Labor & Employment Law

Fox Lies on Workers? Right Poll

By Mike Hall

There were some burning trousers at Fox News this morning.

In a segment of “Fox & Friends,” the faux news network apparently didn?t like the results of a USA Today/Gallup poll that showed that 61 percent of Americans oppose measures like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker?s (R) that eliminate the right of public workers to bargaining for good jobs. The poll found just 31 percent agreed with Walker.

But, as Think Progress? Zaid Jilani points out today, Fox, ?with incredible brazenness? simply reversed the numbers.

During the discussion, Fox host Brian Kilmeade asked pro-labor guest Robert Zimmerman if President Obama was taking a ?big risk? by opposing Walker?s law. Zimmerman responded by saying that Obama was speaking ?for the mainstream of our country, and the mainstream of Republican governors who are not siding with Governor Walker.? Kilmeade responded by saying, ?I think Gallup, a relatively mainstream poll, has a differing view. And here?s the question that was posed. Do you favor or disfavor of taking away collective bargaining when it comes to salaries for government workers. 66 percent in favor, 33 percent opposed, 9 percent up in the air.

Not only that, but “Fox & Friends” had prepared and showed a huge graphic with the reversed numbers. At the tail end of the show, Fox did issue a correction. Wow. How ethical.

For more on the Faux News faux paw from Media Matters, click here.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 23, 2011 (boomark / email).