Probably 1999 [sic] I created the Fox News Alert. We were striving to accomplish a sense of urgency. Urgency in the sense that what was about to be delivered after the Fox News Alert was very important. Quote, unquote, shocking news. Specifically Columbine and all the other important news stories of that time.

Actually, the practice of displaying a graphic under a sound was not original to David Hnatiuk and Fox News. Video and audio Breaking News alerts have been in practice long before Fox News, or cable TV news, or cable TV, or TV.

Hnatiuk expresses curiosity that his “creation” is allegedly being misused by the network.

But now, looking back, now that I’m not there I find it interesting that I’ve seen the Fox News Alert used for stories like “Bennifer” J-Lo and Ben’s relationship. I mean this, compared to a school shooting, and there’s really no relationship to me and I don’t understand why, based on what we originally created it for, ah, why they would choose to use it for a news story like that;  cause the sound and the visuals is associated, or originally was associated, with things that were much more important.

Hnatuik does not expand upon why exactly he is confused about reporting style at a news network evolving or what exactly about the one-second-long bell stroke sound and text displaying the date and and phrase “Fox News Alert” is so important that it would be journalistic malpractice to use for events less than the scale of a school shooting.

During Hnatuiks segment, Outfoxed shows the animated graphic logo for a Fox News Alert  from 03.08.04, but doesn’t show the alerts content. It is also left unclear if Hnatuik’s claim to have “seen the Fox News Alert used for stories like ‘Bennifer’” is meant to be a vague complaint for literally “stories like Bennifer” or testimony to have actually seen a Fox News Alert concerning the relationship between Ben Afleck and Jennifer Lopez.

Common sense suggests that if this were a literal allegation, Hnatuik would have left no doubt and not choosed the words “stories like” to precede the example. This, combined with Outfoxed lack of pressing the issue or giving any examples of developments in tabloid stories being treated as important breaking news suggest that Hnatuik is not actually claiming to have witnessed such an example and is merely using a “some people say” type technique to avoid citing an actual example that may or may not exist.

Assumedly an example of a story Outfoxed thinks is a misuse of a breaking news alert – the one and only example given in the film – is a development concerning Martha Stewart’s conviction in the ImClone stock trading case. Fox anchor David Asman introduces the segment before the films editing fades him out. The lower third title bar reads: Martha Stewart Leaves Fed CT After Probation Meeting (an event that was treated as important news by every major news outlet)

David Asman: And this is a Fox News Alert. A very busy day for Martha Stewart. Earlier today she met with her parole officer…

Outfoxed quickly fades to black, not allowing the viewer to see and therefore judge the content of the Alert.

Further, the implication that the Fox News Alert is routinely used for frivolous non-alerting stories is false.

Bowling For Truth was unable to find a single example of the Fox News Alert being used in a story that descends to the non-importance level of something like a celebrity romance.

CLARA FRENK: A lot of the times the liberals that they get to appear on are either, you know, faux-liberals, like, I would use Susan Estrich as an example of that, a person who was brought on, who essentially agrees with the person on the right in a lot of cases.

Frenk gives no examples to support her allegation about Estrich’s record at Fox News and Outfoxed provides no footage showing any instances of Frenks claim ever taking place (as noted below, the film does play one clip of Estrich following Frenk’s statement, but it only shows Estrich being personally pleasant toward Sean Hannity and not any point of agreement with the conservative co-host on any topic).

Bowling For Truth was able to find no instance of Estrich agreeing with a conservative on Fox News that she was presented to counter.

Estrich is the author of The Case for Hillary Clinton and Soulless: Ann Coulter and the Right-Wing Church of Hate

Estrich’s columns on FoxNews.com confirm a consistent liberal record.

AD HOMINEM REQUIREMENT FALLACY

Instead of citing “a lot of cases” – or even a single instance – where Susan Estrich was on air at Fox News “essentially agreeing with the person on the right”, Outfoxed plays a clip of Estrich joking with Sean Hannity that she doesn’t personally dislike him.

FOX FOOTAGE: SUSAN ESTRICH ON HANNITY AND COLMES
ESTRICH: I am your biggest liberal friend. I do take a little heat. People some times say to me, “Do you really like Sean Hannity”.
HANNITY: What’s not to like?
COLMES: I thought I was Sean’s biggest liberal friend.
HANNITY: I love you all.