After the premiere of his documentary, Outfoxed, producer Robert Greenwald released 30 internal Fox News memos to journalists in the mainstream news media. These memos are a large part of the supporting evidence for Greenwald's claim that Fox News is slanted in favor of News Corporation (Fox's parent company) owner Rupert Murdoch's right-wing politics.
Most of these memos were circulated to the general staff from Fox News chief John Moody. Many choice bits seem to support Greenwald's claims:
On the war in Iraq:
- "It won't be long before some people start to decry the use of "excessive force." We won't be among that group [...] whatever happens, it is richly deserved." - John Moody
- "Do not fall into the easy trap of mourning the loss of US lives and asking out loud why are we there? The US is in Iraq to help a country brutalized for 30 years protect the gains made by Operation Iraqi Freedom and set it on the path to democracy." - John Moody
- "The NY Times this morning has an unnamed source citing a "general mood" that anti-Americanism is rising and the insurgence is getting broader. However, the majority of other report from the region (AP, Reuters and our competitors) state the opposite. Stick with what we know." - Ken Lacorte
- "If, as promised, the coalition decides to take Fallujah back by force, it will not be for lack of opportunities for terrorists holed up there to negotiate. Let's not get lost in breast-beating about the sadness of the loss of life. They had a chance." - John Moody
- "Fighting overnight in Najaf didn't go the way the militants there had hoped. Reports say 43 of them were killed, with no US casualties being reported. This is one of the few times we've gotten a count of enemy dead. Let's use that to make the point what happens when terrorists take on the coalition." - John Moody
- "the pictures from Abu Graeb prison are disturbing. They have rightly provoked outrage. Today we have a picture -- aired on Al Arabiya -- of an American hostage being held with a scarf over his eyes, clearly against his will. Who's outraged on his behalf?" - John Moody
- "Also, let's refer to the US marines we see in the foreground as "sharpshooters" not snipers, which carries a negative connotation." - John Moody
On Terrorism:
- "The terror alert continues to affect the way Americans live their lives, both as consumers, participants in public events and citizens. Let's explain to viewers that while prudent precautions need to be taken, the disruption of the American way of life is in itself a terrorist goal and should not be conceded to our enemies." - John Moody
- "Terrorism is international, and the United States is the leader of the coalition to stamp it out. That's the tone we want to impart throughout the day." - John Moody
- "Scary thought of the day: what if it's a consortium of terrorist groups working together?" - John Moody
On Bush's tax cuts:
- "The tax cut passed last night by the Senate, though less than half what Bush originally proposed, contains some important victories for the administration. The DC crew will parse the bill and explain how it will fatten -- marginally -- your wallet." - John Moody
- "As we worried yesterday, the death toll in the N Korean train wreck looks like it's being drastically revised downward." - John Moody
On diplomacy:
- "...bush's G-8 trip is actually less important than his fledgling efforts to knock together the Israeli and Palestinian PMs' heads. Let's keep in mind that the G-8 contains the most obstreperous dissidents against the war on terror." - John Moody
- "Let's explain to viewers that despite the tepid handshake, Bush and Chirac are far from reconciled, as are the US and Germany." - John Moody
- "Spain's neighbor, the ever-superior France..." - John Moody
On Bush:
- "The president is doing something that few of his predecessors dared undertake: putting the US case for mideast peace to an Arab summit. It's a distinctly skeptical crowd that Bush faces. His political courage and tactical cunning are worth noting in our reporting through the day." - John Moody
On priorities:
Other notables:
- "...let the ACLU stick it where the sun don't shine..." - John Moody
- "Air America, featuring Al Franken and other liberals, got on the air last week, but at what cost? " - John Moody
- "THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES LOOKING INTO PRINCESS DIANA'S DEATH ARE TAKING A "CORONOR'S' TOUR" OF PARIS. NOT A CORONARY TOUR." (har har) - John Moody
A lot of these are out of context and/or cut-up (with notation) for brevity's sake. I just pulled out some quotes that I think support Greenwald's claim of Fox's bias, and some that I thought were interesting in their own right. For the complete memos, go here: http://www.wonkette.com/archives/fox-news-memos-the-whole-batch-017613.php As far as I know, they're public domain now.