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Whitewash: Fox Host Tries To Dismiss "Fox News Lies" Chants

November 16, 2011 1:03 am ET — 40 Comments

Following a live report from New York City's Zuccotti Park in which protesters chanted "Fox News lies," Fox Business host Gerri Willis claimed that Fox is simply "trying to cover the story just like everybody else." However, Fox hosts and contributors have pushed lies, smears, and attacks about the Occupy Wall Street movement.

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Fox Business Host "Angry" At "Fox News Lies" Chants From Occupy Wall Street

Willis: "I Have No Idea What They're Talking About." After airing a live report from Fox Business reporter Adam Shapiro during which a crowd at Zuccotti Park chanted "Fox News lies," Willis responded: "I have no idea what they're talking about. We're trying to cover the story just like everybody else there." She continued: "Every time I hear a crowd chant that, I get really, really angry, because Fox News -- just like everybody else -- is trying to cover the story." [Fox Business, The Willis Report, 11/15/11]

But Fox News Repeatedly Aired Lies, Smears, Attacks About Protesters

Fox News: "ACORN Playing Behind Scenes Role In 'Occupy' Movement." FoxNews.com claimed that ACORN, which disbanded in November 2010, is playing a "behind [the] scenes role" in Occupy Wall Street. Fox alleged that the group New York Communities for Change (NYCC) -- which is led by a former ACORN official -- is paying people to join protests and collecting money to fund OWS activities. [FoxNews.com, 10/26/11, via Media Matters]

Click here for the truth about New York Communities For Change's support for Occupy Wall Street

Fox & Friends Promoted "We Are The 53 Percent." While Fox was baselessly claiming the Occupy Wall Street protesters do not pay taxes, Fox & Friends hyped a counter movement launched by CNN contributor and conservative pundit Erick Erickson, a website called, "We are the 53 percent." [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 10/11/11]

Special Report's Baier Claimed Protests Were Supported By Ayatollah Khamenei And Hugo Chavez. Special Report anchor Bret Baier claimed that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez "threw his support behind protesters" at Occupy Wall Street. A day later, he also claimed that the protests had "elicit[ed] support" from Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei. [Fox News, Special Report with Bret Baier, 10/11/11; 10/12/11, via Media Matters]

Fox's Trotta On Occupy Wall Street Website: "What You Will Read Is The Ravings Of What Sounds Like The Unabomber." On the October 8 edition of Fox News' America's News HQ, Fox News contributor Liz Trotta claimed, "I advise anybody who has a sense of humor left about this to go to OccupyWallStreet.com, and what you will read is the ravings of what sounds like the Unabomber. ... [I]t's certainly better going down there and carrying signs than going out and hitting the pavement for a job." [Fox News, America's News HQ, 10/8/11, via Media Matters]

Hannity Graphic Labeled Protesters "Lunatics Of The Left Wing." During the September 30 edition of Fox News' Hannity, an on-screen graphic aired while the co-hosts discussed the protests, reading, "Lunatics of the left wing":

[Fox News, Hannity, 9/30/11, via Media Matters]

Fox's Watters: Wall Street Protesters Are "The Sludge" Of "Every Left-Wing Cause." On the September 30 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News producer Jesse Watters said of the protests: "I think if you put every single left-wing cause into a blender and hit power, this is the sludge you'd get. And it's basically anti-capitalism. And they want to redistribute the wealth. But if you eliminate capitalism, there is no wealth to redistribute." [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 9/30/11, via Media Matters]

Guilfoyle: Protesters Have "Absolutely No Purpose Or Focus" And Are "Just Looking To ... Dirty The Streets." On the September 30 edition of Fox News' Hannity, Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle said of the protests: "It's like Woodstock meets Burning Man meets people with absolutely no purpose or focus in life. No wonder, they have nothing but free time to be down there. They make up a slogan or a cause as they go along. And they are just looking to, like, go out there and dirty the streets. And they really don't have any, like, idea about what they are doing there." [Fox News, Hannity, 9/30/11, via Media Matters]

Kilmeade: Protesters "Sit In Their Own Squalor All Day." On the October 11 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, Kilmeade claimed Occupy Wall Street protesters "sit in their own squalor all day." [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 10/11/11, via Media Matters]

Bolling: Occupy Wall Street Protesters "Do Seem Like Petulant Little Children." On the October 10 edition of Fox News' Your World, guest host Eric Bolling hosted syndicated columnist Star Parker to attack the Occupy Wall Street protests. Bolling introduced the segment by claiming that the protesters "do seem like petulant little children." He then asked: "How about going out and trying to find a job instead?" [Fox News, Your World, 10/10/11, via Media Matters]

Crowley: Protesters Are "Useful Idiots Who Probably Haven't Paid Much In Taxes Their Whole Life." On the October 10 edition of Fox News' Your World, Fox News contributor Monica Crowley called the protesters "useful idiots who probably haven't paid much in taxes their whole life, have no concept -- and all they know is, 'Oh, profit is a four-letter word, corporations and rich folks -- millionaires and billionaires are evil, they need to be taxed more.' As if they don't pay enough." [Fox News, Your World, 10/10/11, via Media Matters]

Johnson: "I Would Think" Wall Street Protesters "Are Deluded In A Lot Of Ways." On the October 3 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. attacked the Occupy Wall Street protesters, claiming, "Clearly, I would think these folks are deluded in a lot of ways and probably provide the best argument for national service for 18-year-olds that we have ever seen." Johnson later said of the protests: "I don't know what it is. I don't think they know what it is. But it's costing Americans millions of dollars in tax dollars in order to arrest them." [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 10/3/11, via Media Matters]

Crowds Also Chanted "Fox News Lies" During Wisconsin Labor Protests

To see how Fox News lied about the Wisconsin labor protests during its coverage, click here

*The Twitter account @InsideCableNews also noted Fox News being forced to air chants of "Fox News lies."

— Z.P.
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    • Author by ThomasJH268 (November 16, 2011 1:45 am ET)
      10  
      I'm surprised that MMFA forgot to mention the "good riddance" Chyron from the three stooges and friends
      Report Abuse
      • Author by johnbrown (November 16, 2011 5:31 pm ET)
        2  
        After about 45 seconds of live coverage Ailes must have run in the broadcast booth screaming CUT!CUT!
        Report Abuse
    • Author by ThomasJH268 (November 16, 2011 1:52 am ET)
      20  
      Another thing, anyone else notice how they whinged about "Oh we just want to exercise our 1st amendment right to cover the story then went straight to the FOXPAC talking points

      "These poeple are lazy"
      "These people should get a job"
      "These people are incoherant"
      "These people are moochers"

      FOXPAC are scum

      FOX NEWS LIES
      FOX NEWS LIES
      FOX NEWS LIES
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Unreality (November 16, 2011 3:01 am ET)
      4  
      Good story with supporting selections.

      Yesterday I asked for 2minutes 30 seconds with Bolling. Today I think I could take him down with simple logic and business facts, but would demand 90 seconds just so I could see him cry for a minute.

      Report Abuse
    • Author by grmce (November 16, 2011 3:55 am ET)
      7  
      Note to Ms Willis: YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
      Report Abuse
    • Author by David2012 (November 16, 2011 6:35 am ET)
      17  
      "We have to leave this. Great conversation..."

      Riiight. So fair. So balanced.

      News flash: The First Amendment says government can't restrict speech. It doesn't say a private crowd has to let a blatant liar with a microphone mischaracterize them.

      Because, children, Fox News does lie. It lies every day. It lies constantly. It is shameless.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by AB-001 (November 16, 2011 7:36 am ET)
      12  
      Also the considerable lies and smears that can only be found on the alternate universe that is the Fox Nation website
      Report Abuse
    • Author by usp (November 16, 2011 8:31 am ET)
      6  
      it's those robot chicks again.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Ibrahimtamerm (November 16, 2011 8:46 am ET)
         
      Stop picking on Fox News! It's the best comedy channel on basic cable.
      Besides, media doesn't make or even shape public opinion. If you believe these folks have a right to protest, chances are you aren't watching Fox for your regular dosage of current events.
      I think Fox - especially considering its rating against the other 6 x 4 hour news networks - panders to the average American mindset watching TV news.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by MickD (November 16, 2011 9:33 am ET)
      14  
      Wow. She doesn't know what that means. Does FoxNoose hermetically seal her in a stepford anchor pod every night and pre-program her for the next morning.

      BTW, blessings to my Zuccotti Park brothers and sisters for forcing the FoxNoose to cut their feed, because of the chanting. The best was the big headed, lit up man screaming it right into their sick cameras. They will never live again, the chicken sh!t pr!cks.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by sneakypie (November 16, 2011 9:52 am ET)
        8  
        Fox News actually has a court order which permits it to lie. They are legally allowed to misinform. People who watch this network and expect it to be honest must always remember that.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by curiousindependent (November 16, 2011 1:15 pm ET)
          4  
          People who watch this network and expect it to be honest must always remember that.
          Even if you show them the actual court papers giving FOX, and by extension, ALL "news" outlets, permission to lie, people who watch this network will never believe it. It must be a fabrication of the "liberal media".
          Report Abuse
          • Author by kamrom (November 17, 2011 12:23 pm ET)
            2  
            I was thinking about this the other night. I noticed something. Lets say I were to scream "Fire" in a movie theater or some such. I would be arrested and fined and tried and all that lovely stuff. And rightly so, I would have terrified a bunch of people into reacting as if there were such an event. Some would almost definetly be harmed.

            And yet the rightwing propaganda network can tell lies that lead to the deaths and harm of huge numbers of people, legally. Like several thousand US soldiers and half a million innocent iraqis.

            That says something is incredibly wrong with our society.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by CoolSlaw (November 17, 2011 1:07 pm ET)
              2  
              If you or I collect money from people on the sale of items that don't exist, or if we sell aluminum while making the claim that it's pure silver and make a few hundred bucks on the con, we go to jail, or at the very least suffer a substantial fine and probation.

              When multinational financial corporations sell junk product under false pretenses to the tune of hundreds of billions and nearly tank the world economy, they get a taxpayer bailout and continue to collect huge bonuses.

              Fox thinks the bailouts and bonuses are okay for the billionaires, and they wonder why people chant "Fox lies"?
              Report Abuse
    • Author by 1949vet (November 16, 2011 10:26 am ET)
         
      She doesn't know what the protestors are talking about, and then she immediately follows that statement by introducing her guests: a Wall Street honcho and a right-wing talk show pundit. #oblivious #clueless
      Report Abuse
    • Author by FoxFighter (November 16, 2011 10:34 am ET)
      9 1
      Can't get a job until jobs are created, and we mean PUBLIC sector jobs, not private sector.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by NotSure8 (November 17, 2011 1:28 pm ET)
           
        Actually, it's irrelevant whether the jobs are public or private. To a worker, a job's a job. The government does have more control over public sector jobs though, and there is a lot of resistance these days to the government helping the private sector.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by curiousindependent (November 18, 2011 5:15 am ET)
           
        Private sector jobs would do just fine. Huge corporations and the wealthy elite are getting huge tax breaks while they sit on unprecedented piles of ready cash, unwilling to do any hiring until this uppity (bleep) is out of the white house.

        I think that the disconnect is that people seem to think that public sector jobs don't do any good. They fail to realize that putting people to work, providing them with a paycheck (one that they didn't have before), and therefore money to spend, will, WILL spur the economy. Those people will buy goods and services provided by the private sector employers, thus increasing THEIR need for a workforce.

        Apparently the Republican brain is not firing on all cylinders, and therefore is unable to grasp that idea.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by SCUMBAG1 (November 16, 2011 11:40 am ET)
         
      FOX LIES!FOX LIES!FOX LIES!FOX LIES!FOX LIES!
      YES! TIME TO ROCK MY COC BUMPER STICK! "DROP FOX!"
      Report Abuse
    • Author by bilbo_dies (November 16, 2011 1:43 pm ET)
      7  
      Willis: "I Have No Idea What They're Talking About."

      Normally referred to as "Willful Ingnorance".
      Report Abuse
      • Author by NotSure8 (November 17, 2011 1:29 pm ET)
           
        Anyone that says that more than once with at least a few hours between actually means "I don't care what they're talking about."
        Report Abuse
    • Author by Iceguy (November 16, 2011 2:47 pm ET)
      7  
      Fox News really does lie and fatboy Dodger Ailes knows it.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by MichaelS (November 16, 2011 3:12 pm ET)
         
      Greed, power and control. It's time to OCCUPY THE VATICAN.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Quiet Tom (November 16, 2011 3:23 pm ET)
      8  
      Amazing conversation by these 3 women. The host blonde tops it off when she says "How can you talk about inequality when you are not even working? How can you complain about your pay if you have no pay?" Boggles the mind.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by CoolSlaw (November 16, 2011 5:24 pm ET)
        6  
        Fox News:

        Dedicated to tricking the "have somes" into blaming the "Have nots" while the "Have everythings" take whatever the "have somes" have left.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by johnbrown (November 16, 2011 5:23 pm ET)
      4  
      Geri Wills is full of crap.The last place where you can get your message out if they don't like what you are saying is Fox News.She complains about the protestors claiming Fox News Lies-which they do without conscious-then what does she do?Bash them and have three people for guests who do nothing but bash the Occupy movement for daring to protest and tell their employers to fire them.Wonder why they yell Fox News lies Geri?I remember she was a business correspondent at CNN but then she goes to Fox and becomes a partisan.I guess if you pay somebody enough you can change your politics overnight or at least do a good enough acting job of it to fool people.Shameful.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by johnbrown (November 16, 2011 5:43 pm ET)
      2  
      regarding Kimberly Guilfoyle's comment the Occupy people just want to dirty the streets.At least they don't have dirty in their mouth unlike Guilfoyle and anybody at Fox News.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by sullivan4239 (November 16, 2011 8:00 pm ET)
      6  
      What's the controversy about?

      FOX has been to court to prove they have a perfectly legal right to Lie.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by daymorris (November 16, 2011 9:58 pm ET)
        1  
        Lets see how Rupert Murdock goes with his right to lie with trial of phone hacking ATT customers. It should show how well and ethical he is to the parliament. A real boy scout to all. NOT.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by Ugmo (November 16, 2011 8:04 pm ET)
      6  
      The BIGGEST and most obvious LIE is that FoxNews wants to try and cover a story and have a serious exchange of views and report. The people have spoken...a biased "news" is NOT relevant to any discussion. Crawwley failed to address that although their is a free press in this society their is also a free society to deject and reject them...We don't have to accept ANY exchange of views if we choose not to.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by daymorris (November 16, 2011 9:53 pm ET)
      3  
      The thing that annoys they come off acting like a news network and then when they get pinned on their "facts" they put up the we are only commentators and don't have to deal with facts.

      Every Fox "NEWS" personality does this and gets away with it. Especially Bill OReally when his joke of a show is on. Fox will distort any guest they have on by editing the conversation or shutting off their microphones because the guest will usually own the Fox "host" by putting them in their place and showing just stupid the "host" is.

      OReally is a moron.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Ugmo (November 16, 2011 11:24 pm ET)
           
        FaauxSpews seems to constantly claim that it's commentary and not reporting, and yet if you reject the commentary they disavow your claiming that they don't report the news.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by uncle_samurai420 (November 17, 2011 6:54 am ET)
         
      Fox lies, so does NBC/msnbc, CNN, ABC, CBS and every other major media outlet in the nation. That is how one can tell that media matters is a joke, because they never say any thing about the others, even though it is obvious they are lying as well.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by chebert80 (November 17, 2011 11:58 am ET)
         
      "Get a job"? How can they "be so reckless with their jobs"...really? I'm proud of them all for risking their livelihoods to affect change. It's better than the newscast who thinks that having first amendment rights means that everyone has to let you interview them! It's better than 3 or 4 well-dressed, highly paid panelists mocking this movement. They are not protesting because they have first amendment rights...they are protesting Wall Street and the greed and corruption there in. "The test of a true believer" in the first amendment has nothing to do with accepting everything someone wants to say. "Trying to contribute to the society" is exactly what they are trying to keep from happening. It just shows how closed-minded this network is to think that this is just a means to flex first amendment muscle. They are not even looking at the real issues but dismissing them in two seconds by saying maybe they have complaints...
      Sad.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by mcnairbo6573 (November 17, 2011 12:06 pm ET)
      2  
      They ARE getting the story out Monica, the story is Fox News Lies! We saw how Fox news handles interveiews with progressives when we saw Griff Jenkins interview a very confident and articulate gentleman at the Wall street protest and after promising to air his veiws on Greta Van Susterands show they axed his segment. Luckily the protesters had their own tape to show the world that Fox News indeed Lies and cannot be trusted!
      Report Abuse
    • Author by royman1 (November 17, 2011 2:21 pm ET)
         
      "useful idiots," as opposed to the Monica Crowleys of the world for whom you could drop the "useful" part.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by donwelty (November 18, 2011 4:51 pm ET)
         
      As a means of countering the chants of "Fox news lies," these people are saying that Fox has been First Amendment right to say what it wants. If the protesters were shouting "Fox does not have the First Amendment right to say what it does," then their argument would hold water because the protesters would be lying. Since the protesters are saying "Fox news lies," these people are not denying that--but, at the least, they should be saying "oh no it doesn't." These people are not denying that Fox news lies, which is different from previous commentators.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by minority report (November 18, 2011 8:14 pm ET)
         
      What an astounding display of bald face lying by to commentator Chang! He first states: “from day 1 they’ve pretty much have been incoherent in trying to convey exactly what they want.” Then just a few sentences later he says “so they’re trying to get a couple issues out, so maybe income inequality, maybe some kind of failed bank lending practices…”

      Such cognitive dissonance is not simply made by willful ignorance but by blatant attempts to spin and mischaracterize a story to fit your own political bias. Can we just call it what it is...malicious propaganda? But to give him some credit (but very little) he was the only person on the panel that was willing to acknowledge some of the issues that have been the focus of 2 months of public protests. It’s as if they all have cotton in their ears and don’t hear any of the messages.

      They’re coverage strategy is to attempt to discredit the movement by criticizing the messengers, and not talk about the messages themselves.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by tonelook20068742 (November 18, 2011 10:00 pm ET)
         
      It's like coloring one's hair, after you do it so much and long, you don't really know what your hair color is or whether it has grayed. Lying is a justifiable means for their ideological ends. It's a tactic not a lie, it's a coordinate effort of political manuevers that need not be accurate if their aim is a higher goal. They don't believe they are lying because they have validation in their numbers (lots of liars supporting each other) and after they all are being paid by others so they have no direct personal involvement, it's directed from above; it's just part of their job. Beyond that they quietly fear for their job security, they don't want to appear the least bit truthful for fear of losing all the money they are making. Lying is profitable at Fox and it's also expected, in not demanded.
      Report Abuse