Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism

Released 2004
Stars Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan, Mena Suvari, Tara Reid, Shannon Elizabeth, Eugene Levy, Natasha Lyonne
Directed by J.B. Rogers

Every morning, Senior VP John Moody sends out a memo to his news staff. Since Mr. Moody is in charge of editorial content, his memo sets the tone for the day. It is carefully worded. Any mention of President George W. Bush is accompanied by glowing language, hints of heroism, and suggestions for wording difficult issues in a positive light. Any mention of Senator John Kerry hints at deception, partisanship, and, if possible, the French. God, country, and the American flag must always be seen in the best possible terms. News that highlights foreigners, fringe groups, or worst of all, liberals, is fashioned in a negative light. And every day, John Moody's staff repeats the same mantra. Fair and balanced. Fair and balanced.

Welcome to the dizzying world of the Fox News Channel.

Summary by Mike Pinsky

Fox scares me. They're one of the biggest news organizations in the world, and they have a naked political agenda. We've never seen anything like it before, and I don't know how it can be acceptable in the news community that likes to regulate itself. I do understand why it's so popular, though. Documentaries like this are so important, because it's one of the few effective ways to disseminate information like this. The media outlets are being consolidated into fewer and fewer hands, and there aren't many studios and distributors left that aren't owned by the same companies that own the news organizations. Thank the lord for the internet, since it provides outlets for non-corporate news. Unfortunately, you can't trust much of it, but at least we have a place for our voices to be heard. We have to fight back against Murdoch and his extremely successful efforts to change the United States and the rest of the free world to his liking. This documentary is a little amateurish, but I think it's what we have to expect. I love Michael Moore's circus shows and rabble rousing, but we also need people like director Robert Greenwald who are closer to the mainstream. --Bill Alward, September 22, 2004