1/ Got a call earlier from big media buyer. Less than year ago, they scaled back clients' ads on Fox News due to work that had been done to get advertisers to remove ads. (Fox News has lost 100s of millions in ad revenue, actually). Anyway. Buyer wanted to share some info w/me...
2/ Fox News ad people circling wagons. What were they pushing? Pete Buttigieg's partnership with Fox News for a town hall this weekend. Fox person argued that Pete's town hall illustrated that it was was 'safe to come back into the water.'
3/ (The 'safe to come back in water' is a theme Fox pushes when something like this happens, like last spring when some candidates started doing fox town halls). Fox person wanted the buyer to reconsider their scale back and start ramping up their clients' ads again.
4/ At outset, let me note: Media Matters is not involved in primaries; we are neutral. I am too. I have no dog in primary fight. But when *any* campaign directly undermines MMFA's efforts or takes actions that strengthen right-wing noise machine, I have and will point out.
5/ So here's the thing: Democratic presidential candidates should not be helping Fox News rehab themselves. And they certainly shouldn't be undermining hard (and too often thankless and grossly unappreciated) work that some do to hold the worst of the right-wing media to account.
6/ Make no mistake. The damage to Fox's advertising is deep and real. They used to average 30-35 paid commercials a show during prime time. Now they average about 15-16. They literally had to cut number of paid commercials in half because their ad inventory dried up so severely.
7/ So here's why it's not good...at all...for Democratic presidential candidates, especially major ones, to be partnering with Fox News for these kinds of events:
8/ (#1) Fox News exploits them. Fox immediately uses them to make the case to advertisers/media buyers that the presence of these events means it is safe to come back in the water and that they should reverse their advertising scale backs and ramp up.
9/ (#2) These aren't just appearances. They are events. Lots of negotiations go into planning. The person overseeing Fox News' town halls and leading negotiations for Fox is a guy by the name of Bill Sammon.
10/ (#2 cont...) Media Matters actually uncovered a memo (and released it) where Sammon sent instructions to Fox News staff to literally lie about climate change on air. And that's only one of the memos we got. He is deceitful and part of Fox's "hard news" side.
11/ (#2 cont...) If Fox wants these events so badly and leading candidates have leverage, why not use that to maybe tell Fox to fire that guy or put him on the opinion side. Instead, campaigns sit across from him, negotiate and validate him as "news" person. No. Don't do that.
12/ (#3 cont...) They don't need Fox News. Sometimes, I hear, 'well they have to do this to reach other people.' Uhm. No. They want to reach conservatives? Fine. But why go after the most die hard, hardened extremists? Not because they'll will persuade them. They won't.
13/ (#3 cont...) It's because they get to pat themselves on the back, and say 'oh, I went on fox news and spoke truth to power." Please. Fox is a partisan propaganda operation. Campaigns don't help the goal of campaign by beefing up opposition. (Which Fox self-defines as, btw).
14/ (#3 cont...) Note: Bloomberg and Steyer, who are saturating airwaves, not currently advertising on Fox News. They know you shouldn't give money to opposition and that there's little to gain from ads on Fox.
15/ So let's say...you don't accept any of my reasoning. Let's say..you think it is good for the campaigns to do these partnerships with Fox. Okay. Here's what I would say. Even if there are benefits, those benefits....do not outweigh the actual harms done.
16/ These kinds of events create setbacks for holding Fox to account. And, they are setback that are totally needless and avoidable too. So much work will be required to make sure Fox doesn't leverage this for their benefit. Grrrr.
17/ Not trying to incinerate the campaign or candidate. But, much like every prior time a campaign has done this (fortunately, after the brief flare up last spring, campaigns actually got the message and thankfully stopped Fox partnerships), I spoke up. And I am doing so now.
18/ Partnering with Fox News is not something a Dem presidential campaign should be doing.
Not trying to change anyone's mind about who to support. But I want to be very clear: these partnerships with Fox News are shortsighted and there is real damage from them.
That's all.
Not trying to change anyone's mind about who to support. But I want to be very clear: these partnerships with Fox News are shortsighted and there is real damage from them.
That's all.
