Fox News Runs Digitally Altered Images in Coverage of Seattle's protests, Capitol Hill . . .

[pnwmom]

Source: Seattle Times

Fox News published digitally altered and misleading photos on stories about Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in what photojournalism experts called a clear violation of ethical standards for news organizations.

As part of a package of stories Friday about the zone, where demonstrators have taken over several city blocks on Capitol Hill after Seattle police abandoned the East Precinct, Fox's website for much of the day featured a photo of a man standing with a military-style rifle in front of what appeared to be a smashed retail storefront.

The image was actually a mashup of photos from different days, taken by different photographers -- it was done by splicing a Getty Images photo of an armed man, who had been at the protest zone June 10, with other images from May 30 of smashed windows in downtown Seattle. Another altered image combined the gunman photo with yet another image, making it appear as though he was standing in front of a sign declaring "You are now entering Free Cap Hill."

Fox's site had no disclaimers revealing the photos had been manipulated. The network removed the images after inquiries from The Seattle Times.

Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/fox-news-runs-digitally-altered-images-in-coverage-of-seattles-protests-capitol-hill-autonomous-zone/?fbclid=IwAR2M8m3Puq9zbFEb2aD-OkvLQ2iEEvSR_NDaJ--eOl3L9iE4AFCmjzJ2SIk

---

Fox also ran a photo of a burning city from May 30, in St. Paul, Minnesota -- falsely labeled as a photo of Seattle.

[Beakybird]

1. Fox is so scuzzy, they know no bottom.

[jaxexpat]

18. Now that's not fair. They feed there and know it well.

[Blue Owl]

2. Fox News -- clearly the devil

n/t

[sakabatou]

3. Since when did Fox "News" care about ethics?

[truthisfreedom]

4. Faux Snooze.

[hay rick]

5. Enemies of journalistic ethics, social justice, and American democracy.

Fox News are enemy troops, their viewers are enemy dupes.

[keithbvadu2]

6. 'Fake news'?

[MissMillie]

29. precisely

Won't see 45 tweeting about this

[Ford_Prefect]

7. I suspect the Washington AG and perhaps the Seattle DA may have something to say about this.

Fraud, violating the public trust implicit in their license to broadcast in Washington state, Malfeasance in general, and just possibly inciting pubic disorder.

[reACTIONary]

21. Fox News is not licensed to broadcast...

From snoops...

The Fox Broadcasting Company is an over-the-air television network licensed by the FCC. This is the station where you find programming such as “The Simpsons". The Fox News Network is a cable news channel. The latter is where you’d find programming such as “Fox & Friends” and “Hannity.” While the FCC licenses and regulates over-the-air broadcasts, it has no authority over cable news channels.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fox-news-entertainment-switch/

[Ford_Prefect]

22. The State of Washington very likely has laws regulating commerce which do apply.

Advertisers and businesses use Fox to reach regional and local audiences so there must be regulatory oversight. If not the license to broadcast then the ability to sell advertising, or for disseminating information likely to cause a breach of the peace. The States are more powerful than the FCC over issues that directly affect their citizens. The Public safety issue alone has that strength.

Don't forget that this is not about artistic or political interpretation but outright lies and propaganda which directly affect the safety and well being of Seattle residents and voters, and the reputation of Seattle itself. Networks and stations have been successfully sued over less egregious offenses.

[reACTIONary]

28. It's been tried....

.... and was a total and miserable failure.

From the Erik Wemple blog:

Fox News has never been so right

Seattle attorney Catherine Clark (for WASHLITE) is spearheading a lawsuit against Fox News for its coronavirus coverage, alleging that various on-air statements playing down the scourge violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act. “Fox’s repeated claims that the COVID-19 pandemic was/is a hoax is not only an unfair act, it is deceptive and therefore actionable under Washington’s Consumer Protection Act,” .....

As the unscientific, pro-Trump statements piled up on Fox News, critics of the network fantasized on social media about a courtroom reckoning. ....

So raw are these arguments that their stench carries from one Washington to the other Washington. The readership of the Erik Wemple Blog is sophisticated enough to spot the infirmities of any invitation to a court to serve as an editorial chaperone for a news network, or even a propaganda network.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/23/fox-news-has-never-been-so-right/

Apparently Fox now gets to act generous...

Fox News Lawyers Seek Only $335 After Beating Back WASHLITE Suit

Fox Corp. used six lawyers — including four from powerful top-ranked firm Jones Day — to fend off a lawsuit by a Washington state watchdog group. Reuters reported two years ago that Jones Day’s average partner billing rate was $950 an hour.
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/0PG6BrvV/fox-news-lawyers-seek-only-335-after-beating-back-washlite-suit

Wemple concludes with the doctrine of counterspeach:

“The remedy for speech that is false is speech that is true,” Hannity... faced a social-media backlash and a “media mob” backlash. The Post’s team at “The Fix” documented how, in the course of days, this turnaround (the) network attitude.... Counterspeech isn’t a perfect remedy for the problem of Fox News, though it sure worked faster than a potential incursion from a Washington state court. Toss this case, Judge, and leave Hannity for the Erik Wemple Blog.

https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/940/counterspeech-doctrine

[groundloop]

8. HOLY SHIT..... REPUTABLE news organizations do not allow ANY manipulation in images

Photographers who submit photos to nearly every single news organization have to abide by a very strict standard which forbids ANY manipulation of photos. This action by faux news is just so outside the norm I'm at a loss for words.

[Major Nikon]

9. I'm going to play devil's advocate here

You have to understand Faux now has to compete with OAN. It's not really "fair and balanced" when OAN gets to just make shit up in order to appeal to the batshit crazy GOPhers, now is it? Who can really blame them? Fake news isn't going to write itself.

[pnwmom]

10. Does OAN have a broadcast license regulated by the FCC? n/t

[mahatmakanejeeves]

15. Its programming is distributed via cable and satellite, the same as Fox News, I think. NT

[pnwmom]

16. Except Fox is also one of a very limited number of local stations.

OAN isn't.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. That's a different entity. Fox Broadcasting and Fox News are separate operations.

They are two different things. I watch FOX5DC all the time. I don't have cable or satellite, so I don't watch Fox News.

I've gone into this earlier. I can find my old posts, which will explain things.

Thanks for writing.

[Ford_Prefect]

23. Their right to sell advertising in local markets is regulated. That is an issue the states and

county officials control in many venues.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

25. Can you cite a regulation for that? Thanks. NT

[Ford_Prefect]

27. It seems the FCC DOES have jurisdiction over some false and misleading NEWS content.

It seems to me that the Seattle times would not get this kind of thing wrong. They refer to experts in Photojournalism as their sources.

Below is the relevant FCC code regarding it:
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/broadcasting-false-information

Broadcasting False Information

The FCC occasionally receives complaints regarding allegedly false information aired on TV or radio. The FCC reviews all complaints for possible violation of its rules, which are narrow in scope.

Broadcasting false information that causes substantial 'public harm'
The FCC prohibits broadcasting false information about a crime or a catastrophe if the broadcaster knows the information is false and will cause substantial "public harm" if aired.

FCC rules specifically say that "the public harm: must begin immediately and cause direct and actual damage to property or the health or safety of the general public; or divert law enforcement or public health and safety authorities from their duties."

Broadcasters may air disclaimers that clearly characterize programming as fiction to avoid violating FCC rules about public harm.

Broadcasting false content during news programming
The FCC is prohibited by law from engaging in censorship or infringing on First Amendment rights of the press. It is, however, illegal for broadcasters to intentionally distort the news, and the FCC may act on complaints if there is documented evidence of such behavior from persons with direct personal knowledge. For more information, please see our consumer guide, Complaints About Broadcast Journalism.

Source: Seattle Times

Fox News published digitally altered and misleading photos on stories about Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in what photojournalism experts called a clear violation of ethical standards for news organizations.

As part of a package of stories Friday about the zone, where demonstrators have taken over several city blocks on Capitol Hill after Seattle police abandoned the East Precinct, Fox's website for much of the day featured a photo of a man standing with a military-style rifle in front of what appeared to be a smashed retail storefront.

I will keep looking for Washington State and Seattle regulations. I suspect their language would be similar for reasons I stated previously regarding harm to citizen's health and safety. This NOT a 1st amendment item of interpretation. The images and their presentation were outright lies.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

31. Let's address these things.

Below is the relevant FCC code regarding it:
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/broadcasting-false-information

Broadcasting False Information

The FCC occasionally receives complaints regarding allegedly false information aired on TV or radio.

Fox News is not a broadcast organization. It is not regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Source: Seattle Times

Fox News published digitally altered and misleading photos on stories about Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) in what photojournalism experts called a clear violation of ethical standards for news organizations.

Even in the case of broadcast organizations, the FCC does not regulate on the basis of ethical standards. Those are consensus standards, and they are set by private entities.

As part of a package of stories Friday about the zone, where demonstrators have taken over several city blocks on Capitol Hill after Seattle police abandoned the East Precinct, Fox's website for much of the day featured a photo of a man standing with a military-style rifle in front of what appeared to be a smashed retail storefront.

The altered photograph appeared on the Fox News website. As far as I know, it was not broadcast. I can't be certain, because, not having cable or satellite, I do not watch Fox News. Do you want the FCC regulating websites? How does that fall within their jurisdiction?

I will keep looking for Washington State and Seattle regulations.

State or local regulations do not apply to broadcasters. Imagine a station in Longview or Portland. That station's signals would cover Oregon and Washington. Which state would have primacy? The regulation of broadcasters occurs on the federal level. No broadcasting; no regulation, at least not by the FCC.

Thanks for writing.

[yaesu]

11. like everything else in this country rules have gone out the window. nt

[Aussie105]

12. Well done on the fact checking!

Someone at Seattle Times said 'Waitaminit!'

Fox needs that, more, much more, by the truckload.

Show the world what motivates Fox. Just for those who haven't worked that out yet.

[RockRaven]

13. By election day they'll be running defamatory deepfake videos of Biden/VP/Dems

And the only question will be whether they generated the deepfakes themselves or just lazily repurposed them from other disinformation outlets...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

14. When Trump's tweet saying that the demonstrators in Seattle had to be "stooped" appeared on

Last edited Sat Jun 13, 2020, 06:28 AM - Edit history (1)

the CBS Evening News the other night (Thursday or Friday, I can't recall right now), the spelling had been changed to "stopped." Either that, or someone in the WH had noticed the misspelling, and had persuaded Trump to delete the original and retweet the rant with the correct spelling.

Here are Thursday's and Friday's episodes. See if the altered tweet is here. I'm pretty sure it was from Friday evening.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/061120-cbs-evening-news/

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/061220-cbs-evening-news/

Oh, I found it. Look at Thursday's episode, at 4:21:

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/061120-cbs-evening-news/

I now see that the original Trump tweet was deleted and replaced:

Radical Left Governor
@JayInslee
and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before. Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stopped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!

Link to tweet

Here's the original, courtesy of @UnfollowTrump:

Radical Left Governor JayInslee and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before. Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stooped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!

Link to tweet

[Bengus81]

19. Still have that racist Carlson on as ad revenues TANK........

[SergeStorms]

20. ..."ethical standards for news organizations"...

Hey, we're talking about FOX Noise here. They check their ethics at the door.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

24. That explains some of the claims by Trump and various online trolls

They've claimed arson and the carrying of assault weapons by the organizers of CHAZ.

The only place where people with assault rifles showed up was in Snohomish. A bunch of RWNJs claimed they were protecting local businesses from ANTIFA. These clowns got drunk, boisterous and harrassed some of the local citizens.

Great combination, guns and booze.

[Nitram]

26. Oops. Caught cheating. Again.

How embarrassing.

[Lord Ludd]

30. Don't own a TV but wouldn't watch Faux even if I did

Are they still in the habit of placing a (D) next to photos of lawbreaking Rethugs?