Page 49 a younger colleague: Accounts of Wolff’s interactions with Post reporters amid his marital travails drawn from Wolff, interview by author; and from Victoria Floethe, “How I Became the Femme Fatale of New York Gossip,” Spectator, April 1, 2009.
Page 49 another cartoon by Delonas: “Oh, Mr. Wolff, your books are so moral and ethical. I hope your wife appreciates them,” Sean Delonas, cartoon, New York Post, March 3, 2009.
Page 49–50 the Post published seven pieces . . . the Post’s articles stopped cold: Database searches by author.
Chapter 5
Page 51 Murdoch acquired six television stations: Daniel Rosenheim and Charles Storch, “Murdoch Group to Buy Metromedia,” Chicago Tribune, May 7, 1985.
Page 51 bought out Marvin Davis’s stake: Background on deals drawn from Mark Seal, “The Man Who Ate Hollywood,” Vanity Fair, November 2005.
Page 52 Steve Dunleavy: Description of Dunleavy and ensuing events inspired in part by Marc Fisher, “The King of Sleaze,” GQ, April 1990; Ken Chandler, interview by author; Freya Petersen, interview by author. Also, Shawcross, Murdoch, p. 54.
Page 52 “I hope it wasn’t his writing foot”; the gunman was not the Son of Sam: Jonathan Mahler, “What Rupert Wrought,” New York Magazine, May 21, 2005.
Page 52 “television was considered a foul little business”: Tom Shales, “Fox’s Ridiculous ‘Reporters,’” Washington Post, July 30, 1988.
Page 53 “We’re a network now”: Steve Wulf, “Outfoxed,” Sports Illustrated, December 27, 1993.
Page 53 Neil told me: Andrew Neil, interview by author.
Page 54 MSNBC launched at about the same time: Characterizations based on author’s interviews with MSNBC president Phil Griffin, former NBC News president Steve Capus, and former executives Rick Kaplan and Erik Sorenson, among others.
Page 54 “I’ll tell you what television didn’t do”: Ailes, interview in Esquire, December 2010, www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/roger-ailes-interview-5039254#ixzz2N9vteIqL.
Page 55 “Cable news punches above its weight”: Former Fox News vice president for news David Rhodes, interview by author, for “TV Network Expands Bloomberg News’ Horizon,” All Things Considered, December 8, 2010.
Page 56 On the first day: Some description of the Fox network’s debut drawn from John Carmody, “The TV Column,” Washington Post, October 7, 1996.
Page 56 One of the most important new faces of Fox: Material on Brit Hume derived from several author interviews with Hume; David Folkenflik, “The Voice of Reason,” Baltimore Sun, June 2, 2003; and Folkenflik, “Brit Hume to Step Down as Fox News Anchor,” All Things Considered, November 6, 2008.
Page 58 Time Warner’s refusal to welcome Fox: Harry Berkowitz, “Plug Is Pulled,” Newsday, October 12, 1996; Clifford J. Levy, “Lobbying at Murdoch Gala Ignited New York Cable Clash,” New York Times, October 13, 1996; Joel Siegel, Greg B. Smith, and Jere Hester, “Clobbered in Cable War,” New York Daily News, November 7, 1996.
Page 58 “Fox was the recipient of special advocacy”: Portions of Judge Denise Cote’s decision ran in the New York Times on November 7, 1996, under the headline: “Excerpts from Ruling.”
Page 59 Children of such prominent Democratic families: Chafets, Roger Ailes, pp. 147–152.
Chapter 6
The events described in this chapter are based on the author’s personal experiences and observations, extensive interviews over a period of years about disparate episodes, and interviews conducted purely for the purpose of this book. The chapter draws on interviews with five former Fox News public relations staffers, one current Fox News executive, one former Fox News executive, and two associates of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. In addition, it draws on a formal interview and an informal conversation I had with Ailes. All the events portrayed in this chapter that did not involve the author rely on accounts from at least two sources with contemporaneous knowledge of what occurred. Ailes declined to be interviewed for this book, through his chief publicity executive, Brian Lewis, who also declined to participate, citing Murdoch’s position on the book.
Page 61 On Election Day 2000: David Folkenflik, contemporaneous notes and recollections; conversations with former editors at Baltimore Sun.
Page 62 I called Fox in trying to sort out: The account of Geraldo Rivera’s “friendly fire” misadventures in Afghanistan is drawn from my reporting of the time and my contemporaneous notes. David Folkenflik, “War News from Rivera Seems off the Mark,” Baltimore Sun, December 6, 2001; Folkenflik, “Reports of War Draw Fire to Fox,” Baltimore Sun, December 15, 2001; Folkenflik, “Fox News Calls Rivera’s Report an Honest Mistake,” Baltimore Sun, December 27, 2001.
Page 63 Fox PR people had taken some protective steps: David Bauder, “Gun-toting Geraldo Rivera Sparks Debate on Role of Journalists in War,” Associated Press, December 11, 2001. (AP stories posted in the later “BC” cycle, such as this article and the next Bauder piece cited, typically run in the next morning’s newspapers.)
Page 64 “Pretty pathetic placement”: David Folkenflik, notes of Briganti voice mail message.
Page 64 a tepid statement to the Associated Press: David Bauder, “Fox: Rivera Made ‘Honest Mistake’ in Reporting Friendly Fire Incident,” Associated Press, December 26, 2001. Appearing on the O’Reilly Factor on January 3, 2002, Rivera briefly alluded to the episode without correcting it: “I made an honest mistake and a really weak-kneed, back-stabbing, sweaty-palmed reporter from a minor newspaper used it . . . as a platform to attack me.”
Page 64 landed me on Fox’s blacklist: Contemporaneous conversations with Fox News staffers and other media reporters who told me they had been informed of my status.
Page 64 “Irena’s doghouse”: Three former Fox News staffers independently volunteered that term. That said, the existence of Briganti’s list was fully encouraged by Lewis.
Page 65 Fox News adopted a pro-war tenor: Cavuto mockery and the Fox News ticker taunts against antiwar protesters contained in David Folkenflik, “Fox Defends Its ‘Patriotic’ Coverage,” Baltimore Sun, April 2, 2003.
Page 65 “a fresh coat of paint on an outhouse”: Matt Kempner, “Zahn on Ratings Roll,” Atlanta Journal Constitution, September 25, 2002.
Page 65 “I could have put a dead raccoon on the air”: Bill Carter, “Fox News Fires a Star Host over a CNN Bid,” New York Times, September 6, 2001.
Page 65 I noticed that Fox News had fallen into the habit: David Folkenflik, “The Fox News Wishing Well,” NPR.org, May 9, 2005, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4638852. Similarly, David Bauder, “Watch Your Back When Fox News Wishes Well,” Associated Press, July 23, 2006.
Page 66 Laurie Dhue, a Fox anchor who had complained: The events involving Dhue and the Radio and Television Correspondents’ dinner are based on the author’s interviews with Anne Schroeder Mullins, then a gossip reporter for the Washington Post, a staffer for Fox News, and, in one aspect, a third person present at the event.
Page 66 “Fox News babes were in high spirits”: Anne Schroeder, Names and Faces column, Washington Post, April 8, 2005.
Page 67 On the blogs, the fight was particularly fierce: Four former Fox News employees told me of these practices.
Page 68 suddenly blazing eyes: My memorable encounter with Roger Ailes at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art took place at the launch party for the Fox Business Network on October 24, 2007.
Page 70 Matthew Flamm . . . was sandbagged: The description of the Matthew Flamm episode is based on my interviews with three people aware of Flamm’s thinking at the time plus a former Fox News staffer with knowledge of the network’s response to his coverage.
Page 70 They want to copy the success that MSNBC has had: From Matthew Flamm, “Fox News Eyes O’Reilly for Election Night,” Crainsnyc.com, posted February 29, 2008. Source not identified in original item.
Page 71 TVNewser posted a punishing item: Chris Ariens, “Hume, Not O’Reilly, Will Anchor FNC’s Election Night,” TVNewser.com, posted February 29, 2
008.
Page 71 A second-tier site, Big Head DC: “Crain’s Reporter Has an Omelet Worth of Misinformation on His Face Today,” BigHeadDC.com, posted February 29, 2008. The site no longer exists, but the page can be retrieved at this web address: http://web.archive.org/web/20080302094947/ http://www.bigheaddc.com.
Page 71 What the hell had happened?: Author’s separate interviews with three people with contemporaneous knowledge of Flamm’s actions.
Page 71 To salt the wound: Compare distorted image of Flamm viewable on Big Head DC posting to image on earlier FishbowlNY.com item: www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/files/original/Photo_110305_009.jpg.
Page 72 Timothy Arango, then a media reporter: This episode is based on my interview with Tim Arango of the New York Times and a separate interview with a former Fox News staffer with contemporaneous knowledge.
Page 72 Arango’s story, headlined “Back in the Game”: Tim Arango, “CNN Back in the Game with U.S. Presidential Race,” New York Times, March 5, 2008.
Page 72 unbylined story on Jossip: “Did NYT Media Reporter Tim Arango Just Get out of Rehab?” Jossip, March 5, 2008. The website Jossip no longer exists, but the posting can be accessed at this URL: http://web.archive.org/web/20080710104234/ http://www.jossip.com/did-nyt-media-reporter-tim-arango-just-get-out-of-rehab-20080305.
Page 73 Bill Keller . . . emailed Arango a note: Tim Arango, interview by author; Bill Keller, email interview by author.
Page 73 another Times media reporter, Jacques Steinberg: Jacques Steinberg, “Fox News Finds Its Rivals Closing In,” New York Times, June 28, 2008.
Page 73 Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade . . . went after Steinberg: Simon Maloy, “Fox News Airs Altered Photos of NY Times Reporters,” Media Matters, July 2, 2008. The liberal media watchdog Media Matters carries an extensive online database of coverage it criticizes, especially on Fox: http://mediamatters.org/research/2008/07/02/fox-news-airs-altered-photos-of-ny-times-report/143921.
Page 73 New York Times media columnist David Carr accused Fox News: David Carr, “When Fox News Is the Story,” New York Times, July 7, 2008.
Page 73 Fox pulled back: One current and one former Fox News staffer, interviews by author, as well as interviews with executives at other media outlets.
Chapter 7
Page 75 unnamed Clinton operatives: “CNN Debunks False Report About Obama,” CNN, January 23, 2007. The CNN report was one of several by major news organizations to refute convincingly such claims.
Page 75 citing ties to William Ayres: Jim Rutenberg, “Obama’s Personal Ties Are Subject of Program on Fox News Channel,” New York Times, October 6, 2008.
Page 76 Obama denounced: Scott Shane, “Obama and ’60s Bomber: A Look into Crossed Paths,” New York Times, October 3, 2008.
Page 76 Murdoch brokered a meeting: This account is substantially drawn from Wolff, Man Who Owns the News, Kindle edition, location 5811–12; also Wolff, “Tuesdays with Rupert,” Vanity Fair, October 2008; supplemented by author’s interview with former News Corp executive.
Page 76 an interview with Fox’s top-rated figure: O’Reilly Factor, September 4, 2008.
Page 77 Hume told me he had lost his enthusiasm: Author’s interviews for this and subsequent Hume quotations.
Page 77 “a weak and piteous thing”: Andrew O’Hehir, “I Watched Fox News for Five Hours Last Night,” Salon.com, November 6, 2008.
Page 77 Fox News mapped out a strategy: Bill Shine, interview by author; David Folkenflik, “Fox News Thrives in Age of Obama,” All Things Considered, March 23, 2009.
Page 78 Sammon . . . “engaged in . . . mischievous speculation”: Bill Sammon, interview by author. The issue arose after a speech Sammon gave to a Hillsdale College alumni cruise was reported in a Media Matters posting: Eric Hananoki, “Cruise Ship Confession: Top Fox News Official Admits Lying On-Air About Obama,” Media Matters, March 29, 2011.
Page 79 Beck brooded about whether FEMA: For a classic example involving FEMA and conspiracy theories about concentration camps, see Beck, March 3, 2009.
Page 79 “much more like the Founding Fathers”: This and subsequent quotations by Glenn Beck obtained from interview by author.
Page 79 Shepard Smith, a maverick figure: This section is influenced by author’s interview with Smith; two former Fox News staffers; and two current Fox News executives. The section also draws on David Folkenflik, “Fox’s Shep Smith Keeps Opinions to Himself,” Morning Edition, October 21, 2008; and Sherry Ricchiardi, “The Anti-Anchor,” American Journalism Review, December 2009–January 2010.
Page 80 He liked to rattle O’Reilly: Former Fox News producer Joe Muto, interview by author.
Page 80 found a consistent formula: Author’s analysis of six months’ worth of “all-star panels” on Special Report, August 2010 through January 2011.
Page 81 “you should not be able to remove rats”: Glenn Beck on Beck, September 9, 2009.
Page 81 “Rats could attack us in the sewer”: James Rosen, Special Report with Bret Baier, September 9, 2009.
Page 81 relevant passage from Sunstein’s article: Cass R. Sunstein, “The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer,” University of Chicago Law & Economics, August 2002.
Page 82 “the biggest bunch of crybabies”: Chris Wallace, O’Reilly Factor, September 21, 2009.
Page 82 Feinberg announced that salaries: Robert Schmidt and Ian Katz, “Feinberg Wants All Companies to Adopt Pay-Cut Model,” Bloomberg News, October 22, 2009.
Page 82 White House and Treasury press officials conferred: These urgent exchanges were captured in emails obtained by the conservative legal watchdog Judicial Watch. Press release: “Documents Show Obama White House Attacked, Excluded Fox News Channel.” Documents are viewable here: www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/documents-show-obama-white-house-attacked-excluded-fox-news-channel; Chafets, Roger Ailes, p. 198, on Ailes calling other network Washington executives reminding them of First Amendment overtones, that Treasury could next shut out their news organizations.
Page 83 “We see Fox right now as the source”: Anita Dunn, interview by author; David Folkenflik, “Obama Administration Takes on Fox News,” All Things Considered, October 14, 2009.
Page 84 other news outlets had bathed the president: Michael Clemente, interview by author.
Page 84 One of the New Black Panthers brandished: David Folkenflik, “Conservative Media Stokes New Black Panther Story,” All Things Considered, July 20, 2010. Includes author’s interview with Mark Potok.
Page 85 Adams rekindled the story: J. Christian Adams, interview by NPR’s Michel Martin, Tell Me More, July 13, 2010.
Page 85 Fox’s Kelly . . . devoted forty-five segments: “Report: Fox News Has Hyped Phony New Black Panthers Scandal at Least 95 Times,” Media Matters, July 16, 2010.
Page 85 the late conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart: Andrew Breitbart, interview by author.
Page 85 Still, Linda Chavez: Ben Smith, “A Conservative Dismisses Right Wing Black Panther ‘Fantasies,’” Politico, July 17, 2010.
Page 86 Kelly told Powers more than once: Kirsten Powers on America Live with Megyn Kelly, July 13, 2010.
Page 86 On returning from maternity leave: Megyn Kelly with radio host Mike Gallagher, America Live, August 9, 2011.
Page 86 Kelly also stood up for the right of Chaz Bono: As reflected in a posting from liberal group Think Progress on September 14, 2011: “Megyn Kelly Debunks Gay-Bashing Psychiatrist’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Theories.”
Page 86 a billowing atomic mushroom cloud: Frank James, “Fox News Gives Obama Mushroom Cloud Treatment,” Two-Way blog, NPR.org, April 7, 2010; “Fox News: We Shouldn’t Have Linked Obama-Mushroom Cloud,” David Folkenflik, Two-Way blog, April 9, 2010; Jay Wallace, interview by author.
Page 87 Shirley Sherrod, an African American regional agriculture official: CNN wire staff, “Vilsack, White House Apologize to Former USDA Official,” July 21, 2010.
Page 87 the policy was observed for little more than a week: Fox Ne
ws producer Joe Muto, interview by author.
Page 87 the Pew Research Center released a poll: “Growing Number of Americans Say Obama Is a Muslim,” Pew Research Center, August 18, 2010, www.pewforum.org/Politics-and-Elections/Growing-Number-of-Americans-Say-Obama-is-a-Muslim.aspx; “CNN Investigation: Obama Born in This Country,” CNN, April 25, 2010.
Chapter 8
The characterization of the recent political past in Australia in this chapter is based in significant part on interviews with a dozen Australians who are thoughtful observers of the scene, including journalists, lawyers, and corporate figures. I have also drawn on articles in the Australian, the Monthly, the ABC (Australia), Crickey.com.au, the Melbourne Herald Sun, the Conversation, the Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age. This chapter was initially inspired by the reporting I did in late 2011 and early 2012 for my NPR story “How Murdoch’s Aussie Papers Cover Climate Change,” All Things Considered, April 6, 2012. The Australian academic and journalist David McKnight also devoted a chapter to related topics in his 2012 book, Rupert Murdoch: An Investigation of Power.
Page 89 Clive Hamilton . . . identified twelve figures: The following Hamilton quotations were taken from “The Dirty Politics of Climate Change,” a speech he delivered on February 20, 2006, on behalf of the Climate Change and Business Conference, www.tai.org.au/documents/downloads/WP84.pdf.
Page 90 the Liberal Party of Prime Minister John Howard: Angus Grigg, “The Player,” Australian Financial Review Magazine, September 29, 2006.
Page 90 only . . . Indonesia . . . exports more coal: World Coal Association, www.worldcoal.org/resources/coal-statistics.
Page 91 One episode stood out: “A Climate of Confusion,” Australian, January 16, 2006.
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