On November 1, 2023, Common Cause took the fight for information access offline and straight to Comcast's headquarters in Philadelphia. Calling on companies such as Comcast to hold Fox accountable by refusing to pass along their cost increases to consumers is an essential part of our work. Getty Images Lisa Lake

Democracy experts, cable customers, and activists hand-delivered over 165,000 petition signatures and 3,000 stories demanding that cable providers say No to the Fox Fee.

As we met with Comcast representative "Peter" we explained how cable providers like Comcast make decisions that impact our democracy and everyday lives. A Media Matters for America representative explained how Comcast has a chance to stand with cable customers and stop Fox News from raising their cable bills.

We were there to deliver a clear message: Americans demand cable providers reject the Fox Fee. We did not leave until we got confirmation that our demands and stories would be heard by decision-makers at the negotiating table. We made sure the Comcast representative knew that their customers would not sit quietly by as Fox News attempts to evade accountability for broadcasting election conspiracy theories.

Common Cause volunteer Digital Democracy Activists had been taking action for months ahead of the #NoFoxFee rally.Calling their cable providers, informing their friends and families, sharing stories, and signing the #NoFoxFee petition. Thousands of small virtual actions taken by concerned Americans allowed us to make sure that the people were represented in the traditionally secret process of carriage fee negotiations.

Fox News spreads conspiracy theories that exploit communities that exist in information voids where internet and news access is lacking. Efforts to spread mis/disinformation are more prevalent in Black, Latine, Indigenous, Asian, and other marginalized communities, leading to a culture of fear and distrust around our elections

Fox News's lies and divisive rhetoric have ended decades-long friendships and destroyed communities. “I have had a couple close friends drop me because Fox told them that they shouldn’t have friends with differing opinions. An old school mate even threatened me right before Jan6 in our high school Facebook group!”- Joe C, a Common Cause activist

Disinformation spreaders cultivate audiences and profit off of false claims as they raise their profile. Fox News broadcast widely-debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election because they feared losing viewers to other networks that were willing to broadcast disinformation.

The Guardian called “The staggering $787.5m settlement between Fox and the voting equipment company Dominion marked the end of one of the most aggressive efforts to hold someone accountable for spreading misinformation after the 2020 election.”

If Fox is allowed to pass on the cost of its settlement with Dominion to consumers, there is no accountability for their actions. And if they can get consumers to shoulder the burden for the settlement – then they are getting off scot-free. We must demand that our cable providers do not make Americans pay the price for corporate greed and election lies.