Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 11:51:03 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAAD CONDEMNS FOX FILES SEGMENT MEDIA STATEMENT GLAAD CONDEMNS FOX FILES SEGMENT LESBIAN AND GAY MEDIA ADVOCACY GROUP DEMANDS APOLOGY FOR STORY ON SO-CALLED 'GAY UNDERWORLD' "I wasn't aware that the Reverend Fred Phelps was moonlighting at FOX News." --Scott Seomin, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Media Contact: Scott Seomin GLAAD Entertainment Media Director phone: (323) 658-6775, ext. x14 pager: (800) 636-1170 e-mail: seomin@glaad.org NEW YORK, NY, FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1999 - The Gay & Lesbian Alliance for Defamation (GLAAD) today condemned the January 21st edition of FOX =46iles, airing on the FOX Network, which featured a segment entitled, "Undercover in the Night," supposedly exposing what FOX calls a "gay underworld." GLAAD learned of the segment while it was in production and called the senior producer, Pamela Brown, to offer itself as a resource to the show. To GLAAD's knowledge, the show has never covered any aspect of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community prior to this segment. In no uncertain terms, Brown rejected GLAAD's offer of assistance. When more egregious concerns came to light, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director Scott Seomin then spoke to FOX Files Attorney Diane Brady, followed by FOX News President Roger Ailes, who gave assurances that the story was "fair and accurate." GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry, said, "This inflammatory, misleading and shameful segment doesn't deserve to be called 'news,' much less journalism. We witnessed the same out-of-context sensationalism with the reporting on Andrew Cunanan; and are outraged that this school of yellow journalism is thriving at FOX." The show, which purported to tell the story of "gay gangbangers," ranged over a wide variety of material, using tape with blurred faces and no possible way of substantiating a large portion of the segment.=20 The only attributions provided were for those whom FOX called 'experts,' who were given on-screen identification. With the exception of LGNY editor Duncan Osbourne, no lesbian, gay, or transgender person was identified with more than a first name. Additionally, many of the examples of behaviors which were said to be part of the "gay underworld" were demonstrated in tape snippets which were never identified as to location, date or source. "There is no better demonstration that I can think of in the past decade where sensationalism ruled over substance," said Scott Seomin, GLAAD Entertainment Media Director. "This piece made the supposed documentaries made by religious political extremists look like Pulitzer Prize contenders. It tarred an entire community with the brush of brazen stereotypes that serve to fuel hatred against us. Not since the 1970 scare shows have we seen such blatant disregard for truth, context and journalistic integrity when talking about our community." GLAAD has issued the following demands to FOX News and the FOX Network regarding "Undercover in the Night": Symbol=85 That no portion of "Undercover in the Night" not be aired again - at any time, whether on a repeat of this edition of FOX Files, or also in any repurposed format (e.g., FOX's cable arm, the FOX News Channel); Symbol=85 That an on-air apology be made to viewers by the FOX Network during the next edition of the =46OX Files, to air on January 28, 1999. Symbol=85 That a written statement be issued by FOX News to be distributed to GLAAD's constituency, and the larger lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community as a whole; and Symbol=85 That the FOX Network agree to work with GLAAD on a future story on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender street youth, one which avoids the exploitation and sensationalism displayed in "Undercover in the Night." GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay media advocacy organization. GLAAD promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~= ~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of combatting homophobia and challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~= ~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc. Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 13:20:15 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: Contact Information for FOX News and FOX Files Dear GLAADAlert Subscriber: If you would like to contact FOX News regarding last night's "FOX Files," here is the contact information: Mr. Roger Ailes, President FOX News 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 fax: 212.556.8219, e-mail: rogera@foxinc.com Correction: Today's Media Statement regarding Fox Files misidentified GLAAD. GLAAD is the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in the media as a means of combatting homophobia and challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.