# Is Fox News really all that bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 3, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625 "2012-10-03T21:14:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 123
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2443 "2019-10-11T20:27:02Z")
Shep Smith, Fox’s lone voice of the not entirely insane, is leaving. [https://twitter.com/JasonLeopold/status/1182754102171725824?s=19](https://twitter.com/JasonLeopold/status/1182754102171725824?s=19) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2444 "2019-10-11T20:30:40Z")
Just so happened a mere day after Murdoch met with Barr. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2445 "2019-10-11T20:32:36Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Just so happened a mere day after Murdoch met with Barr. Amazing coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2446 "2019-10-11T20:42:04Z")
I will admit I had a glimmer of hope recently that Fox was starting to distance themselves from Trump. I wonder what Trump/Barr have over Fox? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2447 "2019-10-11T20:57:39Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I will admit I had a glimmer of hope recently that Fox was starting to distance themselves from Trump. I wonder what Trump/Barr have over Fox? The ability to maliciously prosecute them for real or imagined wrongdoings, without fear of reprisal. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2448 "2019-10-11T21:13:11Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I will admit I had a glimmer of hope recently that Fox was starting to distance themselves from Trump. I wonder what Trump/Barr have over Fox? You didn’t think that the item of Hannity’s using the same lawyers as Trump was going to be left to waste by Trump and his henchmen? ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2449 "2019-10-11T21:47:45Z")
[Brian Stelter](https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1182768323546755072), CNN: > [@](#): > > As suspected: Tensions with Fox’s opinion shows was the breaking point for Shep Smith, a well-placed source confirms to me. More [here](https://twitter.com/JordanUhl/status/1182751935629279232), with _Vanity Fair_ article excerpts: > [@](#): > > Two weeks ago Fox News execs sided with Tucker Carlson in a spat between him & Shep Smith. > > They told Smith if he continued calling out Carlson’s rhetoric for what it was, he would be off the air. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2450 "2019-10-11T22:01:57Z")
[David Nakamura](https://twitter.com/DavidNakamura/status/1182768302076112896), _Washington Post_: > [@](#): > > Reporter asks Trump for react to Shep Smith leaving FOX: “Is he leaving? Oh, that’s a shame. … Is he leaving because of terrible ratings? If he’s leaving, I assume he’s leaving for bad ratings… Well, I wish him well.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Colossus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.colossus/32/9423_2.png) [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2451 "2019-10-11T22:58:05Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > [David Nakamura](https://twitter.com/DavidNakamura/status/1182768302076112896), _Washington Post_: Just for the record, Walken–you’ve been bringing some good links in all of these threads lately. I think a lot of your posts get passed by but you’re providing some excellent, timely content on the fly. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2452 "2019-10-11T23:57:05Z")
> [@Dr.Colossus](#): > > Just for the record, Walken–you’ve been bringing some good links in all of these threads lately. I think a lot of your posts get passed by but you’re providing some excellent, timely content on the fly. I always read **Walken** posts. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2453 "2019-10-29T01:35:15Z")
Has any one else noticed how Fox likes to drop the line “Fox News has learned” into articles? They do this even when it it isn’t an exclusive. It’s like they’re trying to hammer home that they’re the only one they’re viewers/readers need. If someone else has already noticed this I apologize. I don’t feel like digging through 49 pages. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2454 "2019-11-08T17:35:35Z")
Today is the one-year anniversary of the last @FoxNews tweet, part of an organization-wide shutdown which impacted most, if not all, of their twitter accounts. > The last tweet: “BREAKING: Federal appeals court rules against Trump administration on DACA” > ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2455 "2019-11-21T04:45:56Z")
I watched one of the local affiliates of another big, much older network, and boy howdy, that was fucking journalism. They have a serious, ass-kicking, reality based newsroom that makes Fox News and the local Fox affiliate look like mewling children. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2456 "2019-11-21T19:57:13Z")
> [@Asylum](#): > > Has any one else noticed how Fox likes to drop the line “Fox News has learned” into articles? They do this even when it it isn’t an exclusive. It’s like they’re trying to hammer home that they’re the only one they’re viewers/readers need. I just mentally include a subtext. Fox news has learned (by reading watching CNN) that… ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2457 "2019-11-22T14:34:56Z")
> [@Asylum](#): > > Has any one else noticed how Fox likes to drop the line “Fox News has learned” into articles? “Fox News has learned” appears to be oxymoronic. They seem incapable of learning or understanding. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2458 "2019-11-22T14:57:08Z")
I assume in many cases it would be more accurate to say _“Fox News was given this story to pass on…”_ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2459 "2019-11-22T15:24:43Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I will admit I had a glimmer of hope recently that Fox was starting to distance themselves from Trump. Trump’s goals are starting to diverge from the rest of the conservative movement’s goals. The conservative movement sees Trump as another President of the moment. No different than Reagan or one of the Bushes. And no different than future Republican Presidents they plan on using. The conservative movement is in it for the long run. Fox News, the Republican Party, and the rest of the conservative movement are looking at protecting the future of conservatism. And if Trump damages the cause, well, time to dump him and move on to the next guy. For Trump and his cult, however, the world will end on January 20, 2025. That’s the day the Supreme Leader will step down from his triumphant reign and history will end. All that the future will consist of from then on will be the generations who will envy those of us who were blessed enough to live through the greatest eight years in history. From their point of view, the only purpose the conservative movement has ever had was to set the stage for Trump to use. Now that Trump has arrived, the conservative movement exists only to serve him. And when Trump leaves, the conservative movement no longer has any reason to exist except to talk about how great Trump was. For them, dumping Trump to protect the conservative movement makes no sense; it would be like the twelve apostles deciding to dump Jesus in order to protect the long term goals of Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2460 "2019-11-22T15:30:55Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > “Fox News has learned” appears to be oxymoronic. They seem incapable of learning or understanding. But “It was slowly explained to Fox News using small words that…” doesn’t roll off the tongue so. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2461 "2019-11-22T16:14:10Z")
It’s not unfair to say that Fox doesn’t care about reporting in the, ah, traditional sense of reporters hustling about digging up events of which the public may be unaware. And that’s the nicest thing I can say about _that_. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625/2462 "2019-11-22T21:58:35Z")
I dont know if this has already been posted or shared here, but Tobin Smith, a 14-year Fox News “hitman” has written a book about the network. Here is an article (a bit long read) that came before the book. Let’s just say it is not exactly flattering. [FEAR & UNbalanced: Confessions of a 14-Year Fox News Hitman How Roger Ailes & Fox News Got Rich Scamming America’s La Z Boy Cowboys and Selling Out America’s Soul](https://medium.com/@tobinsmith_95851/how-roger-ailes-fox-news-scammed-americas-la-z-boy-cowboys-for-21-years-1996ee4a6b3e) _What continues to blow me away to this day is most Fox News fans STILL don’t seem to get that the Fox opinion programming they are addicted to is just as fixed and fake as pro wrestling._ Here is the resulting book on Amazon: [Foxocracy: Inside the Network’s Playbook of Tribal Warfare](https://www.amazon.com/Foxocracy-Inside-Network-Playbook-Warfare/dp/1635766613) Ironic how Fox news is the epitome of “fake” news it’s viewers so resent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625.md?page=122) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fox-news-really-all-that-bad/636625.md?page=124)