View Full Version : 'Outfoxed' vs News Ltd.
wagstaff
21 Oct 2004, 20:08
There's a documentary that's been released recently at cinemas in Australia but coverage and even reviews of it have been non-existant in News Ltd. newspapers like the 'Herald Sun'.
The title gives away why this is the case - "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's war on journalism". The documentary takes a look at the Fox News network in America, the supposed news network that uses innumerable varied tactics to espouse its biased, dishonest and deceitful agenda.
In a truly bizzare performance, News Ltd. newspapers throughout Australia are making a greater case for the fact that their 'news' outlets are little more then agendas for their owner's needs (and the finanical elite he represents) then the documentary itself does.
As Media Watch illustrated on Monday Night http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1222362.htm, not only are newspapers like the 'Herald Sun' not even reviewing the film, they're not even allowing the full title of the film to be displayed in advertisements, because it was 'offensive' to the paper... and Rupert of course.
As it currently stands, the film is listed at places like the Nova in the 'HS' as just Outfoxed. It's a stunningly heavy-handed display of censorship and self-interest, even by their standards. They are so shamelessly hypocritical that 'The Australian' has the nerve to complain in their editorial today about attacks on free speech after losing a defamation case while carrying on a blatant attack on free speech.
How far will News Ltd. go in black-banning this doco? If it somehow made the Top 10 films at the Box Office, would they not even list it in their box office listings?
I happened to see the doco last night and while it certainly illustrated some fascinating examples of the dishonesty and corruption that is the hallmark of Fox News, overall it was a pretty average film. For one thing, it was blandly put together with all the cliches of docos (endless series of talking heads) well intact. It probably would've had more impact as a 30 minute special, not a 70 minute movie.
And some of its points of view were naive in the extreme. It referred to the rightward shift of the other major media outlets in America as if they were influenced by Fox News - in truth, these other networks are just as corporate-controlled as Fox is, just more bland and 'respectable'.
Also, the issue of why Fox is so popular isn't really analysed - I would suggest it is because of its obvious bias which appeals significantly to a small but definite section of the population (i.e. genuine Republicans). In contrast, the other corporate networks are bland and lifeless in comparison and don't appeal to anyone, especially those seeking genuine and substantive news output.
Its last 10 minutes when it suggested that local radio and 'activism' were viable answers to the corporate media were lame and unconvincing.
Having said that, it's a film worth seeing, if you can find a listing for it in the newspaper that is.
Gratutious trivia - The director of 'Outfoxed' also directed 'Xanadu'
The Scarecrow
21 Oct 2004, 20:53
Doubt the newspaper down here will give it any, since Murdoch owns own paper down here. I saw a little bit of it, I think it was SBS they showed a small snippet of it.
I will have to look it up when it comes out, and see it, sounds like it might be interesting, and I would like to see what all the fuss is about. I wonder if Murdochs papers, etc. Have seen this yet? Or are they black banning because of it's name alone?
wagstaff
27 Jan 2005, 21:50
The 'Outfoxed' documentary is being screened by the ABC next Tuesday night at 9:30pm (or thereabouts)
Not the greatest doco ever made, but definitely worth a look. Unsurprisingly, no reviews of it were found in the Herald Sun TV Guide yesterday.
red+black
28 Jan 2005, 08:19
Outfoxed on IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0418038/)
A mate saw it and was amazed at the lengths that Fox will go to to denounce and denigrate (sp?) interviewees with contrary views.
NICK THE PIE MAN
28 Jan 2005, 11:52
Yeah saw it in cinemas.
Even as a News Limited employee, I loved it.
It said what pretty much nearly everyone knew though: Fox News is a disgrace. Right wing cheerleading puppets who shame the journalistic world with their antics and lack of integrity.
Contra Mundum
28 Jan 2005, 18:18
There's a documentary that's been released recently at cinemas in Australia but coverage and even reviews of it have been non-existant in News Ltd. newspapers like the 'Herald Sun'.
etc...
"News Ltd will always win:" Noam Chomsky
red+black
30 Jan 2005, 12:14
Good news. Channel Two are showing Outfoxed this Tuesday (Feb 1) at 9:20pm (check trivia below for original screening time). But it's only scheduled for 60 minutes, IMDB.com says it's 75 minutes long. I recommend everyone watch it or at least tape it.
Some trivia from IMDB.com, the last which has already been mentioned:
# On 18 July 2004, a network of "house parties" premiered this film on DVD throughout the USA. The screenings were synchronized to begin at 9:20 PM Eastern time, and afterwards, a two-way communications link via computer was used to voice opinions and interview several of the people involved in the documentary's production.
# The director, Robert Greenwald, used a clip from Eric Clapton's song "Layla" for the film's closing credits in a rough edit, and then read in a magazine interview that Clapton had a long-standing hatred of Rupert Murdoch. He approached Clapton for permission to use the song in the film, and he granted its use... for free.
# Certain Murdoch-owned newspapers in Australia refused to run ads for theatrical screenings of the film claiming that the ads were "offensive". The newspapers were not satisfied with the ads until they were pared down to the bare title of the film (without the tagline "Rupert Murdoch's War On Journalism"), the name of the theatre and the session time(s) with no accompanying artwork.
red+black
1 Feb 2005, 15:31
this is on in a few hours time.
Saw it on DVD a few weeks back...isn't that O'Brien/O'Neill (can't remember) a nasty piece of work? Fascinating stuff, and just wait until the Democrats get a black candidate in...poor bastard won't know what hit them.
Watch for the Fox-sponsored "Liberation of Iran"...
sandeano
1 Feb 2005, 20:34
Saw it on DVD a few weeks back...isn't that O'Brien/O'Neill (can't remember) a nasty piece of work? Fascinating stuff, and just wait until the Democrats get a black candidate in...poor bastard won't know what hit them.
Watch for the Fox-sponsored "Liberation of Iran"...
Bill O'Reilly. Horrible, horrible man. I used to think he was funny in the way that he was almost a carictature of every right-wing nutjob you could imagine, but when you see just how influential he is, it is pretty scary.
Of course Fox News is the most vile news service imaginable, but I suppose water finds its own level and we get the media we deserve. If enough people are watching (and they ARE watching Fox) then the public only have themselves to blame.
red+black
1 Feb 2005, 20:37
It's Bill O'Reilly. He's a good laugh, would be funnier with a WMD up his butt though. The scum hangs out here (http://www.billoreilly.com/).
CharlieG
1 Feb 2005, 21:05
Damn it, I missed this.
Is it available on DVD? Maybe I'll hire it.
red+black
1 Feb 2005, 21:22
Check out the website (http://www.outfoxed.org/) for some info.
demon_dave
1 Feb 2005, 21:35
o'rielly sucks
http://www.oreilly-sucks.com/
SaveFeriss
1 Feb 2005, 21:40
Well just finished up here in Qld Time, and really.. What Can You Say? What can you do?
I really dont know how to express what I see so Im going to use a very poor analogy, and hopefully in these two words I get what Im seeing across.
The Matrix.
Yeah yeah, laugh away but I have no other way to describe what I see in words that wouldn't fill a page here. It's the same form of thought control. I guess watching a special on SBS just before it called The Persuaders, about advertising and branding methods, didnt help.
I used The Matrix because it also expresses what must be done. People must fight to get our right to think freely back. I dont accept the idea that, in Sandeanos words.."but I suppose water finds its own level and we get the media we deserve. If enough people are watching (and they ARE watching Fox) then the public only have themselves to blame."
To me that's giving in and being selfish and accepting. Im selfish at times, probably as selfish as anyone here. But I recognise this and despise that part of me. I also have great empathy for the downtrodden, the un-heard and bullied of the world, and a hatred bordering on the criminal, for people who manipulate, instill fear and destroy lives for their own sense of power, and finance.
It's a doomed speices we are if we continue on this path and allow our minds and souls to be raped by big businesses with no actual identity or purpose, and Governments and people who use fear to keep us in line.
You can laugh away at my lil un-harnessed rant, but by laughing you show you've already lost your very own identity and purpose.
"It's only after you've lost everything," Tyler says, "that you're free to do anything." -
Fight Club
by Chuck Palahniuk
red+black
1 Feb 2005, 21:46
Download Krugman vs. O'Reilly (http://www.jimgilliam.com/2004/08/krugman_vs_oreilly_my_clips.php) then watch the outfoxed clip here (http://www.outfoxed.org/Clips.php) from point 2. Gold!
SaveFeriss
1 Feb 2005, 21:59
Dial up :(
Yeah saw it in cinemas.
Even as a News Limited employee, I loved it.
It said what pretty much nearly everyone knew though: Fox News is a disgrace. Right wing cheerleading puppets who shame the journalistic world with their antics and lack of integrity.
I used to work for a news ltd company and what you say and more. I saw most of the doco last night tho i didn't have to be told fox news a disgrace. Can't bear to watch it - their reports and bias gets me so angry that i nearly throw the remote at the TV. Typical of major players in the nationa/international media - As long as the $ keep rolling in they'll hitch their wagon to whoever promises the most. ;)
All of you should support Fox News, or just SHUT UP! :D
What a classy bit of work O'Reilly is.
Its American's like O'Reilly and Sean Hannity that make the rest of the word hate and despise the US...and the fact their 'leader' Dubya Bush so comprehensively won the last election would suggest there are more than a few that think like them im afraid.
SaveFeriss
2 Feb 2005, 17:36
Won the election, or rigged the election?
I dont think you can say they rigged the last one. 2000 ill pay that though.
red+black
3 Feb 2005, 07:17
Its American's like O'Reilly and Sean Hannity that make the rest of the word hate and despise the US...and the fact their 'leader' Dubya Bush so comprehensively won the last election would suggest there are more than a few that think like them im afraid.
Exactly. As a kid, I used to love everything that was American. Now, I hate what America has done to the world, and sadly, we are a party to much of what America does. I am far more fearful of the "Coalition Of The Willing" than I am of so-called terrorists.
TheBloods
3 Feb 2005, 07:53
I am far more fearful of the "Coalition Of The Willing" than I am of so-called terrorists.
More fearful in terms of personal safety or global safety?
Understandable for the latter, bizarre for the former.
Did "so-called terrorists" use 'so-called bombs' to kill 'so-called people'?
SaveFeriss
3 Feb 2005, 07:58
More fearful in terms of personal safety or global safety?
Understandable for the latter, bizarre for the former.
Did "so-called terrorists" use 'so-called bombs' to kill 'so-called people'?
Yeah I think it's called the US Marine Corp, or US Air Force.. Take your pick.
TheBloods
3 Feb 2005, 10:08
Yeah I think it's called the US Marine Corp, or US Air Force.. Take your pick.
And they're the only ones... :rolleyes:
The 'Outfoxed' documentary is being screened by the ABC next Tuesday night at 9:30pm (or thereabouts)
Not the greatest doco ever made, but definitely worth a look. Unsurprisingly, no reviews of it were found in the Herald Sun TV Guide yesterday.
It was reviewed in the Australians's TV Guide.
He said it was one sided and biased ;)
red+black
3 Feb 2005, 12:33
Yeah the doco was a biased piece about the fair and balanced reporting of Fox News!
I am not concerned for my personal safety, not scared of terrorists coming to kill me. I got just a little sick and tired of warnings to not go to the AFL Grand Final, or the Melbourne Cup, or this or that because we could be under threat. Such warnings only make me madder at the US Government.
Obviously America, like their enemy, are terrorists of the highest calibre. I am far more fearful of America's role in the world than I am of Al Qaeda et al.
TheBloods
3 Feb 2005, 14:03
Yeah the doco was a biased piece about the fair and balanced reporting of Fox News!
I thought it was very good.
Obviously America, like their enemy, are terrorists of the highest calibre. I am far more fearful of America's role in the world than I am of Al Qaeda et al.
So many people, particularly younger ones, like to overplay the dangers in the world!
puddingfactor
3 Feb 2005, 15:31
It was reviewed in the Australians's TV Guide.
He said it was one sided and biased ;)
I checked for mentions of Outfoxed in a newspaper database I have access to, and while reviews appeared in The Age and SMH, of the News Corp papers there was the review in The Australian, and an article by the one and only Andrew Bolt.
The review in The Australian was interesting. The critic, Stephen Romei, criticised Outfoxed for not airing views contrary to the argument it was running. Romei says that contrary to what Outfoxed would have you believe, not all employees of Murdoch are beholden to him. He uses his praise for the work of Michael Moore as an example. And Romei conceeds that while Fox may lean republican, other media organisations such as the NY Times lean democrat.
However, the most interesting part of the article I found was this:
Greenwald's film also patronises Fox News viewers, whom he sees as brainwashed dolts. Latest Nielsen Media Research figures show about 913,000 tune in each day; Fox News has been the leading cable news channel since 2001.
As someone who has faith in media consumers, I suspect many are watching, clear-eyed, because they enjoy it for what it is.
I guess that explains why the circulation of The Australian is so small.
red+black
3 Feb 2005, 15:38
Fox may lean republican
May?
Lean?
I'll have to check my dictionary!
Appleyard
3 Feb 2005, 15:58
So many people, particularly younger ones, like to overplay the dangers in the world!
In that case Ray Martin needs to aim for a younger demographic!