Fox News passes off GOP press release as original research, later apologizes for typo John Byrne

Published: Tuesday February 10, 2009





Print This Email This Even repeats typo -- Dec. 19, 2009 Fox News Channel has hit a new low.



A GOP press release was turned into a series of graphics and passed off as the network's own research -- so exactly that the graphics even included the Republicans' original typo.



Fox host Jon Scott, speaking on Fox News' "Happening Now," asserted that "the Senate is expected to pass the $838 billion stimulus plan -- its version of it, anyway. We thought we'd take a look back at the bill, how it was born, and how it grew, and grew, and grew."



"We thought," apparently includes the Senate Republican Communications Center.



Not only do the dates and sources of the stimulus history on the graphics match, the sources even follow in the same order as the press release. All of the sources and cost figures cited were mirrored in the Republicans' release.



Scott on Wednesday apologized on the air... but only for the incorrect date.



The similarity was first noticed by Media Matters for America, a media watchdog group.



Fox News' accompanying on-screen text was also contained in the Republicans' release.



"One on-screen graphic during the segment even repeated a typo from the GOP document, further confirming that Scott was simply reading from a Republican press release," Media Matters remarked. "The Fox News graphic and the GOP press release both claimed that a Wall Street Journal report that the stimulus package could reach "$775 billion over two years" was published on December 19, 2009" -- even though December 2009 remains a good 10 months in the future.



To be fair, media outlets often use press releases as bases for their stories, especially when reporting on breaking news. Most outlets, however, identify the information as being part of a release.



The practice of repeating press releases is reminiscent of the escort-turned-reporter Jeff Gannon, whose now-defunct GOP USA and Talon News website would often push Bush Administration talking points and then be circulated as news. Gannon was often called on in the White House briefing room as a reporter.



Strangely, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, speaking about Obama's press conference Monday night, disparaged an online news outlet that asked a question -- just a day before a major cable network he'd surely have classified as a media outlet was found to have turned a press release directly into a series of graphics posing as in-house research.



"There are some reporters, you know, in that briefing room, you can imagine, Bill, you get a lot of dot coms and other oddballs who come in there," Fleischer said. "Like the Huffington Post. Now it gets called on.



"I used to seat them all in one section," Fleischer added. "I would call it 'Siberia.'" And I told the president, 'Don't call on Siberia.'"



Fleischer's comments were highlighted by Think Progress , which also has video . Examples of the press release content Fox News ran as research follow.



The Republicans' release:



POLITICO: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) today announced a $56.2 billion stimulus package.



Fox News' graphic:







The Republicans' release:



CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY: The House Friday passed a $60.8 billion economic stimulus package..."



Fox News' graphic:







The Republicans' release:



DENVER POST: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for a new $150 billion economic-stimulus package today and suggested Congress may need to act this year.



Fox News' graphic:







The Republicans' release:



WASHINGTON TIMES: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed Wednesday to hold a lame-duck session to pass a $200 billion economic-stimulus package likely to include rebates to middle-class taxpayers, despite recent failure to enact less ambitious plans and Republican charges it is a spending hike to exploit the nation's economic troubles. ( Lame-duck session eyed to OK stimulus."



Fox News' graphic:







And the typo:



The Republicans' release:



WALL STREET JOURNAL: President-elect Barack Obama's economic team is crafting a stimulus package to send to Congress worth between $675 billion and $775 billion over two years, according to officials familiar with the package... (Stimulus Package Heads Toward $850 Billion, The Wall Street Journal, 12/19/09)



Fox News' graphic:









