Donald Trump’s Megaphone

Fox News news hosts knew that Trump’s lies were lies—and they amplified them anyhow.

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665

Screw it.

I’ve shown a good deal of restraint since news broke that I left Fox News.

I haven’t done any TV about it, and I’ve let a lot of nonsense go by without a response.

A major reason I chose to leave with more than a year left on my contract was that I felt conflicted about speaking freely. Fox understandably doesn’t like to pay people who criticize Fox or its talent, and there is something unseemly about it.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Rosalind Gnatt

    My grandma always voted Democrat, from FDR through to Clinton, because her Daddy voted Democrat. Then she died. Her Daddy was a bigwig in the North Florida KKK - even has the big letters on his tombstone. I don't think much of either party these days.

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    Roger Niello

    You say there are notable exceptions on Fox. I agree and one in particular has been Dana Perino. She has been a dependently conservative voice with reasoned criticisms of Democrats and acknowledgements when they might have a point. This year, however, on The Five she has become much more pointed and a bit knee-jerk.

    Also Greg Gutfeld who was very critical of Trump at Trump's outset has become totally in the tank for the former president. He has, in that way, become tiresome.

    I am a committed conservative who enjoys a give and take with liberals. I have enjoyed The Five because there has been some give and take with smart liberals like Jessica Tarlov, Harrold Ford and Richard Fowler. I would much more enjoy the program if they had two liberals and three conservatives.

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  3. Anthony Pasquini

    It is time for a Dispatch news channel. @Jonah, you have tv production experience. We need a genuine news channel. The Bret Baier island at Fox will soon be swallowed up. And then where do people go for good tv news? Over the years I continually try ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN and leave almost every primetime news show laughing or disgusted by the lies.
    As an aside, how does, one of my favorite people, @Sarah Isgur, explain going on This Week? Since Stephanapolus took over it has been nothing but a water-carrying farce for the Democratic party. I know, the right needs to get on where it can. But watching Sarah on This Week looks like watching one sane person in an insane asylum. I just don't know how effective it is.
    Start Dispatch TV (or better yet, Remnant TV) please!

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    Matthew Zobian

    Great essay. What were Trump supporters thinking was going to happen when they voted for that train wreck? He was a national debacle and impeachment waiting to happen.

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  5. James Ludwig

    An explanation worthy of you. Thank you

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    Ben Connelly

    Good for you, Jonah. You and Steve have demonstrated a great deal more integrity than the people who run many media organizations today (including Fox, of course).

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    SAB

    Interesting to hear your complete take on the subject, and your expression of guilt in feeling complicit that finally forced your hand. The media in general have always proclaimed very high ideals as a profession, and it is sad that so few now feel the need to make their work in journalism meet that level of professionalism. Alas it has crept into every form of media, and it scares me most that at the local level, where journalists are not exempt from wishing to express the popular opinion of moment instead of the facts of the moment. How do we take the example of The Dispatch and deploy it at the local level as well.

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    Richard Gale

    I appreciate your integrity and that of everyone at The Dispatch

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  9. Kurt Von Fuchs

    Neither Sean Hannity, Laura Ingram, Tucker Carlson, or Rachel Maddow are journalists. We know this because they've all said so in court. Everyone of these people has used a reasonable person standard terabyte lawsuits. The regional per person standard being that no reasonable person would believe any of the bullshit coming out of my mouth. The problem is that while all of these people have gotten out of lawsuits and are allowed to continue to blather whatever nonsense they want because they are not journalists from a legal standpoint that is never been explained to their audiences who really only want bread and circuses. If we can't go back to the fair standard act, which the regular ministration killed, and lead to the nonsense that is cable news we need courts to mandate bold highlighted disclaimers if the masses can't get it we need to explain it to them.

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    Doug Hart

    Lifelong Republican here. Finally I’ve found a regular dose of ideals that push against this maddening Trump façade. Limited government, a conservative budget, strong police presence – Goldwater basics. Thanks for bringing us back from the main distraction!

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    1. Boatbody

      ditto

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