Ron Paul Supporters Organizing News Corp. Stock Sell-off

A recent decision by Fox News Network, one of the many news organizations under the umbrella of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, News Corporation, has been to exclude GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul from the upcoming New Hampshire Republican forum on January 6. Ron Paul supporters say this is an act of media censorship designed to marginalize the candidate's message of limited government and sound monetary policy. Candidates invited to the New Hampshire forum include Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. John McCain, Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. Fred Thompson.

Because of what supporters say is a pattern of television and print media exclusion, the Paul campaign has received much of its support through chatter on the Internet. Rumors circulating online communities show that Paul supporters are planning to take action of their own in retaliation to this decision to exclude. These supporters have been working assiduously in recent days to contact Fox News advertising sponsors, encouraging them to withdraw their advertising dollars or else face a massive boycott.

Apparently in light of this activity, investors have decided to sell their shares of News Corp stock on January 2nd. An alarmed member of a Google finance forum writes, "investors holding NWS have had it and are going to dump shares!...I'm taking my money and running." On another forum, one member writes, "I have emailed my disgust with this decision to Fox News. I will no longer be one of its viewers and I will not support its sponsors or advertisers. I would also encourage anyone who owns News Corp. stock (NWS) to sell it immediately and hit them where it hurts." Word of the stock dump appears to be spreading virally across the Internet.

Advertising dollars may be at risk as well. After contacting several Fox News sponsors, one Ron Paul supporter stated that three sponsors agreed to withdraw their advertising dollars after learning about the exclusion.

After raising almost $20 million in one quarter, Paul supporters are determined to diminish the value of News Corp stock by spreading word of the widespread discontent with the network. One panicked investor writes, "If it trends downward at all I am dumping it ASAP.... These people definitely have the capability to do big things......", while another writes "This guy's supporters managed to throw over $10 million at the guy over two seperate days. Who knows what this group is capable of!"

Evidently, Fox News' decision to exclude Paul from the forum has not only disenfranchised many of its viewers, but it has also caused a potential loss of advertising revenue and share value.