I am just as annoyed by public spaces that force Fox propaganda on me and other unsuspecting citizens, as anyone, and I heartily encourage people to let the establishment know that changing the channel is a precondition for continued patronage. But this action will have negligible effect on Fox or the viewing public.

Out of home viewing is not measured by the Nielsen Co. No one will know that the venue changed channels except you and the assistant manager with whom you spoke. And public TVs simply aren't numerous enough to impact viewers. At best this is feel good measure (and it does feel good), but it is hardly the solution that Keith asserts that it is.

Advertiser boycotts are a far more effective form of protest, even more effective than viewer boycotts because, unless you are a Nielsen family, your viewing choices are not measured. But there is an even more effective action that we can all engage in now. Just get all Democrats and progressives to...

STAY THE HELL OFF OF FOX NEWS!

I have been making this case for three years now, and it long past time that our alleged representatives pay attention. Here are some excerpts of my prior research and analysis into this proposal.

Form my original Starve The Beast, wherein I argued that it is not only pointless to appear on Fox News, but it is overtly harmful:

Stop the Masochism

First and foremost, it would put an end to the unnecessary submission to assaults from disreputable smearcasters with demonstrably hostile intentions. Bill O’Reilly is the premium model for such encounters. It is impossible to win a debate with him because he doesn’t care about winning. He is only concerned with generating the sort of heat that fuels his ego and his ratings. He only books three types of guests: Those who agree with him; those he can dominate; and those he can exploit. Don’t be one of them. The Sinking of Fox

The loss of Democrats as foils would transform the character of Fox’s conflict-driven programming, resulting in less controversy and, hence, lower ratings. Viewers would quickly become bored with repeated appearances by Fred Barnes, Michelle Malkin, Dick Morris, and Geraldo Rivera. Minus the shoutfests, and the potential for on-air meltdowns, there is no reason to watch Fox. Neil Cavuto is already whining about his inability book A-list Democrats, and O’Reilly has made it a staple of his program to lambaste no-shows as cowards. That’s a desperation move on his part because he knows he can’t force guests into his inquisitor’s lair. When the entertainment value of Fox disappears, so will its audience, its ratings, and its cache in the media. Deprive Fox of Bragging Rights

One of the most galling traits of Fox personalities is the way they use their ratings to validate their disinformation agenda. But even if the ratings story weren’t a myth as described here, they still have a flawed argument. McDonald’s is the #1 restaurant in America. I don’t think that anyone interprets that to mean that they have the best food. What they have is the cheapest crap that is loaded with filler and seasoning to appeal to the largest number of consumers with the least sophisticated taste (Hey, that’s a pretty good description of Fox News). Absent their ratings victories, however, they can’t even make this flawed argument. Affirm Fox’s Lack of Credibility

The mere act of not showing up sends a message that Fox is not deserving or reputable. By sequestering Fox they will be left to themselves and their minions to dispense their McNews. It will make it that much more obvious to observe how they are attempting to denigrate their ideological opponents and to manipulate popular opinion. Encourage More Responsible Journalism

By using discretion when formulating a media strategy, Democrats can strike a blow in favor of a more honest and independent press. It does not further the goals of ethical journalism to accommodate deceitful practitioners. Conversely, it does advance such goals to purposefully engage media who adhere to higher standards. What’s bad for Fox is good for journalism. Rupert Murdoch and his rightist platform for propaganda must not be further appeased. All previous efforts to abate the influence of Fox News have failed because they generally reserved a place for Fox in the effort. This has to stop. It’s time to go cold turkey. Starve The Beast

The solution is obvious. Democrats and progressives have got to swear off Fox News. They must decline all interviews. They must stay off of that tainted air. They must avoid the Stuttering Jesse’s (Watters, O’Reilly’s producer) that are resorting to ambush interviews. They must continue to refuse to participate in Foxic events like debates or forums. And if they find themselves trapped in an appearance from which they cannot escape, they must be certain to pepper their remarks with the truth about Fox. Let the audience know that this network is degrading public discourse and leading viewers astray. And don’t let the bullies steer the dialog. Progressive politicians and pundits must be called upon to heed this advice. It is more than just a request. It is an obligation. Every time one of our representatives appears on Fox, they are setting back our agenda. They are not just wasting a little time trying to confront the enemy in its lair. They are literally causing harm to the efforts of the rest of us who are fervently struggling to repair and improve our country. Anyone in our political provinces who betrays our mission by succumbing to the Fox siren should be firmly scolded and educated as to the damage they are inflicting.

In Starve The Beast: Appetite For Distortion, I expanded on the theme with data that confirmed the senselessness of accommodating Fox:

When nine out of ten Fox viewers say that they will vote for John McCain, you have an audience that may be more accurately described as a cult (as I described it in The Cult Of Foxonality). And while viewers at both CNN and MSNBC express a solid two to one majority for Barack Obama, that is a far cry from the near unanimous, block mentality of Fox viewers.

[...]

In the first half of 2008, CNN and MSNBC both improved their ratings over the same period the year before by more than 50% in the key 25-54 year old demographic. Fox News squeaked through with a measly 4% gain. In the second quarter Fox actually sunk 2%. And Fox continues to draw the oldest audience in cable news. MSNBC beats Fox with about 35% more viewers in the 18-34 demo. So Fox’s audience is not only growing slower than its competitors, it is failing to attract the next generation of news viewers. The only reason for the size of the audience they presently have is that they have cornered the market for conservative couch jockeys who congregate at their cable water cooler. Hence their dramatic overweighting of McCainiacs.

The evidence that an embargo of Fox by Democrats and progressives works is illustrated by impact of our boycott of Fox during the presidential primaries last year. In Starve The Beast: The Wrath Of The Right, I demonstrated that impact with hard data. I also showed that Fox News was becoming an even less hospitable venue over time.

Last year, prior to the election, Fox News was already fortifying its right flank. New multimillion dollar contracts were handed out to Roger Ailes, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly. Hannity’s show shed the dead weight of alleged liberal Alan Colmes. Glenn Beck was brought in to shore up the daytime crowd. Neil Cavuto, a bully who is every bit as obnoxious as O’Reilly poisons the economic news, and he is also managing editor of Murdoch’s Fox Business News. And just this week Bill Sammon, author of a shelf full of bitterly partisan books, was promoted to VP and Washington Editor for the network. The result is a full court press of some of the dirtiest political assaults ever waged by what is advertised as a "news" network. Fox News is shamelessly pushing a campaign to characterize Obama as a Socialist - a committed opponent of America and its values - from 6:00 am with the crew of Fox & Friends, to after midnight with broadcasts and repeats of their primetime neanderthal shoutcasters. They get their marching orders directly from Rupert Murdoch who last September said that... "[Obama's] policy is really very, very naive, old fashioned, 1960’s socialist." Even worse, these rightist dissidents come very close to openly advocating acts of violence and armed rebellion.

[...]

Democratic candidates, you may recall, had forsworn Fox News as a host for their debates. So the two Democratic debates held in February 2008 were carried by CNN and MSNBC, and both drew audiences many times greater than their regularly scheduled programming. Democrats also shunned Fox for other TV appearances and interviews. It had gotten so bad that Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Sunday, made a veiled threat in December of 2007: "I think the Democrats are damn fools [for] not coming on Fox News." We know the problem [of Fox's ratings weakness] still existed in March of 2008 because that’s when Wallace debuted his Obama Watch: a clock that would record how long before Obama appeared on Wallace’s show. It was a childish prank on Wallace’s part, but it clearly showed that the Democratic embargo of Fox News was having a real impact. For CNN and MSNBC, who had the guests and the event programming that appealed to the most motivated news consumers, it meant higher ratings. Fox, on the other hand, had depressed numbers because their most loyal audience - Republicans - already had a candidate, so there was no campaign drama to keep them tuned in.

Make no mistake about it - Fox's business model is conflict. Their talk-radio inspired format thrives on producing the sort of melodrama that keeps their glassy-eyed constituency tuned in to see who gets slimed next. It is utterly irresponsible for us to enable these perpetrators of slander who are focused exclusively on our defeat and humiliation. If there were a pool of persuadable viewers, we might be able to justify the inherent risks of showing up at a Fox studio. That is simply not the case. The overwhelming majority of people who watch Fox do so to have there preconceptions reinforced. They are not seeking reasoned debate and they are not likely to change their minds when confronted with facts.

By refusing to be willing victims, we can not only prevent the inevitable harm that comes from subjugating oneself to an abuser, but we can hit them where it really hurts - in their ratings and their revenue - not to mention their pride.

So in light of the above, It is important to let your representatives know that you regard their appearances on Fox News as a betrayal to our cause. And, similarly, tell any pundits, reporters, or analysts that you cannot support them when they support the enemy by accepting invitations to go on Fox News. We must not let those on our side who are fortunate enough to have a voice in the media, waste it, and harm us, by kowtowing to Fox.