We’ve all heard it — the screech of the Fox News haters who feel perfectly free to share their low opinion of the cable-news channel with everyone within ear shot.  Normally, well-bred and well-mannered people don’t feel compelled to challenge someone’s private choice of viewing and reading material — in fact, they’re usually the first to scream about “the right to privacy” and the sanctity of the First Amendment.  But when it comes to Fox News, otherwise rational people — and even some who were irrational to begin with, such as your average progressive — suddenly become deranged and start foaming at the mouth.

Now comes this piece about Fox News chief Roger Ailes in The New York Times on Saturday — the day where interesting news goes to die and get buried – that will make them even crazier:

At a time when the broadcast networks are struggling with diminishing audiences and profits in news, he has built Fox News into the profit engine of the News Corporation. Fox News is believed to make more money than CNN, MSNBC and the evening newscasts of NBC, ABC and CBS combined. The division is on track to achieve $700 million in operating profit this year, according to analyst estimates that Mr. Ailes does not dispute.

This outsize success has placed Mr. Ailes, an aggressive former Republican political strategist, at the pinnacle of power in three corridors of American life: business, media and politics. In addition to being the best-paid person in the News Corporation last year, he is the most successful news executive of the last 10 years, and his network exerts a strong influence on the fractured conservative movement.

Leaving aside for the moment the obligatory Times cheap shot at the “fractured conservative movement’ — except in terms of the political horse race, which is the only thing most political reporters understand, there’s nothing at all “fractured” about the ideals and beliefs of the conservative movement, only a discussion about tactics — let’s ponder that for a moment: Satan’s News Network is making more money that all its rivals combined. (more…)

I had an amazing opportunity this past summer: I was an intern at the Fox News Channel for the Hannity show.  I worked with some of the greatest people in the TV industry.  That being said, it was amazing the reactions I got from some when I said I was an intern there.  The way some of them acted, you’d think I had gone to work for Satan.

Before I left to move to the Big Apple for my internship, I had to give my two weeks’ notice at work.  So I had figured I had better tell my co-workers where I was going.  Some people were thrilled for me to have this opportunity, and others, well, they did not quite have the same reaction of excitement.  When I had told one lady I worked with that I would be interning at Fox News she gave me this ugly scowl, as if I had just killed her cat or something.  She then proceeded to say, “Fox News, oh they are just the worst.”  My response, “Well I’m sorry you feel that way”.  She then said to me, “I don’t know if you agree with their views, but if you don’t, I hope you do not change and start believing the lies they air.” I just walked away. (more…)

I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation. It felt like a scene from a movie that conveniently ties plot points together when two critical characters in the storyline share a moment of implausible significance – where the intrepid reporter finally runs his target to ground.

So at first I had trouble getting my words out. “I’m Andrew Breitbart,” I exhaled. Instead of hanging up, Bertha Lewis laughed like someone I would probably like in a different setting – but certainly not in this lifetime now that we are permanently and publicly tied to one another as media-based adversaries.

I knew the awkwardness of the moment would turn into trouble when I started asking her pointed questions and, sure enough, we soon we found ourselves in trouble.

“Did you go to the White House last year?” I asked.

Bertha Laughed heartily.  ”No,” she said.

“Really?” I pushed.

“No. One hundred percent not. Not this year. Not last year. Not ever,” she stated firmly, all the while maintaining an awkward and ironic joviality that was likely born of the weirdness of our impromptu exchange. (more…)