Caught in a Smear - Fox's Advocacy Nets Another Victim: Fox's Credibility.

Fox News have been sending videographer James O'Keefe and an assistant into Acorn offices and breathlessly reporting the "scandals" they have been uncovering.

One Acorn employee, Tresa Kaelke, even went as far as to give them advice on how to set up their own pimping operation. One would think that, at this point, their alarm bells would have rung, but no, they carried on believing her, even when she said that she had killed her husband.

Fox breathlessly aired the video, without even bothering to check whether or not her husband was alive or dead.

Ellen at Newshounds has the rest of the story:

The only problem? It’s not true. As ACORN has stated in its press release,

“They were not believable", said Ms. Kaelke of the two actors. "Somewhat entertaining, but they weren't even good actors. I didn't know what to make of them. They were clearly playing with me. I decided to shock them as much as they were shocking me. Like Stephan Colbert does – saying the most outrageous things with a straightface." While her sense of humor might not be funny to many people, the fact is that she spun false scenario after false scenario and the videographer ate them up.

ACORN provided a copy of a San Bernardino police report of their investigation into the “homicide” of Kaelke’s husband. The police concluded, “the claims do not appear to be factual. Investigators have been in contact with the involved party’s known former husbands, who are alive and well.”

This is investigative journalism? I mean, Fox News couldn't take the time to call San Bernardino Police before reporting on a supposed murder?

Here's how widely Fox distributed this throughout their network.



They carried it everywhere. And they did so without making a single phone call to try to verify the outrageous claims which they were reporting.

That's some "News" network.

Hat tip to Crooks and Liars.

Tags: Fox New, Hannity, Beck, O'Reilly, Acorn