Fox News initially failed to disclose full involvement of pro-Arpaio op-ed writer

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Fox News scrimped a bit on the disclosure for author of pro-Arpaio-pardon op-ed:

Link to tweet

Fox News initially failed to disclose full involvement of pro-Arpaio op-ed writer

By Erik Wemple August 28 at 1:15 PM

When it comes to articulating the tough-to-make case for a pardon of former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio, James J. Fotis does okay. In a FoxNews.com op-ed, he argues:

{snip}

In the article, Fotis notes that he has done some reporting on this matter, having sat through Arpaio’s trial. Also: As head of the National Center for Police Defense, Fotis oversaw an effort to deliver 40,000 petitions pressuring the Justice Department to drop its case against Arpaio — a point that he makes in the op-ed. And when the story was first published, a footnote offered this bio material

on Fotis:

James J. Fotis is president of National Center for Police Defense and a former law enforcement officer. He served more than 23 years as the Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America (LEAA) an association of law enforcement officers, crime victims and concerned citizens. Follow his organization on Twitter @defendpolice.

At least one eagle-eyed observer noted an omission (see this archived version of the piece): (1)

This tweet, and the page it links to, both fail to mention that the author of the op-ed is paid to run Arpaio's legal defense charity.

Link to tweet

The following paragraph later appeared on the op-ed:

The author leads The National Center for Police Defense (NCPD) a non-profit dedicated to helping law enforcement officers who have been charged with a crime while following, “to the best of their ability,” the training and knowledge that they have been taught to use, by their departments. His charity supported former Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s legal defense.

Make no mistake: The original op-ed didn’t disguise that Fotis had a stake in Arpaio’s legal fate. Yet when it comes to such disclosures, the more information, the better. Asked whether editors were aware of Fotis’s full involvement with Arpaio, a Fox News source said that the piece was updated as information became available.

Erik Wemple writes the Erik Wemple blog, where he reports and opines on media organizations of all sorts. Follow @ErikWemple

(1) https://web.archive.org/web/20170826203137/http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/08/26/trumps-pardon-ex-sheriff-joe-arpaio-was-right-and-courageous-thing-to-do.html

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. We can always rely on the RW including Fox to mislead people, lie to them, use them.

This white flight racist prick, Arpaio, and his buddies can all go to hell.

[dalton99a]

2. Nice

Typical propaganda by omission

[Skittles]

3. disgusting

people can still have opinions but disclosure is an absolute requirement

fuck Fox News though, they will always pimp this kind of bullshit