Saudi Billionaire Boasts of Manipulating Fox News Coverage

[CatWoman]

WASHINGTON -- Accuracy in Media (AIM) is urging a full inquiry into a report that a Saudi billionaire caused the Fox News Channel (FNC) to dramatically alter its coverage of the Muslim riots in France after he called the network to complain. The Saudi billionaire, Al-waleed bin Talal, is a friend of News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch and controls an influential number of voting shares in the company.

"This report underscores the danger of giving foreign interests a significant financial stake in U.S. media companies," declared Cliff Kincaid, editor of Accuracy in Media.

The controversial comments came at an Arab media conference featuring representatives of Time magazine, USA Today, PBS, The Wall Street Journal, and other news organizations. The conference and the Saudi Prince's growing influence in News Corporation are among the subjects of a new December-A AIM Report that has just been posted at the AIM website (www.aim.org). The report raises the specter of Arab money influencing News Corporation and other U.S. media companies.

http://www.aim.org/press_release/4222_0_19_0_C

[Walt Starr]

1. So now it's coming out who REALLY makes U.S. foreign policy

Bastards.

[aquart]

2. Rupert Murdoch IS a foreign influence.

I'm beginning think no one who hasn't been born and raised here should be allowed to own media. Murdoch literally bought his citizenship.

[Erika]

3. House of Saud & House of Bush

Business partners for generations. Now controlling the media and ruling the world.

I want my country back!

[GrumpyGreg]

5. Isn't that a rather parochial attitude?

[tsuki]

4. I have been saying this for months. When the Saudis moved all

those shares, more than 5% of the total stock from non-voting to voting shares to help stop a take over attempt, I began to wonder if this was how Rupert Murdock expanded a 2nd rate titty mag into a world News Corporation. He had to have had money men somewhere.

[madrchsod]

6. what`s the big deal ?

they own disneyland and a bunch of other brand name america icons. if fox isn`t up to the highest bidder then i would think ol`e ruppy is slipping..

[AntiFascist]

9. They've bought into Disney (ABC) as well as Time-Warner (CNN) nt

[ck4829]

7. That's the funny thing then.

Wasn't it FOX NEWS that said the riots happened for religious reasons, that the rioters were all Muslim?

[kevinbgoode]

8. What AIM needs to be saying is that this undermines again

the already nonexistent credibility of the Faux News Network, which exists pretty much as nothing more than the official mouthpiece of the Republican Party. Why should even AIM be surprised? These are the ideals true wingnuts believe in. . .

[AzDar]

10. Voting machines and the Corporate media consolidation...the death

knell of our once-great Nation. Recommended.

[Gregorian]

11. On Charlie Rose, he came across as a fairly level headed man.

Giving money to Pakistan relief. And helping with other humanitarian crises. He even made it clear that he was an investor, and not one to play a controlling roll in the companies he invested in.

I believe this man had good reason to call Fox on their coverage. I'm not sure I understand the problem. Isn't accuracy in the media what we are trying to accomplish?

[autorank]

12. The recursive interaction of truth (your story) and fiction (Syriana).

Great citation, just great. Recommended.

Faux News, for sale to the highest bidder?

[high density]

13. LOL, what would Howard Beale say about this? (NM)