Saudi Billionaire Boasts of Manipulating Fox News Coverage

Wednesday's Example of Media Bias   —   Posted on January 4, 2006

Accuracy in Media…is urging a full inquiry into a report that a Saudi billionaire caused the Fox News Channel…to dramatically alter its coverage of the Muslim riots in France after he called the network to complain. The Saudi billionaire, Al-waleed bin Talal, is a friend of News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch and controls an influential number of voting shares in the company. […]

…Al-waleed, who is a member of the Saudi Royal Family and investor in the Fox News parent company News Corporation, gave an interview boasting that he had called Fox to complain about coverage of the “Muslim riots” in France. He said he “called as a viewer” and “convinced them to change” the coverage because “they were not Muslim riots but riots against poverty and inequality.” And “they changed” the coverage, the Saudi reportedly said.

Another report on the comments, carried by the Dubai-based newspaper the Khaleej Times, says that Al-waleed personally called Rupert Murdoch to complain. The Saudi said, “After a short while, there was a change” in the coverage.  […]

-For the full press release, click here.
-For an additional report, click here and scroll down to the “Fox News Connection.”