Commentary

What's Black And White And Red All Over?

by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, March 10, 2023

Media watchdogs on both ends of the political spectrum coincidentally are using mobile billboards to draw attention to questionable reporting by media outlets -- also on opposite ends of a spectrum.

On Thursday, Media Matters launched a microsite and placed ads on mobile billboards circling the Palace Hotel in San Francisco where Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch was speaking at a Morgan Stanley investors conference.

The billboards carried messages that "Fox News Lied," that "Fox Knew" 2020 presidential election fraud was false, and that "Lachlan Murdoch Helped Fuel An Insurrection."

The microsite offered more detailed accounts of revelations from the Dominion Voting Systems suite depositions that Fox execs all the way up to Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch knew the story was horse hockey, but allowed their prime-time talent to fan the flames nonetheless (see video below).

On Friday, right-wing media watchdog Accuracy In Media used mobile truck billboards in New York City to take aim at The New York Times' coverage dismissing the possibility that the COVID-19 virus began in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, even though intelligence agencies think it was likely, though not conclusive.

What's the lesson here? It's that regardless of your political partisanship, or the media you're attacking, out-of-home media is a pretty good way to draw attention to it. And to get political advertising trade reporters to blog about it too.

4 comments about "What's Black And White And Red All Over?".

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Ben B from Retired, March 13, 2023 at 8:09 p.m.
Lachlan Murdoch should sue Media Matters they can't back up their claim that he helped fuel an insurrection that is definition at its finest. Lachlan has good a case against them all that Media Matters cares about is attention is all and being over the top.
Reply

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., March 13, 2023 at 8:14 p.m.

@Ben B from Retired:

Read What Murdoch Said in His Deposition in the Fox-Dominion Case https://nyti.ms/3xYpg02

Ben B from Retired replied, March 13, 2023 at 9:13 p.m.

I read some of headines/articles in the deposition case I believe it will be settled out of court in my opinion I believe in Fox News defense and what they been making that there protected since it's free speech. All I'm saying is Media Matters can't back up the claim that Lanchlan help fueled an insurrection which the Murdochs have case there not going to sue Media Matters. For the record I didn't believe in the big lie about a stolen election or voter fraud that Rudy & the lady were saying on conservative news outlets.

As for COVID never going to get to how COVID started other than it started in China I wish that China told the truth from the get go. I wore the mask out in public stopped last year at this time got mine 2 Vaxx in Dec 2021 have no plans on getting the booster as I feel I'm fully Vaxxed, why I waited fear of the needle I wouldn't have the fear if it was where they draw blood at would've got it sooner kinda glad I waited to get the Vaxx last winter then getting it in spring/summer of 2021.

Joe Mandese from MediaPost Inc., March 13, 2023 at 9:18 p.m.

@Ben B from Retired:

https://constitutionallawreporter.com/amendment-01/freedom-speech/defamation/#:~:text=First%20Amendment%3A%20Freedom%20of%20Speech%20%26%20Freedom%20of%20the%20Press%20Defamation&text=Defamation%20is%20the%20communication%20of,the%20freedom%20of%20the%20press.