NPR: Shep Smith "Steers Away From Ideology"

NPR's "Morning Edition" profiled Fox News anchor Shepard Smith Tuesday morning, focusing on the ways Smith differs from his more opinionated colleagues on Fox News and in cable news more generally. "Fox News has an evening cable news anchor who steers away from ideology," the profile opened.

"Shepard Smith's show is a study in contrast with the old school network newscasts, but maybe not in the way that you think," NPR's David Folkenflik said. "He propels his show with quick-witted, rapid-pattern narration," a tactic Shep compared to "video-snacking on YouTube" and news analyst Andrew Tyndall compared to "Entertainment Tonight."

"What he did is take the style of entertainment news and applied it to serious news," Tyndall said.

The crux of the segment, which can be heard here, is that Fox News "is paying Smith $8 million a year not to take an explicit point of view," and it even cited Media Matters' Eric Boehlert, who described Smith as the fairest anchor on Fox News.

"There are a lot of people on our channel who want you to think the way they do. We just want to give you some information to help you think," Smith said. "I don't much care for ideologues within my news cast. There is plenty of it out there, you don't need anymore.

"Who is better at toeing the Republican line than Sean Hannity? I can't even think of anybody right off the top of my head," Smith continued. "Sean Hannity doesn't host our news. He has never hosted our news. When we have news, I come on."

Listen here.

Comments

[MontereyDean]

Is this story legit? Did anyone listen to the Shep today? Nothing like what's described in this story. A total flack for the Republicans.

[strifeknot]

This guy looks like Leland Palmer from Twin Peaks.

[DosaHut]

haha

[Sloane7]

The only one on Fox I've watched is Shepard Smith and that was during Katrina. He did a good job at that time and I was watching news everywhere. Otherwise, sorry Shep.

[CIH8U2]

Work with me here.......I'll explain to you why people can't seem to stop watching shows on Fox News
I'll use the Soap Opera anecdote

1. You keep watching to see what dumb and crazy thing they'll say next, you try to believe that it won't get any dumber or crazier. You become hooked on it. You can't stop yourself from watching.

Now keep up with me here.......

2. There is always a character on the Soap Opera that you just cannot stand, you just hate their guts...but in reality, the actor/actress is nothing like the character that is portrayed on TV. You don't really hate the person who plays the character but you do hate the character.

Fox News portrays people in a way that they are not truly like in real life. People end up hating the "character" of the person they have created.

Some seem to be confused about my premise. There are two separate points: 1. Of why they keep watching the shows; 2. About how they portray the candidates as a character not like they really are. Not talking about the reporters themselves. Hope that clears up that half of my analogy. That’s why I’m reposting this. Sorry if you misunderstood me.

[OddManOut]

He may not be an idealogue, but his guests are so far right leaning. He will have one two people on the right and one person from the left.

Unfortunately, the left-leaning person is usually a nobody with the brain of a glue-sniffing gerbil that stands little chance of not wetting themself out of excitement of being on TV.

[CIH8U2]

Work with me here.......I'll explain to you why people can't seem to stop watching shows on Fox News
I'll use the Soap Opera anecdote

You keep watching to see what dumb and crazy thing they'll say next, you try to believe that it won't get any dumber or more crazy. You become hooked on it. You can't stop yourself from watching.

Now keep up with me here.......

There is always a character on the Soap Opera that you just cannot stand, you just hate their guts...but in reality, the actor/actress is nothing like the character that is portrayed on TV. You don't really hate the person who plays the character but you do hate the character.

Fox News portrays people in a way that they are not truely like in real life. People end up hating the "character" of the person they have created.

[CIH8U2]

Some seem to be confused about my premise. There are two separate points: 1. Of why they keep watching the shows; 2. About how they portray the candidates as a character not like they really are. Not talking about the reporters themselves. Hope that clears up that half of my analogy. That’s why I’m reposting this. Sorry if you misunderstood me.

[ElBruce]

I was impressed with Shep during the Katrina crisis, when he got on the spot and was imploring the camera that if any government officials were watching, there were people behind him who needed food and water. He seemed really confused and angry, wondering if his show might actually be the only method the government had about finding out that all those people were filling that stadium.

[OddManOut]

I was about to write almost the same thing. I recall how angry he was and how the other people at Fox, acutally laughed at him. When he heard laughter, he chastised them, ON AIR!. It was a telling moment.

[filo]

That ( his Katrina coverage ) is somrthing I will never forget. He was angry and ripped Bush a new one on air. At times I thought he was going to cry he was so upset.I watch Fox to see what the enemy is up to. Shep's show is the most fair and balanced on Fox. I can watch his show and not realize it's Fox. I have seen him call some Rethugs on their talking points.

[WADIIAH]

I like Shep and that guy who grilled Mccain last week, i forget his name, i think its Chris Wallace. Mccain thought he was going to have it easy and Chris wallace got him all hot and bothered.

[lejman]

to really understand the depravity of this situation, you have to drive about 200 miles along the
southern kansas border with northern oklahoma. one radio station features the limbaugh/h­annity/ore­illy bluster, the second features revivalist preachers and christian music, and the third, if you are lucky, will play country music (the most progressive of the three). that's it. that's your choice. any wonder the area is blood red?

faux noise is a mirror of that segment of the listening audience. they give 'em what they wanna hear, and how!!! so, my friends, if you don't like it, change the channel and don't watch it. the key is to EDUCATE people on the concept of INCLUSION over EXCLUSION. then the war that is the basis for the electoral battle will be won.

[joannericec]

Good for him! And, I hope he keeps it up. I can't handle FOX and keep it off in my house but I remember Shep as a local news guy here in Miami and I always thought he was a bright guy and good at what he does. I'm actually glad he's at FOX...it helps dilute some of their extremism a little. Like Rush, that channel does nothing but help destroy this country with ignorance. And, of course, most of their audience are those who are least able to see thru it. Very scary.

[VSamuels]

If a honest man lives in a sewer, he still smells of the stench of the sewer. His option then is not to stay in the sewer hoping that his mere presence reforms the 'odor' of the sewer, but to seek relief elsewhere, some place where his honesty matches his surroundings.

Any good Smith might do is overwhelmed by the oppressive nature of where he does his work, NPR's praise is like saying that the most dangerous passenger line in the country is made better because its trains are always on time.

[westcoastsc]

I don't care. Fox has done enough damage to our country. If you have to watch Fox, do it to take note of their sponsors and then make sure never to buy their products or services again.

[mocha59]

is this Obama at work?

CHANGE.........

Yes We ARE!

Thanks Shep!

[DallasMike]

Wow imagine that, someone is asking a media person to leave his own personal views out of his news cast. To bad we can't say that about 95% of the MSM.

[Mattatat]

Full on 100% progressive Democrat here, and I think Shep Smith is a good guy. I enjoy watching him if I happen to see him on.

The problem is that he's the exception to the norm. He's literally the ONLY fair-and-balanced person on that network.

And that is why FOX is a joke.

[Bilboo]

He's paid to put a respectable front on an utterly disreputable operation. That doesn't make him any sort of an exception to anything.