When spin is more important than the facts

Fox News supremo Roger Ailes’s deeds as a serial sexual harasser eventually brought him undone but the bigger issue in the film concerns the mechanics of power.

Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson - the veteran presenter who took on Fox. Hilary Bronwyn Gayle

John McDonald

Jan 17, 2020 – 11.52am

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It’s commonly believed that hatred pays a higher “psychological dividend” than peace, love and understanding. This debatable insight, which assumes the bleakest view of human nature, seems to be borne out by the success of Fox News.

The formula pioneered by Murdoch svengali, Roger Ailes, was to turn the news into an adversarial contest with all the partisanship of the Super Bowl and the entertainment value of the Jerry Springer Show.