Fox News' "Quality Control" Problem (Part V)

Media Matters' Rabin-Havt sends fifth letter to network about glaring on-air error

Washington, DC -- After Fox News aired the wrong footage of SEIU President Andy Stern, Media Matters for America's Ari Rabin-Havt today issued his fifth open letter to Fox News Senior Vice President Michael Clemente to ask how this error would be handled in light of the network's "zero tolerance" policy. In November, Fox News management sent a memo to staff on "quality control" that stated: "Mistakes by any member of the show team that end up on air may result in immediate disciplinary action against those who played significant roles in the 'mistake chain,' and those who supervise them." Rabin-Havt has sent four previous letters about such "mistakes" but has yet to receive a response.

The letter reads:

April 14, 2010

Mr. Michael Clemente

Senior Vice President, Fox News Channel

1211 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10036

Dear Mr. Clemente:

Again, I write to you concerning a glaring error on Fox News. Your network, while discussing SEIU President Andy Stern's reported plan to step down, ran the following footage:

Of course, that is not SEIU President Andy Stern. This is:

I'll remind you once again of the quality control memo your network issued in November. In that memo, it is assured that "mistakes by any member of the show team that end up on air may result in immediate disciplinary action against those who played significant roles in the 'mistake chain.'" I have written you on four previous occasions about errors on your network and I have yet to see any "immediate disciplinary action" take place.

I look forward to hearing if that will be the case this time.

Sincerely,

Ari Rabin-Havt

Vice President for Communications and Research

Media Matters for America