In an interview with TV Guide, Fox News Channel’s Shepard Smith discussed changes being planned for his show:
We have to do more news. We’ve already given up the “coming up” teasing that we were known for in the early days. We’ve taken all of that time and put it into content. We did that because viewers said that’s what they wanted. Viewers have said, “Stop telling me for 45 seconds what you’re going to do in the next four minutes.” So we have. We’re not going to do more crap. We’re not going to do more titillating [stories], Hollywood-movie reviews and jokes. We’re going to do less of that. There are other places that do that better than we do. I don’t make any apologies for the way we’ve done it in the past. There was an atmosphere where it was acceptable because people didn’t have so much of it. We need to do news.
lol, wut?
August 9th, 2007 at 10:43 amAll of the “news” from Fox is crap.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:44 amEasier said than done, methinks.
And besides, “actions speak louder than words.”
There are people who will be watching to make sure you keep your word; please understand this in advance.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:44 amIf he wants to stop doing crap news, he should get off Fox…
…or to be fair and balanced, get off cable news entirely. It’s 99% crap.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:44 amFirst thing they need is real journalists.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:44 amLooks like they’re listening to the viewership. So if we “loyal viewers” all start writing in asking them to start covering the Iraq war and torture memos and abuses of executive power, do you think they’ll do it?
August 9th, 2007 at 10:46 amOver to you, MSParisHiltonBC.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:46 amWe’ll believe it when we see it.
FOX will be labled a joke and a right-wing propaganda machine until it proves itself to not be one.
Maybe that dem boycott of it’s debate had a little impact?
August 9th, 2007 at 10:48 amAnd all of this will be believable when Faux Noise discovers what is news and what is political grandstanding for the Republic Party.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:49 amI guess they must be planning to shut FOX down, finally. Nothing like an antiAmerican “news” network to catapult the propaganda!
August 9th, 2007 at 10:50 am…..and maybe that little dust-up with Home Depot opened some eyes….
August 9th, 2007 at 10:50 amFox is for ignorant, ill-informed low brows.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:51 amSo he is going to do news now instead of propaganda?
August 9th, 2007 at 10:51 amI knew Jim Lehrer. Mr. Smith, you’re no Jim Lehrer.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:53 amThe Global War on Crap!
Stop huffing Bush’s jockstrap Shep.
-GSD
August 9th, 2007 at 10:54 amOk. But where’s the part about the lies and misinformation? Not doing celeb stories is fine but the lying is the part they need to work on.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:54 amAh, so they’re gearing up to be the Attack Dog against the new Clinton Presidency? Good luck with that – We’ll be waiting for you, Ruppy.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:56 amI clearly remember Mr Smiths’ reporting from New Orleans. Brilliant, compassioned, honest!
August 9th, 2007 at 10:56 amSo, he has it in him. Now- let us see him stop the talk and walk the walk!
He just specified the hollywood crap. Not their own homemade crap. I give it six weeks and he’ll be jumping on the latest Lohan gossip.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:57 amWhere are they planning to put it?? Oh, I forgot – they just bought the WALL STREET JOURNAL!!
HAAA!! HAAA!!! HAA!!!!
August 9th, 2007 at 10:58 amAre their ratings down? What would inspire such a change? There must be a reason for it. Something to do with the WSJ purchase? Something financial and the need to be considered more than a propaganda machine for the GOP and the Bush administration?
August 9th, 2007 at 10:58 amwhy do they always misspell this person’s name? I know that the noixe channel has an illiterate that does their character generation, but after all this time, don’t you think they could put the m in his name?
August 9th, 2007 at 11:00 amShemp. he was the idiot in the Three Stooges.
Shep’s always kinda struck me as about the only guy on Fox who could make a respectable journailst if he wasn’t on Fox.
That said…I don’t believe it for a second.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:00 amIf Fox Noise stops broadcasting ‘crap news’ we’re gonna be treated to anchors staring mutely into the camera 24/7. Who’s gonna watch that?
August 9th, 2007 at 11:02 amSo does that mean he’s moving to a real network?
August 9th, 2007 at 11:05 amI don’t have cable, so I never get to see these guys, but I know people who watch Fox and are alarmingly, not only misinformed and fear driven, but totally propagandized. I think Fox is their only source of information.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:07 am#18, billjpa,
Shep’s rants over the devastation wrought by failed levees during hurricane Katrina may have been passionate, but it wasn’t honest.
Ray Nagin and Kathleen Blanco were fixtures of the Democratic machine that ran New Orleans and Louisiana for years, yet no blame was put on them for the lack of preparation and execution during that storm. Michael Brown had no problems with Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, but Louisiana is some sort of special case?
Please, the national guard had to go in a suppress the gangs that were shooting at fireman and police as they tried to give assistance and stop looting. Kathleen Blanco was right to simply evacuate New Orleans, given the state of anarchy existing at the time.
Of course, Shep didn’t say anything about all that.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:11 amHendler puts on his white sheet and breaks out the racist blather.
Nice work.
-GSD
August 9th, 2007 at 11:13 amit’s gonna last a couple of weeks, just like when rush said he’s not gonna carry the water for the republicans anymore.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:15 amThis reminds me of when Tracy Lords decided to go legit.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:23 amfor a second there i thought they were announcing the shut down of FOX news (no more crap) – then i realized they were lying (speaking)
August 9th, 2007 at 11:24 amHe plans on getting fired from Fox?
August 9th, 2007 at 11:26 amWe’re not going to do more crap. We’re not going to do more titillating [stories], Hollywood-movie reviews and jokes. We’re going to do less of that.
not more…less? Why not NONE? What’s with the necessity to report ANY crap?
August 9th, 2007 at 11:28 amThe Global War on Crap!
Stop huffing Bush’s jockstrap Shep.
-GSD
I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about. GDumbya doesn’t wear a jock strap.
First, the dickless wonder doesn’t need one.
Second, he figures that “going commando” qualifies him to be Commander-in-Chief.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:30 amJMH is trying to become Grand Dragon of his local chapter…
August 9th, 2007 at 11:30 amnot more…less? Why not NONE? What’s with the necessity to report ANY crap?
Comment by SGT Higgins — August 9, 2007 @ 11:28 am
Sadly, I am afraid a bunch of mush-heads like crap. That’s one of the reasons I like Evergreen op out of cable.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:31 amA nice sentiment, but it won’t last.
Anyone notice that – ideological bias aside, Fox is pretty much just sleazy local news writ large?
August 9th, 2007 at 11:31 amLimbaugh carries more water than Poland Springs.
-GSD
August 9th, 2007 at 11:36 amNext thing you know, they’ll forego commercials in order to lay a constant stream of propaganda.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:39 amSo he just spent 45 seconds telling us that coming up, he’s not going to spend 45 seconds telling us what is coming up.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:40 amSo he just spent 45 seconds telling us that coming up, he’s not going to spend 45 seconds telling us what is coming up.
Yup. And then he tossed it off to some bimbo reporting on a car chase in Los Angeles.
LOL
August 9th, 2007 at 11:46 amReal crap journalist like Olberman…
August 9th, 2007 at 11:48 amWe need to do news.
yeah, well good luck with that.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:49 amYup. And then he tossed it off to some bimbo reporting on a car chase in Los Angeles.
LOL
Comment by Tom
What??? Are they covering it live???
p.s. what’s the bimbo wearing?
August 9th, 2007 at 11:50 amCRAP News, Fair and Balanced.
LOL
August 9th, 2007 at 11:51 amSarge, the bimbo was last seen wearing her cleavage.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:55 amIt would be interesting to know how many copies of his resume he has sent out. If he REALLY intends to stop putting out crap news, Fox has probably informed him that his services are no longer needed!
August 9th, 2007 at 11:56 amMaybe Shepard will become a convert. You know like renouncing Satan and then being baptised as a real journalist. Then he can start his seven step recovery program from FoxNews. “Hello, my name is Shepard Smith and I am a recovering FoxNews commentator”. “Hello Shepard”.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:00 pmComment by RUCerious — August 9, 2007 @ 11:55 am
*tuning in*
Hey! You were only kidding?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:01 pmCan’t believe you’d use such a potentially important bit of news and commentary to make a joke of. I’m really disappointed.
We need to do news.
Too bad the people at Fox do not know how to “do” news.
Propaganda, yes. News? Not a clue.
Or it may be that they think they unqualified devotion to their Glorious (mis)Leader is actual patriotism and “news”.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:02 pmI noticed what he didn’t say… “from now on we are only going to tell the real truth about issues and what people say, rather than what Roger Ailes tells us to say. We will no longer be making efforts to destroy people and their reputations who disagree with our opinions which from now on will be clearly labeled as ‘opinions.’
August 9th, 2007 at 12:03 pmFOx News is still bull crap, no mater how you spin it.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:08 pmSo does that mean that Fox News is getting rid of Fox News?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:14 pm“All of the “news†from Fox is crap.
Comment by Publicus — August 9, 2007″
Give us an example?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pm“get off cable news entirely. It’s 99% crap.
Comment by Master Shake — August 9, 2007″
Give us an example?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:25 pm“I guess they must be planning to shut FOX down, finally. Nothing like an antiAmerican “news†network to catapult the propaganda!
Comment by ronjazz — August 9, 2007″
Shut down the leading cable news network? I don’t think so.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:26 pm“…..and maybe that little dust-up with Home Depot opened some eyes….
Comment by loretta — August 9, 2007″
Is that why Bill O’Reilly is STILL # 1?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:27 pmFOX news has always been ahead of the rest!
Of course they aren’t going to report crap, like the stuff KO does!!!
August 9th, 2007 at 12:28 pm“Fox is for ignorant, ill-informed low brows.
Comment by snappy — August 9, 2007″
Tell us why you feel that way? This should be good?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:29 pm“So he is going to do news now instead of propaganda?
Comment by ckerst — August 9, 2007″
How about giving us an example of his propaganda?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:30 pmNo more crap news from Shep Smith?
Good luck with that Smith!, if the network actually did reporting of news it would no longer be Fox.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:31 pmPropaganda! Nothing is said to the “other” press without Roger Ailes okaying it fist! Or, perhaps Shepherd is embarrassed to be working for FAUX NEWS because he knows it’s all complete bs.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:32 pm“perhaps Shepherd is embarrassed to be working for FAUX NEWS because he knows it’s all complete bs.
Comment by dharma — August 9, 2007″
I keep asking you dopes on the left for examples of your rhetoric. How come nobody has been able to answer me?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:38 pmNow what this REALLY means is this. They realize they have lost control, and the truth train is on the tracks, and they are in the spotlight.
So in a desparate effort to regain control of the message, they will spin profoundly more significant lies, cloth them as serious news instead of tabloid trash, and try to continue their total subversion of the American people and the truth.
It is all they have last.
Straw. Hand. Clutch.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:48 pm“they will spin profoundly more significant lies
Comment by HeartlandLiberal — August 9, 2007″
Examples please?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:54 pmDoes this mean Shep is going to try and make REpublican propaganda sound more like real news, or is he going to attempt being a legitimately respectable news show and risk getting fired five days later for not towing the Republican line?
August 9th, 2007 at 12:59 pmWhat does that mean?
August 9th, 2007 at 1:00 pmHe has new script writers?
” risk getting fired five days later for not towing the Republican line?
Comment by Rosencrantz — August 9, 2007″
And just what is the Republican line?
August 9th, 2007 at 1:02 pmGood for them, but then what will they report on?
August 9th, 2007 at 1:23 pm“Good for them, but then what will they report on?
Comment by Spence — August 9, 2007″
Liberal Rhetoric?
August 9th, 2007 at 1:28 pmmichael, you are the living enbodiment of the adage that ‘there is none so blind, as he who refuses to see.’ If you were to put truth next to Faux snooze you would clearly see that it is an ‘on air’ journal of opinion that is starved for facts which are the truth and which one cannot manufacture to suit your situation. Of course the other possibilty where you are concerned is that ‘you wouldn’t know the truth if it bit you in the butt. Either way you lose troll.
August 9th, 2007 at 1:43 pm“If you were to put truth next to Faux snooze you would clearly see that it is an ‘on air’ journal of opinion that is starved for facts
Comment by John the Elder — August 9, 2007″
In order to be taken seriously, you might provide an example or two?
August 9th, 2007 at 2:01 pmShepard was once a real journalist (before FoxNews and A Current Affair or whatever tabloid show he worked for.) He has real credentials and he used to practice actual journalism. Shepard knows better, as his Katrina reporting attests, and I’m hoping his conscience is finally going to overtake the cash that Rupert Murdoch’s been lining his pockets with these many years. But I’m not going to bet the farm on it. I imagine it’s hard to turn back after going so far down the road he’s on.
August 9th, 2007 at 2:01 pm“I imagine it’s hard to turn back after going so far down the road he’s on.
Comment by Perry — August 9, 2007″
What road is he on?
August 9th, 2007 at 2:03 pmThe “I’ve drunk the Kool-Aid and taken the money and can’t turn back now” road, I guess.
August 9th, 2007 at 2:05 pmWhat? He’s going to stop doing stories about the occupation of Iraq, and the systematic dismantling of freedom?
This is new?
August 9th, 2007 at 3:33 pmThen he should just tape his mouth shut!
August 9th, 2007 at 3:36 pmHe’ll read what the producers give him, and they feed him and the rest a raft of crap.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:32 pmSmith can start by telling his viewers the truth about the Iraq war. He can tell his viewers that the surge has failed. He can start by not repeating GOP talking points. He can try to report news as facts and not innuendo and opinions presented as facts.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:58 pmdoesnt that mean that fox news will have to shut down???
August 10th, 2007 at 10:21 amFox isn’t going to give us _more_ crap, just the _same level_ of crap.
Thanks for the clarification, Fox.
August 10th, 2007 at 5:27 pm