Citing a "Venomous Flow of Misinformation" Civil Rights Leaders Cheer DirectTV's Decision to Drop One America News
NEW YORK (January 14, 2022) – DirecTV‘s decision to drop the toxic propaganda outlet One America News (OAN) will help stem the venomous flow of misinformation that fueled the deadly January 6 insurrection, the leaders of the National Urban League and National Action Network said today.
“For years, OAN has shamelessly promoted dangerous falsehoods and conspiracy theories, inflicting great harm not only to the subjects of its lies but to the nation as a whole,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said. “OAN’s unrelenting hype of the Big Lie directly contributed to the horrifying January 6 attack on Congress and the ongoing assault on voting rights and democracy. DirecTV’s decision effectively neutralizes the one of the most dangerous weapons in the arsenal of far-right extremists.”
The civil rights leaders had long raised concerns about DirecTV’s role in supporting the network, which receives little advertising revenue and is funded largely by fees from cable, satellite and streaming providers.
“DirecTV’s announcement indicates that OAN’s viewership is dwindling, which is a positive sign for the nation and the future of democracy,” Morial said. “The American people are choosing truth over lies, and common sense over hysteria. OAN has no place in a nation committed to peace, justice and equality.”
National Action Network Founder and President Rev. Al Sharpton added, “A cancer has been excised from the body of democracy, and America is a healthier and safer place for it. DirecTV is not OAN’s only distributer, but it is the largest. It remains to be seen whether OAN can survive without it, and we can only bid it good riddance.”