racist comment, about, you know, blacks and whites and so on, and which he said in his campaign he would be completely above. And, you know, that was something which perhaps shouldn't have been said about the president, but if you actually assess what he was talking about, he was right.
A Fox News host calls the President of the United States a racist, and his boss, rather than suspending or publicly rebuking him, says that his employee "was right." We need to hold Murdoch and Fox News accountable for this incendiary, outrageous rhetoric. Please take a moment to sign our petition demanding an immediate apology from Murdoch. When you are done signing, please ask your friends to join our call for accountability.
mediamatters.org/action/murdochapology
Unfortunately, this type of race-baiting is par for the course for Fox News. As we recently documented, Fox News president Roger Ailes spent the better part of his career working as a Republican media consultant, during which time he became known for appealing to racial fears and biases for political gain. Under Ailes' leadership Fox News routinely employs these same tactics in its ongoing campaign to destroy the Obama administration and the progressive agenda. Examples include:
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Hannity just can't "get over" his Rev. Wright obsession. Sean Hannity -- who claimed he "broke the story" about Obama's controversial former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, during the 2008 campaign -- mentioned Wright on at least 45 different episodes of his Fox News show between Obama's inauguration and July 31.
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O'Reilly tease: "[S]hould white Americans be concerned about Judge Sotomayor?" Bill O'Reilly stated, "Next on the rundown: Should white Americans be concerned about Judge Sotomayor? Later, far-left Hispanic group says if you oppose the judge, you could be racist." [The O'Reilly Factor, 7/13/09].
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Rev. Peterson: Obama was elected "mostly by black racists and white guilty people." On Hannity, Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson said, "I think we all agree that Barack Obama was elected by, mostly by black racists and white guilty people." [Hannity, 2/3/09].
Murdoch's comments are simply the latest example of Fox News shredding the last vestiges of its credibility. Fox News is not a news organization; it is an official arm of the GOP,openly advocating against President Obama and the progressive agenda. As the cable network has shown repeatedly, no tactics are too sleazy to further its goal of damagingprogressives. Murdoch has now given his stamp of approval to the idea that the president of the United States is "a racist."
Demand that Murdoch apologize: mediamatters.org/action/murdochapology
Thank you for your continued help in holding the media accountable.
Eric Burns
President
Media Matters for America
To sign the online petition, visit: http://mediamatters.org/action/murdochapology/
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