Roger Ailes, Fox News, and the Rule Of Law

First, let's stipulate that the New York Times scoop last week about Fox News chairman Roger Ailes allegedly urging an employee to lie to federal prosecutors is a real jaw-dropper. The report, based on uncovered legal filings, not only has the media world stunned but it has loyalists who orbit the Fox News world utterly dumbstruck by the revelation.

They're stunned, not because they can't believe Ailes would do such a thing. Instead, they're shocked Ailes left himself so open, so vulnerable. They're astonished that his former employee, Judith Regan, reportedly has Ailes on tape urging her to lie to federal investigators about her affair with Bernard Kerick, a former top lieutenant of Rudolf Giuliani when he served as New York's mayor. With Giuliani eying a possible presidential run, Ailes allegedly told Regan to lie in order to protect both Kerik and Giuliani.

In short, the Times report has managed to shock everyone. It's shocked media insiders for the sheer recklessness of Ailes' behavior. It has startled Fox News critics (like myself) who are amazed how cavalierly Ailes would counsel an employee to break the law. And the report has shaken Ailes loyalists who can't believe the Machiavellian Fox News chief was so sloppy in his execution.

So yeah, this story is kind of a big deal and it has immediately been pushed to the head of the line in terms of pending Fox News troubles for 2011, right in front of Glenn Beck's ongoing caliphate conspiracy madness and the conservative attacks it has sparked on him,

Indeed, the Times report would mean that Ailes and Beck, Fox News' fiercest lightning rods, have quickly morphed from assets to liabilities. We know Beck's increasingly a liability because, thanks to his incendiary, hateful rhetoric, he's unable to retain virtually any nationally recognized advertisers. And that's been the case for almost a year-a-half now. Not only are advertisers steering clear of Glenn Beck, but ratings continue to decline. That is not a formula for cable news success.

But even more scandalous is the specter of Ailes, who runs Fox News as his personal fiefdom, being thrust into the spotlight for potentially breaking the law; for allegedly telling an employee to lie to federal investigators.

Ailes and Fox News are still trying to absorb that body blow. They're trying to shrug off a claim of lawbreaking against the man who runs a law-and-order news operation. But the hypocrisy in play is almost too much to bear.

Read the full Media Matters column, here.

 

 

 

Follow Eric Boehlert on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EricBoehlert

Comments

[NV Tea Party TKM]

02:51 AM on 03/02/2011

Sounds like someone is bitter since he doesn't get the ratings, or web numbers Beck and Fox do. Maybe someone should shove him and see how they like it, media matters try more like meida does not matter if they can't spin it for the left.

Where is the media matters story on the violent and misogynist attack on Rep. Michelle Litjens (R) by Rep. Gordon Hintz (D) on the WI house floor?

[pghperson]

06:21 AM on 03/02/2011

Media Matters monitors, analyzes and corrects misinformation the US media.
It does not originate news stories.

[Intelligenti Pauca]

01:59 PM on 03/02/2011

We're talking about Fox "News" & Roger Ailes & you're going to try & claim that Media Matters spins things?!?

Thanks cupcake. That pretty much tells me that you have no interest in the truth. You just keep on shilling for Fox though....not that it'll get you anywhere.

[white mende man]

12:07 AM on 03/02/2011

Everyone in the GWBush administration and their supporters thought they were above the law they didn't realize all good things must eventully come to an end.

[Jim Syntax]

11:28 PM on 03/01/2011

I read our posts with great trepidation.... we post to each other and pat each other on the back... "we're right, they're wrong".... However, they have the audience, they are winning elections, they are making money, and their shows are prospering. We can't keep a liberal talk show on the air, yet we cast aspirations about "shrinking audience and losing advertisiers" .... Until we begin to represent the majority, might I suggest we self appraise what it is we seek? We can't keep pretending to have the moral high ground, or a more elite point of view. Sooner or later we must recognize the reality of the situation, and determine what our real goals should be... Perhaps we are not always right, and perhaps they are not entirely wrong. One thing is certain: when it comes to media audience... they have the listeners, the viewers, and the readers. Is it our message, or the messengers? It has to be one or the other....

[tacevad]

08:20 PM on 03/01/2011

Fox "News" Lies..and has the court order stating they are allowed to

[GlennBeckReview]

07:31 PM on 03/01/2011

Glenn Beck proves that Fox is a corrupt organization. It's the facts that are purposely corrupted:
http://www.sharethisurlaboutglennbeck.com/2010/12/corruption-ispart-iii-beck-and-murdoch.html

Corruption is.... a three part series that supplements Boehlert's entire piece. It is part III of III from guest author, Paul Westlake. He is a 23-year media veteran with a professional background in film, video and multimedia production, video journalism, sports journalism, music composition, advertising, and political communications.

[Big Jake]

03:38 PM on 03/02/2011

Fanned and faved. Great posts exposing the misinformation machine at Fox News and Glenn Beck specifically!

[siljerjo]

05:22 PM on 03/01/2011

Is it naive of me to think that the rule of law doesn't apply to people like Mr. Ailes? Even in a case such as this.

[jsgaetano]

11:16 AM on 03/01/2011

Ailes will get away with lying to the Federal Government in the same way Clarence Thomas will be allowed to lie to the US government for 21 years about his wife's income (and how he enriched himself by making rulings which benefitted her income, of which he said she had none).

[tangerinesong]

10:46 AM on 03/01/2011

Fox News latest 10-k's, 10-q's and 8-k's filed with the SEC does not indicate a material event and this most certainly would be an adverse material event. If this alleged act happened we should be hearing and seeing some action today on CNBC even if there is merely a concern. However, if nothing comes of this issue then FOX NEWS numbers are striking as to the increase in advertising dollars projected and contracted for the balance of this year not to mention the advertisers that are in line to get slotted for their advertisements next year. I don’t see any downturn whatsoever in these schedules and by law FOXNEWS must mention any whiff of a potential or material adverse event. We will keep an eye out as to any fallout from this Ailes/Regan issue that will be identified as an adverse material event but nothing on the radar as yet.

[Hypocrisyissad]

10:16 AM on 03/01/2011

Ailes wanted to protect Kerik and Giuliani; surprised?

Kerik is doing time and I'm sure if there was ever an 'in-depth' investigation of Giuliani, he'd be sitting side by side with Kerik in his minimum security 'prison' . .

Giuliani was the rocket scientist who put the NYP Command Center in One World Trade Center AFTER the first bombing, against the advice of NYC Police officials; Giuliani is the guy who is making millions now as 'a security consultant'; investigating his client list should be interesting . .

[Jamal Spencer]

01:59 AM on 03/01/2011

If Murdoch were to fire Beck and/or Ailes,then he would be admitting that Fox News is out of control. Everyone knows that Fox News is the station for Republicans,Tea Party and for delusional people whose sole purpose to do anything and everything to get rid of Obama. Murdoch can't afford to fire them because he has no other alternatives to replace them,so he is stuck with them for the foreseeable future.

[jsgaetano]

11:18 AM on 03/01/2011

There's no way Murdoch will fire them.
 
I've said this before, but Fox will run Beck's show, even if it had to do it with zero sponsors.  It's like Limpbaul's show- they PAY stations to run his show.

[Thomas Hess]

11:27 PM on 02/28/2011

Ailes's professional accomplishments have been completely detrimental to the America he purports to love. He's like Limbaugh: essentially a fat bastard, a modern wannabe Henry VIII, willing to destroy everyone and everything around him to further his personal whims.

[sorrytobeakansan]

08:57 PM on 02/28/2011

Unless or until charges are brought, this is a non-starter.

[Thomas Hess]

11:28 PM on 02/28/2011

No, it's very much a starter.

[abbienormal]

12:35 AM on 03/01/2011

Agreed.

[FALCON72]

08:22 PM on 02/28/2011

This does not surprise me at all. I have worked with enough managers who have the same mindset as Ailes and so many other conservative, power mad dictators. They are truly capable of anything. They simply lack a conscience.

[Thomas Hess]

11:29 PM on 02/28/2011

Ah, the sociopathology of Hearst's yellow journalism resurrects in the person of Ailes...

"Rosebud! Rosebud!"

[Puller58]

08:15 PM on 02/28/2011

Nothing of substance will happen.  Murdoch didn't get where he is by letting things get in his way.

[StopCensoringMe]

07:48 PM on 02/28/2011

Dear Atty. Gen. Holder:

A quick review of Federal statute indicates the following-­-

TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE; Part One; Chapter 73
§ 1512. Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant

(b) Whoever knowingly uses intimidati­on, threatens, or corruptly persuades another person, or attempts to do so, or engages in misleading conduct toward another person, with intent to—

(1) influence, delay, or prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding­;
(2) cause or induce any person to—
(A) withhold testimony, or withhold a record, document, or other object, from an official proceeding­;

shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

I choose BOTH. Put this toad as far away from light as possible for the longest amount of time allowable.