Dear MoveOn member,
This week, Fox hosted its biggest pitch of the year to potential advertisers, hoping to woo massive ad buys to bankroll its lie-riddled programming.1
We all know that this event comes mere weeks after Fox News agreed to the largest lawsuit settlement in U.S. media history and fired Tucker Carlson.2 Together, we made sure that Fox's potential advertisers don't forget that that is the same brand they are being asked to fund.
Here's a quick snapshot of what advertisers saw on Monday:
MoveOn members protested outside Fox's New York City event, demanding all advertisers stop funding Fox! We also rallied, delivered our petition, and launched mobile billboards at corporate headquarters of select advertisers. Our message was clear: Every dollar given to Fox News funds the hate and conspiracy theories they blast on air.
And that's not all. If in-person events weren't enough, we made sure these name-brand corporations currently funding Fox with their ads heard from MoveOn members online, as well. Thousands of MoveOn members took to the social media accounts of AT&T, GM, and Subway to ask them to stop funding Fox, and MoveOn released an online ad, contrasting these brands with some of the bonkers claims Fox News personalities make, showing that Tucker Carlson's firing doesn't change the rot at the core of this propaganda machine.
MoveOn has a long history of taking on Fox's lies. But since private correspondence from Fox News hosts was made public in late February, we've turned up the heat and created sustained pressure on Fox News and its funders. Because of members like you, we’ve been able to put pressure on cable providers and advertisers to stop future deals with Fox. We’re not done yet, but here are some things we have already done together:
It can be easy to doubt that our actions add up to much in the face of the incredible power and wealth of a mega-corporation like Fox. But all of this collective outrage is having a real impact! According to a poll released this week, two-thirds of Americans agree that Fox "News" is really propaganda, intent on putting its political agenda and profits ahead of getting the story right.4 And Fox News' ad revenue is expected to go down by over 8% in 2023.5 So we can't give up, even as Fox tries to project stability and confidence.
The only way to shut down Fox News’ dangerous lies is to expose those who are financially enabling them with revenue, through cable news carrier fees and advertising support. MoveOn will continue holding Fox News accountable and demand that corporations #StopFundingFox!
If you haven’t yet, sign the Stop Funding Fox petition and share with three friends now.
Thanks for all you do.
–Kelsey, Corinne, Sana, Alexis, and the rest of the team
P.S. If you're fired up to hold Fox News accountable and haven't reached out to one of these companies directly, you can post a comment on Subway's Facebook page asking it to stop advertising on Fox News, or call Xfinity/Comcast at 877-959-8439 to speak out out against increasing the per-subscriber rate they pay Fox News.
Sources:
1. "Here’s How Fox News Was Featured at Fox Upfront 2023," AdWeek, May 15, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173120?t=12&akid=352546%2E40999114%2E15dPj9
2. "Tucker Carlson leaves Fox News in wake of Dominion defamation settlement," CNBC, April 24, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173118?t=14&akid=352546%2E40999114%2E15dPj9
3. "Fox News wants a massive increase in its cable fees — which will be paid for by all cable subscribers," Media Matters for America, April 20, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/172168?t=16&akid=352546%2E40999114%2E15dPj9
4. "Most Americans Describe Fox News as Putting a Political Agenda and Profits Ahead of the Truth," Tweet by Navigator Research, May 16, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173123?t=18&akid=352546%2E40999114%2E15dPj9
5. "TV News May Face Resistance From Advertisers in Upfront Market," Variety, May 14, 2023
https://act.moveon.org/go/173114?t=20&akid=352546%2E40999114%2E15dPj9
Want to support our work? Together, we must work to end the filibuster, codify abortion rights into law, and defend our freedoms, our families, and our futures. We can accomplish all this and more, but only if we work together.
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