John Roberts (Journalist)

Fox News Channel: A Political Machine That Employs Journalists!

Fox News Channel and its chief executive, Roger Ailes, are a political machine for the conservative movement and the Republican Party which employs journalists who give up their principles for a big financial reward. It also employs former politicians who are in the make, to earn as much money as they can, and to hell with convictions or beliefs they had once held!

Ailes began his career in advocacy journalism under Richard Nixon, helped promote Ronald Reagan, and learned the power of advocacy journalism to promote one’s ideological agenda. And journalists and politicians have seen the money involved!

So we have such examples as:

Bill Hemmer, John Roberts, Ed Henry, Greta Van Susteren, Howard Kurtz–all formerly at CNN

Juan Williams, formerly of NPR

Former Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana; former Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich

And this is just the “tip of the iceberg”, as many former journalists for NBC, ABC, and CBS have also moved to Fox, and tried to make its distorted view of the news and of the world become standard and believed!

A new book by Gabriel Sherman is making the case that Roger Ailes is the most important journalistic giant of the past half century, a figure on the scale of William Randolph Hearst.

So Fox News Channel is a massive challenge to its cable competitors, CNN and MSNBC, and already attracts more viewers than both of them combined.

So an important thing to remember is that when one is out to promote the truth about America and the world, being ignorant or unaware of Roger Ailes and Fox News Channel’s impact is to the detriment of their rivals!

Bill Hemmer, John Roberts, Ed Henry, Evan Bayh, Dennis Kucinich, Howard Kurtz et al: Money Over Principle!

Fox News Channel, infamous for creating news and promoting constant lies and deception, has been able to lure journalists and politicians to grace its channel, in an attempt to gain distinction and credibility, except it is not working!

Sure, more people watch Fox News Channel than CNN or MSNBC, no question about it!

But since when is “popularity” in electronic or print media a judgment as to quality and balance and fairness of coverage of news events?

Tabloid newspapers historically did better than major national newspapers in circulation, although now they are not doing better, because Fox News Channel is available for those who wish sensationalism and manipulation of the news!

So the decision of journalists such as Bill Hemmer, John Roberts, Ed Henry, and Howard Kurtz to leave CNN and go to Fox News Channel is clearly one of money over principle.

And the decision of former Indiana Senator Evan Bayh and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich to join Fox News Channel, being well aware of their distortion of the truth, is also simply one of money over principle.

No one is saying that money is not a factor in decisions people make, and no one is saying that these individuals should not pursue as much financial gain as they can acquire.

But face the facts: principle and quality are not the goals of these journalists and former politicians, but personal financial gain alone!