[VIDEO] College students ask President Obama to spy on FOX NEWS employees

Students at George Mason University (GMU) signed a petition early this month asking President Obama to listen in on the “private conversations” of all Fox News employees and their families.

WATCH: Students ask the White House to spy on FOX NEWS

The petition, which was circulated on GMU’s flagship campus in Fairfax, Va, near Washington D.C., by Media Research Center video reporter Dan Joseph, described the right-leaning news channel as “a threat to media integrity and an informed populace.”

“We want the to be able to legally read their private e-mails and listen in on phone conversations between Fox News employees and their associates and their families,” Joseph explained to students, asking for their support.

Reactions were mixed. While a handful of students appealed to a “the First Amendment” and the right to privacy, several described their “hate” for the news channel.

“Can you give me some time to think about this?,” asked one student before eventually providing his signature.

Another student expressed frustration that such a surveillance program would likely conflict with constitutional law.

“It’s virtually impossible but its a good cause,” she said. “I like your cause.”

In all, eleven GMU students signed the petition in about 45 minutes, according to Joseph.

On May 19, 2013, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. Department of Justice had monitored Fox News Reporter James Rosen’s personal telephone calls and read his emails as part of an investigation into a leak.

The DOJ obtained permission through a FISA court for the wiretap after Attorney General Eric Holder personally signed a complaint naming him a “criminal co-conspirator” in the case. 

Follow the authors of this article on Twitter: @JosiahRyan, @ShaneMcGonigal