The best of #FoxNewsFacts

In early January 2015 Rupert Murdoch's Fox News channel ran a bizarre fearmongering interview with a so-called terrorism expert called Steve Emerson, who made a series of increasingly bizarre and misleading statements including the claims that the city of Birmingham is 100% Muslim and that London has special Muslim dress code police who attack people who refuse to wear Islamic attire.

The embedded video below is the specific 30 second segment that triggered the #FoxNewsFacts Twitter storm, but the full five minute clip is actually much more disturbing because this supposed "expert" (who has apparently contributed to at least seven congressional committees) made a load of other fearmongering claims like "Europe is finished" with the presenter fueling the fire by harping on about how European countries like France, Belgium and Germany are "metastasizing" with "caliphates". You can see the full clip here.

#FoxNewsFacts

The reaction to this story on Twitter was absolutely brilliant, with thousands of British people mocking Fox News with made up facts of their own using the hashtag #FoxNewsFacts. 
Here is a selection of my favourites.

Mecca Bingo, probable proof of the Islamic domination of Birmingham according to #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/idByIkkrzQ
— Lewis Bush (@LewisKayBush) January 11, 2015

Terrifying photo of how a typical Muslim from Birmingham guards the city gates against infidels. #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/w1TJt93VEi
— Pavilion Opinions (@pavilionopinion) January 11, 2015

British children are able to purchase these little confectionary mosques at any corner shop. #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/hDcMYpvT8i
— Jack Tindale (@JackTindale) January 11, 2015

You're only allowed to drive like this if you're a Muslim woman #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/qroQ5wHuj1
— Yasmin Gooner (@Yasmin_Gooner) January 11, 2015

The name "Birmingham" was shortened to "Brum" just so to omit the reference to ham. #FoxNewsFacts
— David Allen Green (@DavidAllenGreen) January 11, 2015

Legislation passed in Islamified Britain forcing the Queen of England to don a traditional headscarf #FoxNewsFacts pic.twitter.com/yT0CTRTpi8
— Sarah M (@sazza_jay) January 11, 2015

If you are a non-muslim and would like to visit Birmingham #illridewithyou #FoxNewsFacts
— Rabeb Othmani (@Rabeb_Othmani) January 11, 2015

Radical cleric Mullah Kintyre demands everyone should bow down to Macca to pray five times each day. #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/rkUGhjG2GW
— Peter Thompson (@TheRedRag) January 11, 2015

Birmingham has a chain of fast food restaurants called "Burqa King" #foxnewsfacts
— Tom Copley (@tomcopley) January 11, 2015

Jam jars across Britain are becoming radicalised. #FoxNewsFacts pic.twitter.com/0O4Cfv1DIo
— Parvez Anwar (@pavanwar) January 12, 2015

Dangerous bearded fanatics have a history of running Birmingham's sporting institutions #FoxNewsfacts pic.twitter.com/beKSwZzGAF
— Richard Adams (@RichardA) January 11, 2015

BREAKING! Margaret Thatcher was secret Muslim Jihadist (seen here wearing Hijab): #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/q2iGty9Icx
— Tom Pride (@ThomasPride) January 12, 2015

I couldn't resist having a go myself:

#FoxNewsFacts - @FoxNews terrorism experts get all of their information about the UK by trawling the #BritainFirst Facebook page!
— Another Angry Voice (@Angry_Voice) January 11, 2015

Some people couldn't resist spoiling the party by using the hashtag to present actual facts about Birmingham though!

FYI, the share of population in Birmingham neighbourhoods reporting as Muslim at the last census. #foxnewsfacts pic.twitter.com/N0aTwQx9p1
— Chris Cook (@xtophercook) January 11, 2015

Even after Steve Emerson apologised for having completely made up his claims about Birmingham the ridicule kept coming.

I asked Steven Emerson for a comment on #foxnewsfacts. Guy apologises and is going to make a donation to charity pic.twitter.com/GQeWZ7Fukq
— Chris Stokel-Walker (@stokel) January 11, 2015

The Fox News guy has apologised and called the city of Birmingham 'beautiful'. The guy can't get anything right, can he? #FoxNewsFacts
— James Gleave (@jamesgleave1) January 11, 2015

Conclusion

On the down side it is alarming that inaccurate fearmongering gibberish like that is being presented as "news" in the United States by a channel that is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who is a guy who Tweeted that the Charlie Hebdo atrocity was the collective responsibility of all Muslims (Sunni, Shia, Sufi, Ahmadiyya, Ibadi ... who cares? They're all the same right?).

On a more positive note, #FoxNewsFacts is a demonstration that when people make inaccurate or insulting comments about the British, we take the piss, and once we get going there's no stopping us. The fact that #FoxNewsFacts has been trending ever since this fearmongering rubbish was broadcast demonstrates that a significant percentage of Brits now see Murdoch's Fox News channel as a byword for inaccurate and misleading journalism, and little more than a target for satire.

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