NEW YORK – ColorOfChange.org will run a full-page ad in Wednesday’s New York Daily News addressed to News Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes, Chairman of FOX News and FOX Business. The ad’s publication comes five days after the organization sent Ailes a letter alerting him that more than 110,000 people nationwide have called for the firing of Eric Bolling, host of “Follow the Money” on FOX Business Network. Bolling recently claimed that President Obama has a habit of “hosting hoodlum[s] in the hizzouse” and used other language that plays off of racist stereotypes. The ad demands that the FOX executives take responsibility for the actions of this particular employee and end the longstanding pattern of FOX News and FOX Business personalities perpetuating race-based fears.
A link to the ad is here: http://bit.ly/moMuGn
“FOX Business and FOX News continue to be safe havens for commentators who try to peddle racial stereotypes as hard news,” said Rashad Robinson, executive director of ColorOfChange.org. “Last week we let Mr. Ailes know that more than 110,000 people have called on him to do the right thing, and we’ve received no response. Today we are sending the message that we will not remain silent as Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes continue their efforts to divide Americans along the lines of race.”
On Friday, June 10, 2011, Bolling teased a segment about the White House hosting President Ali Bongo of Gabon by saying, ‘It’s not first time he’s had a hoodlum in the hizzouse.’ ColorOfChange started a petition on Thursday, June 16, 2011 calling on Ailes to fire Bolling for both this incident and his comments in May that President Obama was too busy “chugging forties” in Ireland to respond to the tornadoes in Missouri. Bolling issued a questionable apology for his most recent comments and said that he and his guests got “a little fast and loose with the language.” ColorOfChange.org maintains that this explanation does not hold water, as some of the most racially inflammatory language Bolling used was in the teases for the segment, which appeared to be scripted and were accompanied by equally inflammatory images.
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With more than 750,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest African American online political organization.