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Fox News reportedly presented GOP activist guests as parents concerned about critical race theory
Fox News on numerous occasions has reportedly conducted interviews with "everyday" parents or educators opposed to "critical race theory" — who also happened to be Republican activists.
Almost a dozen guests the network has talked to about their opposition to teaching "critical race theory" in schools "also have day jobs as Republican strategists, conservative think-tankers, or right-wing media personalities," the progressive watchdog Media Matters for America reported Thursday. Fox reportedly either downplayed or ignored this fact during several segments.
In one example, the report found that Fox interviewed Ian Prior at least 15 times on the air, describing him as a Virginia "father" who has "gone from concerned parent" to "legal activist," while not tending to mention his "long career as a Republican political operative," Media Matters writes. In another example, Fox interviewed Quisha King and identified her as an "everyday American" and a "Florida mom" when she is also a Republican strategist and worked for the Republican National Committee in 2020. The network did, however, mention that she was affiliated with the group Moms for Liberty in a segment.
Fox also reportedly interviewed Barry Bennett, who Politico describes as "one of the most prominent lobbyists of the Trump era," mentioning that he was an "informal adviser" to former President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign while text on the screen described him as a "Virginia Little League Parent."
The Media Matters report criticized Fox for this presentation of its guests, writing that while Republican strategists "have every right to advocate for their children and their communities," the network also has "a responsibility to inform its viewers about exactly who it's talking to." Read more at Media Matters.