Rieder: Fox should come clean about Ailes scandal
The numbers for July were in, and Rupert Murdoch was excited. And the acting Fox News chief wanted to share his enthusiasm with the troops.
"The July monthly numbers were issued today, and everyone's immensely hard work, tremendous effort and dedication over the past month can be seen in our performance," he wrote Tuesday in a memo to the staff. "Not only is Fox News Channel on track to have its highest rated year ever, but for the first time in our history, we led basic cable in both primetime and full day for three full months in a calendar year. July also marked 175 months as the number one cable network in both total day and primetime — an outstanding feat."
It's likely the troops could use some encouragement. Fox News, long the dominant force in cable news and a powerful player in Republican politics, is reeling in the wake of a sexual harassment lawsuit and other allegations that brought down its founder, CEO and all-powerful leader, Roger Ailes. Major questions loom about the behemoth's future.
Roger Ailes steps down as Fox News CEO
Meanwhile, things are looking up at cable news pioneer CNN, which not long ago seemed lost in the wilderness. CNN seems to have regained its mojo under the leadership of President Jeff Zucker. The Nielsen data for July also had plenty of good news for CNN: It topped its cable news rivals in the 25-to-54 age demo so coveted by advertisers, and it saw its audience jump by 208% over a year ago.
Of course, the wild, can't-avert-your-eyes 2016 presidential campaign has been a gift for all three cable news rivals, which have seen ratings soar.
How things play out at Fox will be fascinating to watch. Taking advantage of an opening in the marketplace for conservative viewers with its 1996 launch, it has been a rousing success at the box office if hardly a paragon of journalistic excellence — all under the iron-fisted control of Ailes.
Murdoch's sons Lachlan and James, increasingly powerful in the operations of the family's News Corp., long have had issues with Ailes and are no doubt eager for a reboot. But with its solid niche and profit-machine status, I'd be surprised to see a radical shift in the direction of its coverage any time soon.
It's also important to see if changes in the culture of the place are forthcoming. They need to be.
Ailes' stunningly rapid downfall was triggered by the lawsuit of former Fox host Gretchen Carlson, who alleged she had been sexually harassed by the longtime Fox potentate. But the suit and ensuing investigation by New York law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison commissioned by Fox parent 21st Century Fox have brought other allegations against Ailes to the fore. A number have been brought to the public's attention by Ailes biographer and New York magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman, who has dominated coverage of this story. (Ailes has denied the allegations.)
Gretchen Carlson files sexual harassment suit against Fox's Ailes
On July 9, Sherman reported that more than a dozen women had contacted Carlson's attorney with detailed accusations against Ailes. Six of them spoke to Sherman, two on the record.
Their allegations preceded Ailes' arrival at Fox. But 10 days later, Sherman reported that Fox star Megyn Kelly of Donald Trump feud fame had told investigators that Ailes had made "unwanted sexual advances" toward her. It's this bombshell that is widely believed to have sealed Ailes' fate.
Completing his scoop trifecta, Sherman wrote last Friday about former Fox booker Laurie Luhn. Unlike others who said they spurned Ailes' advances. Luhn said she hadn't, acceding to his demands and at one point rising to a $250,000-a-year job. Luhn, who spoke frankly about her struggles with mental illness, had ultimately left the company with a $3.15 million severance package complete with non-disclosure agreement. But in the wake of the Carlson lawsuit, Luhn was eager to tell her story anyway.
Luhn's account made clear that many at Fox were aware of her arrangement and protected status, raising questions about the company's culture, as do other allegations of harassment. Fox's locker room environment long has been the subject of conversation. A drastically new approach should be part of the future of Fox News.
Sherman toldWashington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan this week he is hopeful “that enough questions have been raised that if the Murdochs really want to change the culture, they will clean house.”
Rieder: The Roger Ailes endgame
So whither the Paul, Weiss investigation? Has it expanded beyond Ailes to focus on the Fox corporate culture and what needs to change?
Fox spokeswoman Irena Briganti forwarded my inquiry to 21st Century Fox, which declined to comment. It's my understanding the Paul Weiss investigation, which is continuing, is focused solely on Ailes. And no public announcement of its findings is anticipated.
That's unfortunate. Transparency in the face of scandal can be very healthy. That was the approach of The Washington Post after Janet Cooke's fabricated 8-year-old heroin addict, of The New York Times and USA TODAY in the wake of the plagiarism and fabrication scandals of Jayson Blair and Jack Kelley. All offered readers painfully detailed looks at what had gone so terribly wrong. That can help pave the way for real reform.
Failure to do would be a missed opportunity for Fox. And a truly bad idea.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Rem Rieder on Twitter @remrieder