When Fox News decided to screen an interview with an 'expert' who claimed nobody non-Muslim went to Birmingham the internet decided to settle the score with humour.
by Dan Slee
First we got mad, then we got angry... and then we just took down Fox News a peg or two by being a bit British about the whole thing.
If You missed it, right wing US news channel Fox News interviewed an 'expert' who claimed that non-Muslims no longer go to Birmingham in the UK. A city of more than one million. Not one infidel. Not one.
Just to round it all off the wide-eyed Washington-based interviewee claimed that Sharia Law was being enforced by the religious police on the streets of London.
Coming on the day more than a million people gathered in Paris unite against intollerance and the Charlue Hebdo murders this was at best unhelpful. At worst, this was comfortably the laziest piece of shoddy journalism I can ever remember coming across.
At first, we got angry. How dare they?
Then the #foxnewsfacts hashtag emerged as a counterweight. It was a joyous thing. A response made up of Britiish sarcasm and p**s taking. News media weighed in. But the best content was that from people themselves.
As a rebuttal to inaccurate journalism this is peerless.
As an example of what the social web can do it was brilliant.
Here is a selection of some that made us laugh.
Well played Birmingham. And everyone else.
Birmingham City Mosque is among the tallest and most sacred in all Islam. #FoxNewsFacts pic.twitter.com/4DPUoaz6CV
— Peter Moore (@petermoore) January 11, 2015
Mecca is indeed in Birmingham. Kingstanding Circle to be precise #FoxNewsFacts pic.twitter.com/nwQhIqWusz
— Daniel Wainwright (@wainwright_star) January 11, 2015
@FoxNews We're just going to leave this here pic.twitter.com/kcs7Z1LTJe
— Birmingham Mail (@birminghammail) January 11, 2015
The song Evil Woman by Electric Light Orchestra is about the advice given by Al-Khattaab bin Mu'laa to his son before wedding. #FoxNewsFacts
— Matt F (@flayman) January 11, 2015
When performing in Birmingham Slade are legally obligated to change the lyrics of their biggest hit to 'Eid Mubarak Everyone' #FoxNewsFacts
— Sarfraz Manzoor (@sarfrazmanzoor) January 11, 2015
Birmingham's refuse collectors are all Bin Laden #FoxNewsFacts
— DaveHill (@DaveHill) January 11, 2015
According to @FoxNews Brummies have developed the deadly 'Balti'. #WeaponsOfAssDestruction #FoxNewsFacts
— Irvine Welsh (@IrvineWelsh) January 11, 2015
If you are a non-muslim and would like to visit Birmingham #illridewithyou #FoxNewsFacts
— Rabeb Othmani (@Rabeb_Othmani) January 11, 2015
Mr Egg to be renamed Mullah Egg #FoxNewsFacts
— Simon Forrester (@Assoc_CEO) January 11, 2015
Women in Birmingham are exempt from parking tickets because it's illegal for them to drive. #FoxNewsFacts
— Adrian Short (@adrianshort) January 11, 2015
Dan Slee is co-creator of comms2point0.