In a new open letter to media buyers during the television industry’s upfront period, a broad and diverse coalition of more than 40 organizations is urging media buyers not to buy advertisements on Fox News, warning that any ad spend on the network will fund the promotion of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, bigotry, and lies.
Citing Fox News’ unprecedented year of pushing deadly lies about the coronavirus pandemic, routinely broadcasting racist rhetoric, questioning the outcome of the election, helping lay the groundwork for the January 6 insurrection, and leaning further into its extremist programming, the letter explains:
We understand that the annual television upfront is an important part of the advertising sales period for major advertisers. The top networks present themselves in the best light possible to advertisers and media buyers in order to sell out their advertising inventory for the year ahead. Media buyers who aren’t watching Fox News daily are an easy target to get duped by the network’s empty promises of feel-good and fact-based reporting. Instead, protect your client’s brand and reputation so that they are not ruined by Fox News’ gross mismanagement, volatility, and extremism.
More and more, we have seen major corporations and brands publicly state that they cannot simply sit idly by and do or say nothing as political extremists attack our democratic institutions, undermine our public health response to the COVID-19 and climate crises, spew misogynistic beliefs, and stoke racial, anti-LGBTQ and xenophobic violence. Fox News' propaganda is the key driver behind all of those depravities.
This is not the moment for business as usual. In this case, advertisers don’t even need to put their money where their mouth is. All they need to do is refrain from partnering with and funding an engine of violence and extremism like Fox News. It’s the lowest possible bar -- but a pivotal moment to stand on the right side of history.
The upfront presentation is an important inflection point. Fox News has already made clear what you can expect from the network next year: more Tucker [Carlson], more lies, more extremism, and more racism. Use this inflection point to quietly part ways with Fox News.
Read the full letter here: https://dropfox.com/letter/
The letter ends with a simple request: “Our ask to you as media buyers and advertisers is simple: Stop funding lies and hate; don’t buy ads on Fox News.”
The open letter was signed by a wide array of organizations including civil rights groups, LGBTQ+ advocates, feminist organizations, and environmental activists -- with the variety of supporters illustrating the many issues that Fox News coverage villainizes and misinforms its audience about on a daily basis.
Signers include Avaaz; Al for the People; Bend the Arc: Jewish Action; Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation; the Center for American Progress Action Fund; Center for Media and Democracy; CHANGE; Clean Elections Texas; Community Change Action; Courage California; Equal Justice Society; Florida Immigrant Coalition; Free Press; Friends of the Earth; Fuse Washington; GLAAD; Global Project Against Hate and Extremism; Granite State Press; Indivisible; Lawyers for Good Government; League of United Latin American Citizens; Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action; MoveOn; NARAL Pro-Choice America; National Black Justice Coalition; National Hispanic Media Coalition; Our Maryland; Poder Latinx; Progress America; Progress Michigan; ProgressNow New Mexico; Public Citizen; Sleeping Giants; Social Security Works; SumOfUs; The Other 98; UltraViolet; United We Dream; VDAY/OneBillionRising; Voto Latino; WAVE Educational Fund; the Western States Center; and Women’s March.
You can find a list of Fox News' advertisers here.
