Fox Peddles Misleading Food Stamp Special To Members Of Congress
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Fox News is peddling its recent misleading special on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, to members of Congress in an attempt to influence an upcoming vote on legislation that would cut SNAP benefits by $40 billion. This effort reveals the network’s ties to the Republican Party as well as its ongoing campaign to demonize those who accept SNAP benefits.
On August 9, Fox News aired a special investigation into SNAP titled “The Great Food Stamp Binge.” The special purported to demonstrate rampant fraud in the program by presenting Jason Greenslate, “a blissfully jobless California surfer” who has exploited of SNAP benefits, as the typical SNAP recipient. In reality, Greenslate bears no resemblance to the overwhelming majority of SNAP recipients, many of whom are elderly, children, or rely on the program for a short time while looking for work.
According to recent reporting from Politico, Fox has found a new use for its misleading special, distributing it to members of the House in anticipation of a vote on a bill that would reduce SNAP by $40 billion
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