The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network into a Propaganda Machine (2012)

There's not much in general terms I didn't know about Fox's antics with Ailes at the head, but this book documents page after page of unethical and immoral practices that should be illegal in a civilised society, a civilised society being a world where reporting news and reporting truth are one and the same. The more I read of it the angrier I got - I don't know how this organisation continues to exist, but it does, and at the top.

I've given this book a 4/5 rating only because at points the writing wasn't as smooth as I thought it should be. There are times it stumbled slightly (only slightly), and the introduction and epilogue could have been better written. That said, it's a minor criticism, but absent that I thought the book was over the top worth the read, I finished it in less than a day, only stopping to sleep for a few hours and go to a meeting.

This book should be required reading for anyone who has any desire to vote - the alternative is a society in which a majority of voters have been lied to, misinformed and deceived, all in an effort to manipulate public opinions for the benefit of a very small minority of people in the country. Oh wait, that describes not only the US but many or most or all other "democracies" in the "free world."

Read this book, we'll all continue to suffer the consequences if you don't. ( )

Even when I was a Republican I thought Fox was kookie. I always viewed them as the National Enquirer (i.e. entertainment) for conservatives, something along the lines of shock jock Rush Limbaugh. Apparently, the original idea of Fox News came from conservative talk radio. The idea was to create a television program based on the same platform. This background, on how Fox News became a major “news” organization was intriguing.

The book then switches to how Fox spins information. Most news organization spins information to some extent, but I was surprised to learn how many obnoxious ideas Fox News created against Obama. I didn't realize Fox started the birth certificate debacle, socialist accusations (actually, Obama has ruled as a centrist despite what Obama says), Hitler name calling, fascist references, amongst other things. The book goes into bailouts and how Fox blamed Obama for all the bailouts. Reality check! Bush and congress enacted TARP and decided on the Bank bailout law BEFORE Obama was even elected. I remember that day vividly because I was spitting fire I was so mad. This didn’t exactly happen that long ago. Is this country that stupid – yes! Almost half of country actually believes this today.

When the book came to the subject of Obama care, my ears perked up. I am not a fan of this idea and think it could land the country in a coffin (time will tell). But my opinion is Obama sold out to the insurance companies. His Health Care Reform Bill has double my rates and "halfed" my coverage. How would you like to be mandated to take this coverage by law? So, I was curious how the book would cover the topic and was pleasantly surprised. They pointed out that ObamaCare strengthens private insurance companies, which is in lock-step with Republican politics. As usual, Fox spins this issue how Obama is out to destroy private insurance companies and America.

At this point I decided the book wasn't some liberal tirade against a nutty "news" station. True it does lean left, but it was more balanced than I expected. The sources in the book come from ex-employees (questionable), leaked company memos and Roger Ailes' own writings. The book wasn't as detailed as I’d wished, but it kept my attention without raising my blood pressure.

As far as Fox News goes, I don't think they are the problem; the problem is the American public. As a country, we have lost important critical thinking skills. If the public was better equipped to recognize bullshit, I doubt we would have people signing/faking succession petitions. Seriously? What were these people thinking?

I’m worried!



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Based on the research of the news watchdog organization Media Matters for America, David Brock and Ari Rabin-Havt show how Roger Ailes, its president, changed Fox News from a right-leaning news network into a partisan advocate for the Republican Party.

The Fox Effect follows the career of Ailes from his early work as a television producer and media consultant for Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. Consequently, when he was hired in 1996 as the president of Rupert Murdoch’s flagship conservative cable news network, Ailes had little journalism experience, but brought to the job the mindset of a political operative. As Brock and Rabin-Havt demonstrate through numerous examples, Ailes used his extraordinary power and influence to spread a partisan political agenda that is at odds with long-established, widely held standards of fairness and objectivity in news reporting.

Featuring transcripts of leaked audio and memos from Fox News reporters and executives, The Fox Effect is a damning indictment of how the network’s news coverage and commentators have biased reporting, drummed up marginal stories, and even consciously manipulated established facts in their efforts to attack the Obama administration. ( )