NPR had a report today about how fair and balanced Fox News is — at least at 7pmET. Before long, the comments section was up in arms (“You need to retract this story,” wrote one angry commenter).
David Folkenflik profiles anchor Shepard Smith, or as Media Matters’ Eric Boehlert calls him, “The fairest anchor on FOX.”
“There are a lot of people on our channel who want you to think like they do,” says Smith. “We just want to give you some information to help you think. I don’t much care for ideologues within my newscast. There is plenty of it out there, you don’t need anymore.”
Smith says the FOX Report provides a place for the audience to “news snack.” “If I’m about to give you a bite of something you don’t like, it’s not going to last long and there will be more in a minute. We would like for you to stay,” he says.
Smith highlights the difference on FNC between news and opinion. “Who is better at toeing the Republican line than Sean Hannity? I can’t even think of anybody right off the top of my head,” says Smith. “Sean Hannity doesn’t host our news; he has never hosted our news. When we have news, I come on.”