More than a dozen companies have pulled their ads from Laura Ingraham's Fox News show in the wake of controversy over a story she tweeted last week about David Hogg, the prominent gun control advocate from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Though it was Hogg who initiated the boycott, the real story is the organization that orchestrated and fueled the boycott to the level it's at today.
As with past Fox News advertiser boycotts, far-left media watchdog Media Matters — which was founded by longtime Clinton ally David Brock and is funded in part by George Soros — orchestrated the boycott and used the far-left's grassroots to apply pressure on companies whose ads appear during Ingraham's weekday program.
Last Thursday, Media Matters published an article detailing which companies advertised on Ingraham's show between March 19 and March 28, in addition to how many times an ad for each company appeared.
For example, Media Matters includes Liberty Mutual and Bayer — a pharmaceutical company — at the top of the list because those companies showed ads seven times on Ingraham's show during the prescribed time period.
The list has also been updated to include statements from companies that have either removed their ads from Ingraham's program or distanced themselves from her.
Thanks to Media Matters' work — which Hogg proudly directed his followers to — the far-left was able to apply enough pressure to force more than a dozen Ingraham sponsors to abandon her show for the apparent moral high ground.
If you want to help I would suggest contacting 3-4 of these companies. Lets do this
— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) March 29, 2018
Meanwhile, Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters, has continued the anti-Ingraham crusade on Twitter, informing his followers of the boycott's "progress" and which organizations the far-left needs to apply the most pressure to in order to do the most damage to Ingraham and Fox News.
.@davidhogg111 FYI. Laura Ingraham has 2 really big named sponsors right now. These the big ones with strongest association: @libertymutual and @bayerAG/@BayerUS
#1) @LibertyMutual. "The Ingraham Angle is brought to you by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Liberty stands with you." pic.twitter.com/V4YQZTgtGM
— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) March 29, 2018
#2) @bayerAG/@bayerUS (which owns Claritin): "The Ingraham Angle is brought to you by non-drowsy 24 hour Claritin. Live Claritin clear." pic.twitter.com/oRMj9setM7
— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) March 29, 2018
Yes, most recently with Fox News host Sean Hannity last year over a faux-controversy involving failed Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. The boycott initially saw results, though it quickly dissipated. "Hannity" remains one of the most watched programs on cable television.
Media Matters also helped orchestrate the removal of Bill O'Reilly from Fox News last April.
As the Daily Caller noted, ThinkProgress, a liberal news outlet also funded in part by Soros, initiated a boycott of the National Rifle Association in February following the mass shooting at MSD. It also failed.
