Chris Wallace announced he was leaving Fox News to join CNN. Rival networks slammed either Wallace or Fox News, depending on their bias.
Summary
Veteran journalist Chris Wallace announced on Sunday he will be leaving Fox News after 18 years with the cable network.
- Wallace will be leaving Fox News to serve as an anchor for CNN’s yet-to-be-introduced streaming service CNN+.
- In his sign-off with Fox News, Wallace said the network’s executives kept their promise that “they would never interfere” with any part of his show or influence his coverage.
- Wallace had allegedly become frustrated behind the scenes with his opinion-side colleagues at Fox News over the “tenor” of “strident opinion programming”, particularly a Tucker Carlson documentary about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
- Both Fox News and CNN released statements praising Wallace, with Fox News saying the legacy of Fox News Sunday, Wallace’s weekly show, will be helmed by a rotation of journalists until a replacement is found.
- The New York Times offered that Wallace’s departure leaves Fox in the hands of “right-wing commentary that denounces President Biden” yet still has a handful of “respected journalists.”
- In writing about Wallace leaving Fox, Slate mentioned the recent resignations of two Fox News contributors who were dissatisfied with Fox’s coverage of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol in an obvious attempt to connect the two departures.
- CNN’s reporting focused on their new colleague’s “reputation of integrity” and that he was “well-respected in journalistic circles” often at odds with his Fox audience.
- The New York Post’s reporting focused almost exclusively on Wallace’s farewell remarks at the end of his final broadcast of Fox News Sunday.
- Rival network Newsmax aimed their guns at Wallace, citing a bevy of criticism from former President Trump and Trump advisors, including former Newsmax host Steve Cortes.
- Right-wing blog RedState provided the greatest context of Wallace’s moves, framing the news within the restructuring of CNN and its parent company Discovery in an attempt to shift the cable network’s viewership to a streaming platform.
Author’s Take
Newsmax’s cheap shots at Wallace are unnecessary and unbecoming. As is CNN’s criticism of Fox News’ stable of journalists. Though Fox shouldn’t be worried, as CNN is far behind in ratings.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
