Murdoch Violates Ethics on U.S. Side of the Pond

If you've ever had the misfortune of watching Steve Doocy and Friends on the Fox News Network in the morning, then you'll recognize just how close Saturday Night Live came to recreating the show for their audience. When something is a clown circus with Ted Baxter clones for 14 years, it doesn't take much to create a parody of it, but they caught the clueless mugging for the camera perfectly.



And this comes on the heels of Doocy misquoting President Obama in order to get a rise out of Mitt Romney. Of course we are just supposed to see that as Doocy's lovable mischief-making side, and not the erroneous and cynical anti-real-news side.

I love the guy who plays Rupert Murdoch, too. The British Courts recently ruled that due to the phone-tapping and harrassment scandal, Murdoch was "Not A Fit Person To Exercise The Stewardship Of A Major International Company." So shouldn't our government look into the activities of Fox News here in the U.S.? Maybe they will. Media Matters has compiled a Fact List of Ethical Violations from Fox, including the constant slanting of news, the creation and promotion of Tea Party events, and political donations to Right Wing causes.

The Free Press Action Fund has a Petition set up asking Congress to look into Murdoch's activities on this side of the Pond. Sign it Here. It states in part:

News Corp.’s corruption doesn’t end at British shores. Murdoch controls a huge swath of media in the U.S., including FOX News, the Wall Street Journal, cable networks and 27 local TV stations. Murdoch’s company has been charged with bribing government officials and hacking into phones and computers throughout its global operations. Murdoch is not above the law. We need to place him and his colleagues under the lights and before the cameras in Congress. Take action now. Sign this letter urging your member of Congress to hold Murdoch’s News Corp. accountable.

Also a group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW has asked the FCC to revoke Murdoch's Broadcast Licenses:

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski asking the FCC to revoke the 27 Fox broadcast licenses News Corp. holds in the United States. Under U.S. law, broadcast frequencies may be used only by people of good “character,” who will serve “the public interest,” and speak with “candor.” Significant character deficiencies may warrant disqualification from holding a license.

An investigation by Great Britain’s House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee recently condemned Rupert Murdoch as “not a fit person to exercise stewardship of a major international company.” Further, the Committee concluded that both Rupert and James Murdoch turned a blind eye to the illicit activities at News Corp. The Committee described parts of Rupert Murdoch’s testimony as “barely credible,” and said the notion that he had no inkling about the widespread illegal conduct was “simply not credible.”

CREW also sent letters to the House and Senate Commerce Committees asking for hearings into whether Rupert and James Murdoch meet the FCC’s character standards.

CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan stated, “The House of Commons report makes clear that both Rupert and James Murdoch were complicit in New Corp.’s illegal activities. If the Murdochs don’t meet the British standards of character test, it is hard to see how they can meet the American standard.”

Stay tuned ~ the scandal continues. Wouldn't it be great to see Fox News dismantled during a major U.S. election year, and never have to hear anything out of Steve Doocy and his silly friends again?