Can Fox news be "sued" for lying about "fair and balanced"....

[cthrumatrix]

It's obvious that it's bullshit...why are they allowed to lie.

Isn't there truth in advertising laws?

[Melodybe]

1. I have been wondering the same thing, can we sue the media?

We should be able to sue those bastards for lying through their teeth and turning one third of this country into idiot ditto heads.

[Blue Wally]

4. Fox

They don't actually have one-third of the audience, do they?

[Cat Atomic]

2. They won some suit in Florida that essentially said the news

needn't be factual or truthful.

I'm afraid I don't have the link anymore- maybe someone else does?

[cthrumatrix]

5. I saw that...but there are advertisng laws....they clearly lie.

[Bozita]

21. SCOTUS refused to rule on a Nike case that involved lying in ads

Nike was hiding behind the 1st Amendment.


http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=11648

Supreme Court punts commercial-speech case

By The Associated Press
06.26.03

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court today dismissed an appeal filed by sneaker giant Nike Inc. about whether free-speech protections extend to corporate advertising. The Court said it never should have taken on the dispute.

The action is not a ruling on the merits of Nike's claims, but it apparently means a California anti-globalization activist can continue a lawsuit against the company. Nike had argued that private individuals cannot use the courts to police what companies say about themselves.

The case, Nike v. Kasky, was the last announced for the current term. Six justices agreed to dismiss the case, and three said they would have ruled on it.

The Court issued a one-sentence, unsigned order dismissing the case. Justice John Paul Stevens explained at least some of the reasons in a separate opinion. Stevens said the Court did not need to delve into the complex free-speech issues raised by the case now.

more...

[porphyrian]

7. What about ads for the news station, though?

If the ad lies, isn't that the same thing as saying "fat free" about a product that isn't? Is there a difference if we aren't buying the product directly (we buy the TV and the cable to get Fox, but it's paid for by its own advertising)? Any lawyers want this one?

[Bozita]

23. link to Florida Fox case ... distorting news is OK

http://www.foxbghsuit.com/

CITIZEN’S FUND FOR THE RIGHT TO KNOW
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
February 28. 2003
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wilson-Akre File
Appeal of 
2nd DCA Reversal
------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Two former Fox Television (WTVT-13) journalists have filed appeals of a ruling that they must pay the legal costs and fees the broadcaster incurred defending itself in a landmark whistleblower case the reporters filed in 1998.  The journalists estimate Fox spent more than a million dollars on its defense.

          The ruling assessing the fees came on the heels of a ruling that overturned a August 2000 jury verdict and $425,000 award to former Fox investigative reporter Jane Akre.  Although jurors unanimously concluded she was pressured by Fox lawyers and managers to broadcast what the jury agreed was “a false, distorted or slanted story” and was fired for threatening to blow the whistle, the jury decision was reversed on a legal technicality when a higher court agreed with Fox that it is technically not against any law, rule or regulation to deliberately distort the news on television.

          In setting the jury verdict aside, the appeals court ruled that in order to be protected by Florida’s Whistleblower Act, the employer’s alleged misconduct must violate a written law.  The court said the FCC’s prohibition against news distortion is merely a policy.

          Fox lawyers had made the same argument on at least six occasions when it was rejected each time by three different judges in the trial court proceedings.

more...

[Terry_M]

3. My guess is you could...

But the lawsuit wouldn't get anywhere...
You'd probably spend five years just trying to establish what fair and balanced really means...

[Blue Wally]

11. Freedom of the press

Even if you got into court, they could show hours of clips from Hannity and Colmes or O'Reilley having both a Democratic and Republican spokesman on an issue. It would be a very uphill battle to prove that they were not "balanced".

[tom_paine]

6. No all Truth in Advertsiign Laws were dismantled under Raygun

More laying of the Foundation of Totaitarian Orwelian Tyranny during Raygun's Imperial Puppet period.

There may be others who can shed more detailed light on the subject.

Further a Bushevik "Judge" in Florida ruled Faux can "legally lie".

http://www.hypocrites.com/article10829.html

You'd better believe they are using this new "right".

[k in IA]

8. God, I flipped by an hour ago and the blond

chick that hosts Dayside said "while other news outlets have been HARPING on bad news in Iraq, we are going to show a balanced view blah, blah, blah." I saw five seconds and I wanted to throw the TV out the window, thats about average.

[Caution]

9. nope...they were already sued

for lying about a story and the judge found that they were under no legal obligation to tell the truth. They can lie all they want. sucks but true.

http://www.foxbghsuit.com/home.htm

read all about it.

[k in IA]

10. Dupe

Things are moving real slow today.

[frankly_fedup2]

13. Fox News Network 101 (not for the squeamish) . . .

That would be a higher level Blond with high ambition on Fox news . . . Linda Vester.

If you ever watch Fox (I don't anymore); you will find all 99% of the women are blond, they all have great lipstick that is really, really shiny (of course, Greta VanSustrin is not included in this). There hair doesn't move at all because it is sprayed and teased to a certain extent. O'Reilly calls them "The Babes" and I have yet to hear any of them complain.

Wonder who is doing who?

Oh yeah, All of their expert analysts are all either ex-Felons or could've been if they had not known the right people like . . .

Dick Morris, Ollie North (5'5" who'd a thought), Newt Gingrich, Monsoor Igez (started the lie about Clinton being handed OBL on a platter and turned it down. Monsoor is an investment banker but for some reason feels he should do negotiations for the U.S. as far as terrorists and the Sudan). Clinton addressed this several times and stated it was not true.

I pretty much look at the FNC women as the "STEPFORD eye candy reporters (except Greta VanSustrin)that are there for Bill O'Reilly's pleasure as well as some of the other guys, I mean expert analysts that hang around the studio.

And Limbaugh calls the John K. /John E. ticket the pimp ticket. PUHLEASE.

[AspenRose]

12. Randi talks often about bringing back the Fairness Doctrine

Perhaps that is what needs to come back into play.

[Loonman]

14. It depends

Is it a claim or a trademark?

They already claimed it was a trademark when they tried to sue Franken, so no.


When I worked in a pizza joint, the company we got our veal from was called Real Veal, so technically we could say our veal was real.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[democracyindanger]

17. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

You forgot ABC. Or is it okay for wingnuts now? And C-SPAN is now 'librul'?

You guys are pathetic. The White House, control of both houses of Congress and you dicked everything up big time. You can't find your own asses even though that's where your heads are firmly planted.

[cthrumatrix]

18. best there is.... ? they all lie...Fox lies thw worst and the most

as much through ommission as "outright fabrication" and distortion.

They are nothing more than a WH mouthpiece. Look whose on every show and take notes...see how much time the other receives. They are always light on facts and love to tell the sheep "how to think".

[drdigi420]

19. You really should try pulling your head

out of your...well...you get the idea.

[banana republican]

16. malicious harassment

We have a freeper faux talk show host. he whips his audience into a frenzy at the drop of a hat. the freepers come out in droves to harass protesters, homeless people, and any one else who gets in their way.

I am not sure if this is a felony or a misdemeanor but if you are threatened, or prevented from doing any lawful act he might qualify.

I wouldn't mind him broadcasting from jail.

[Senior citizen]

20. You can sue all you want

But when the RW bought up the media and stacked the courts, they made sure you couldn't win.

[napi21]

22. NO, it's an opinion.

I know this for a fact. About 7 years ago, a financial reporter on CNBC said on his noon blip that the Co. I worked for was "working with the Mafia and cooking the books". I was in the room when our COO called our attorneys and asked if we could go get him? The answer is no. What was on the TV program was an opinion, and freedom of speech rights protect that.

BTW, I wsa the accounting manager there at the time. There was absolutely NO "cooking" the books. I worked 80 hour weeks making sure I verified every number in the financial statements. There was an investigation after that broadcast. We were scrutinized by the SEC, IRS, FBI, Customs, Commerce, and (as our atty. told me, every Fed. agency except the FDA) I have the documents stating "NOTHING FOUND".

It's a damn shame, but you can't do anything but deny it in the press.

[Bozita]

24. kick