"Outfoxed" examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know.
The film explores Murdoch's burgeoning kingdom and the impact on society when a broad swath of media is controlled by one person.
Media experts, including Walter Cronkite, Jeff Cohen (FAIR) Bob McChesney (Free Press), Chellie Pingree (Common Cause), Jeff Chester (Center for Digital Democracy) and David Brock (Media Matters) provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and its effect on society.
This documentary also reveals the secrets of Former Fox news producers, reporters, bookers and writers who expose what it's like to work for Fox News. These former Fox employees talk about how they were forced to push a "right-wing" point of view or risk their jobs. Some have even chosen to remain anonymous in order to protect their current livelihoods. As one employee said "There's no sense of integrity as far as having a line that can't be crossed."
Director/Producer Robert Greenwald has produced and/or directed 53 television movies, miniseries and features. He is the director of Uncovered and the Executive Producer of the UN series - Unprecedented, Uncovered and the soon to be released Unconstitutional.
In this scathing documentary from Robert Greenwald, the Fox News Channel comes under fire. First the film illustrates the way that its owner, Rupert Murdoch, has dominated the media, buying up TV stations, cable channels, and newspapers worldwide. Next, Fox's reporting tactics are looked at with a fine-tooth comb, revealing a clear pattern of nonobjective journalism. On talk shows and in other debate forums, hosts push conservative points of view. Former employees give anonymous interviews confessing that they were instructed to put a right-wing slant on their work. But the dominant message of the film concerns the mantra of "fair and balanced," which Fox uses to promote itself. By examining the way that Fox collects and reports news, this film shows that it is simply not fair and balanced. For instance, on Bill O'Reilly's talk show, he repeatedly tells guests to shut up rather than allowing them to disagree with his agenda. Layering of quick clips--so that we hear O'Reilly tell guests over and over to "shut up, shut up, shut up,"--is one of the most amusing tactics used in the film. But the reality is that by refusing to allow certain opinions to be expressed, and by tainting information to promote a conservative plan, Fox's viewers are being deprived of the truth. These issues are put into context through informative analytical commentary from media professionals like David Brock (author of THE REPUBLICAN NOISE MACHINE: RIGHT WING MEDIA AND HOW IT CORRUPTS DEMOCRACY), Jeff Chester (of the Center for Digital Democracy), Jeff Cohen (founder of FAIR, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), Al Franken (a host on Air America Radio), Robert McChesney (host of the radio program Media Matters), and Chellie Pingree (president of Common Cause).
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War On Journalism Reviews:
"OUTFOXED exposes ethically dubious practices....Highly charged..."
-- Amy Feitelberg, Entertainment Weekly
"OUTFOXED is incontrovertible. Buy it and seethe."
-- David Stubbs, Uncut
3452 
A "must see" documentary
Email a Friend
