Bernie's Time Machine: On Fox News Journalism vs. Activism

A spirited debate with Bill O'Reilly, and some thoughts on Roger Ailes.

Editor’s note: Today’s ride in Bernie’s Time Machine is free to all. It’s usually only available to paying subscribers (along with exclusive columns, audio commentaries, and other content). Enjoy!

We also wanted to mention that through the end of the month, we’re running a March Madness sale on annual subscriptions: 20% off! (that’s $40 for the entire year instead of $50). We hope you take advantage of it!

Now, onto today’s journey…

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“Sometimes Fox brings on the criticism itself.”

In September 2009, in a “Weekdays with Bernie” segment, Bill O’Reilly and I had the kind of give and take that is missing from most TV conversations today.

I argued that “pretend journalists” at Fox News were earning legitimate criticism by cheering on right-wing activism. Bill had a competing position.

It wasn’t the first time, as a Fox News contributor, I criticized others at the network (and it wouldn’t be the last). Some at Fox certainly didn’t like when I’d do it. But as I’ve written before, when I reached out to then Fox CEO Roger Ailes about the matter, he gave me his blessing to take his network to task when I felt it was warranted.

“I think liberals are the biggest offenders but conservatives need to be held accountable when they’re not doing the right thing,” he said in an email. “Don’t worry about me, I’m actually in favor of free speech.”

Amid controversy and scandal, Fox parted ways with Ailes in 2016. He died from a bad fall a year later. The man’s personal flaws and failings were undeniable. When it came to the type of speech that was tolerated on his network, he had a much more open approach, and a deeper interest in credibility, than Fox’s current CEO, Suzanne Scott.

Enter Bernie’s Time Machine, and fasten your seat-belt…