Can someone explain how Shepard Smith keeps a job at Fox News?

[brooklynite]

Link to tweet

[maxsolomon]

1. The pretense of Journalistic Legitimacy

He provides it.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. He is their excuse to claim that they are not an all-RW loon network.

Juan Williams was on there too to purportedly be center-leftish (not "left" but "leftish"... although we all know where he stands).

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. Pretty much.

Shepard Smith and Chris Wallace are there as a pretense to claim some sort of legitimacy of a news organization.

The nutballs that come out in the evening and from 6-9 in the morning pretty much destroy that narrative. It's a Potemkin Village of Legitimate News.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Chris Wallace's conversion

towards the middle has been quite dramatic over the past couple years, as if channeling his dad, and moving him away from Brit Hume territory (at least in terms of comparing these "veterans" ). Neil Cavuto occasionally bops all over the place but always returns back to RW loon.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. Then you have Bret Baier, who has the outward appearances of a legit newsman but....

....is more than happy to propagate right wing unsubstantiated non-stories.

Such as the claim that there were "imminent indictments" regarding the Clinton Foundation, which he dropped the weekend before the election, only to sheepishly admit a few days later the story was nonsense (after the damage had already been done).

[BumRushDaShow]

8. That's how they generally operate. nt

[RKP5637]

10. Yep, pretty much my observation too. Neil Cavuto ... someone yanks his chain when he strays too far

left!

[Upthevibe]

15. I and several of my friends were impressed regarding Chris Wallace's

performance as moderator during one of the Hillary and dt debates in '16..It's always bothered me that he, being Mike Wallace's son, turned out to be a freeper. I think he was fair when he moderated that one time...

[BumRushDaShow]

17. He has been doing more calling out of the most crazy twisted arguments

that some GOPers try to throw out there. And he has the demeanor to stop them in their tracks.

[Different Drummer]

11. This. n/t

[jalan48]

4. The "real" Fox viewers tune him out-he's the token 'fair and balanced' guy.

[mitch96]

26. Yup, he is the "balanced" part

Of "Fair and balanced"....... HA...... what a lie..
m

[Cattledog]

6. No real journalist now would choose to work there so they have to keep what they got

to have any semblance of a news operation.

[Downtown Hound]

9. Who knows for sure?

But at the end of the day, you never know what somebody on the inside knows, and somebody there may think it's better to keep their enemies closer rather than have them write that tell all book.

[Honeycombe8]

12. I don't know. It's amazing, isn't it? I can't figure it out.

It might be their token real news guy. Or maybe they like him personally. Or maybe he has friends in high places. Or maybe his journalistic background is impeccable, so they let him tell the truth. OR it may be a bone Fox is throwing to moderates and liberals, to try to get their viewership (commercials mean big bucks).

It is possible that some advertisers who won't run ads during, say, Hannity, WILL during Shep's show. So they have a place for advertisers to go if they are boycotting Hannity. Fox doesn't lose the business. That may be it.

[Saviolo]

18. Could also be...

That he knows where the bodies are buried. Maybe he has receipts on some of the things that have gone on over there. I'm thinking specifically about sexual abuse and harassment, but hey, who knows?

[Honeycombe8]

21. Could be. It's perplexing. I like him, though. Of course. nt

[Golden Raisin]

13. Token "liberal" (at Fox) and token gay.

[tymorial]

14. I was going to say that he's gay and that is a big reason

He and Rachel Maddow seem to like/respect each other. I don't think she would feel that way if he was horrible. Shrugs, I haven't always agreed with him but I really don't have a problem with him.

[tblue37]

16. How funny: I just read about this on Raw Story and literally asked myself this exact question

two minutes ago!

[tanyev]

19. Also, why?

He could do better.

[grantcart]

20. he makes them money.

[kimbutgar]

22. I have an aunt who is kind of conservative but still votes Democratic

He’s her favorite newscaster. She only watches him then changes the channel

[keithbvadu2]

23. FOX cartoons

Plenty of cartoons to pick from.....

https://www.google.com/search?q=fox+news+cartoons&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjlkqS2p_TYAhUC8WMKHbI1B5QQsAQIJw&biw=928&bih=406
.

[YOHABLO]

24. He's their token ''fair and balanced' guy.

[DoctorJoJo]

25. Would Love To See Shepard Move To NBC, ...

... maybe they can trade Meeegyn Kelly back to Fox for him.

[rpannier]

27. Check his whole body of work

He's a reich wing jerk
His commentary in support of James O'Keefe speaks volumes
When O' Keefe was caught trying to bug Mary Landrieux's office he threw in the comment, "Trying to get information on more ACORN hanky panky."
Fuck him

[Amaryllis]

28. Often wondered the same myself. But very thankful he is there.

[BobTheSubgenius]

29. This is analagous to the Navy yard here used to be..

I understand they've cleaned house, but the old stories still remind me of Faux. You lose all claim to being an honest-to-goodness reporter when you've worked at Faux for a while.

The civilian employees at the Navy yard had to stay there, because they had a really hard time finding work in "the real world." Everyone here knew that a career employee from there had no idea what a real day's work was.

A microcosm: a guy I knew used to work afternoon shift there. Every day after dinner, he'd find a janitor's closet, toss a bunch of stuff down to pad the floor, and take a nap.

The metaphorical "nap" that taints Faux employees is a total lack of journalistic integrity.

[ConnorMarc]

30. Shep Is Still There So They Can Point To Him

And say, "See, we're fair and balanced."

I don't know that he's a liberal, but I respect him for what he does.

Wallace and Bret, not-so-much. They're both hacks.

[kwassa]

31. It is like Jennifer Rubin.

A conservative commentator I used to detest in the Washington Post.

She is, however, the most eloquent and brutal critic of Donald J. Trump. I quote her all the time.

[ConnorMarc]

32. I just took the time to personally transcribe this...

I'll be using this quote from Shep for future reference.

It was POWERFUL!

[mopinko]

33. kompromat?