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Zorro

(15,751 posts) Sat Jan 9, 2021, 07:12 PM Jan 2021

Fox News Assures Advertisers That Maria Bartiromo, a Rabid Trumpkin, Is 'Hard-Hitting Journalism'

In a pitch presentation obtained by The Daily Beast, the cable news giant assures potential sponsors that any “negative chatter” associated with buying ads on Fox News fades fast.

Fox News has a message to potential advertisers: Relax, the “negative chatter” associated with sponsoring our toxic brand fades fast. So please buy ads.

In a presentation document obtained and reviewed by The Daily Beast, the network pitched its ad space to potential sponsors by laying out internal data suggesting the negative coverage of Fox’s inflammatory, right-wing commentary does not actually harm its advertisers. Additionally, the network touted the “hard-hitting journalism” of stars like Maria Bartiromo, a staunchly pro-Trump host who has long boosted baseless right-wing conspiracy theories.

Over the past several years, the conservative cable news giant has faced a barrage of calls for advertiser boycotts from celebrities, politicians, and liberal activists over a variety of bigoted comments and dangerous conspiracy theories peddled by top on-air personalities like Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham. In some cases, like during Carlson’s primetime hour, the boycotts have been so persistent that only a handful of advertisers—including a pro-Trump pillow company—remain.

But behind the scenes, Fox has told potential advertisers not to be concerned.

Companies have been “only temporarily impacted by advertiser boycotts,” the network wrote, alongside a graph showing a brief spike in brand mentions for five of its advertisers in March 2019, when old tapes surfaced of Carlson making racist and misogynistic comments on shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge’s radio show.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-assures-advertisers-that-maria-bartiromo-a-rabid-trumpkin-is-hard-hitting-journalism