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OUTFOXED: RUPERT MURDOCH'S WAR ON JOURNALISM **** out of *****
 Genres
2004
Directed by Robert Greenwald
Documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald is probably better know (if known at all) for his TV and film work that includes the camp roller boogie movie Xanadu starring Olivia Newton-John. The last few years Greenwald has focused his attention on documentary filmmaking, creating often captivating, eye-opening and shocking films that uncover scandal, secrets and facts that governments don’t want you to know about. More specifically, the films Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War (2003) and its follow-up Uncovered: The War On Iraq (2004) which was basically a longer re-edited version of the former. Both incarnations became grassroots hits among film festival viewers and were subsequently received major theatrical releases. However, in the year of Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, Uncovered: The War On Iraq was largely overlooked.
 | | Her botox is fair and balanced. | In the same year Greenwald focused his attention towards Rupert Murdoch’s Fox New Channel, exposing the truth behind their ‘Fair and Balanced’ reporting slogan. This film, Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War On Journalism, basically attempts to reveal Fox’s unorthodox reporting of ‘News’ and more importantly what constitutes its ‘News’ (passing opinion off as fact seems to be an everyday occurrence at Fox). The film’s synopsis describes it well by stating that Outfoxed examines how Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News Channel has been running a ‘race to the bottom’ in television news journalism.
The film provides an in-depth look at the Fox News Channel and the increasing dangers to democracy from multi-national corporations taking control of the public’s right to know. It is an expose of the moral and ethical corruption inside Fox News. Outfoxed reveals the tricks-of-the-trade used to manipulate and influence the viewing public. The film also features interviews with former Fox News producers, reporters, bookers and writers who discuss being forcefully coerced into pushing a ‘right-wing point of view’ or risk losing their jobs and livelihoods. Outfoxed exposes the shocking hypocrisy behind Fox News Channel’s ‘Fair and Balanced’ slogan.
 | All the subtelty and style of a
wrestling commentator. | Greenwald and his team essentially went covert while making this film, as they didn’t want Fox to know about it. This was to protect the film and its sources, as well as to prevent Fox News for disallowing the use of footage from their broadcasts. Greenwald and a group of volunteers (who watched Fox News constantly in shifts) started to do their research, everything on the channel was recorded and archived during the period of the film’s production.
Greenwald weaves an interesting perspective that will leave you frustrated and down right angry, not at the film itself, but at the practices Fox News partakes in. His case is quite compelling and everything is supported by actual clips taken right off the news network’s own shows. One in particular from the Bill O’Rielly show The O’Reilly Factor will get your blood levels rising as he bashes a young man’s views on the Afghanistan war after 9/11.
 | Nothing to do with the movie at all.
Nice coat, though. | It’s no doubt that this is certainly an eye-opening film especially for those that watch Fox News regularly, however I found that many times during the course of the film Greenwald used the same propagandistic editing style utilised by Fox to get his point across. Whether this was a deliberate attempt to mock Fox or not, I can’t help but feel that Greenwald resorted to the same cheap shots and tricks that he was exposing.
Despite this, Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism rates as one of the best documentaries released last year, at its heart it’s shocking, entertaining, informative and quite clever. Greenwald certainly hit the mark with this one and hopefully there will be more in the future.
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