We just experienced a seismic shift in the world of political media. For the last two decades, Fox News has stood at the vanguard of a conservative movement. At the forefront of this movement stood one man infamous for his unapologetic rhetoric that caters to the sentiments of conservative baby boomers and to the Republican agenda. That man was Bill O’Reilly. This past week, Papa Bear, the affectionate name coined for O’Reilly by Stephen Colbert, was dethroned from the conservative monolith after a compilation of sexual harassment allegations and an internal investigation convinced the Murdoch Brothers, James and Lachlan, along with their father decided to remove O’Reilly from the air.
In 2016, former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes faced the end of the same sword after Gretchen Carlson’s decision to speak up catalyzed a firestorm of allegations. With these two events occurring not too far from each other, there is a hope circulating that perhaps a culture change might transpire within the ranks of Fox News leadership. The notion depicts a future in which Rupert Murdoch gradually passes the reins over to his two sons who then endeavor upon moderating Fox News’ conservative messaging with commentary styles similar to those of a Chris Wallace or a Shepard Smith.
Unfortunately, this will not be the case. The deterioration of American media and, as a byproduct, public discourse will only be exacerbated as Fox News prepares to propel brash conservatives such as Jesse Watters, Tucker Carlson, and Eric Boling into the forefront of the evening schedule.
From the second O’Reilly debuted as the host of The O’Reilly Report in 1996, the quality of political commentary would be challenged by a reverence for spectacle over substance. As time progressed, O’Reilly’s brand of rabble-rousing gained ground, captivating the hearts of a older white audience that lived in a country that seemed to be neglecting them. With the nefarious tools of misinformation and unfettered dogmatism, O’Reilly accumulated an audience large enough to grant him the laurel of being the highest rated cable news show year after year.
With that audience came the political capital necessary to alter perceptions and create alternate realities. Such was the case throughout much of Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign and the entirety of his presidency. O’Reilly often portrayed former President Obama as a communist striving to flare up racial tensions with the purpose of changing the face of America.
O’Reilly’s affinity for smearing via ridiculing laughter and child-like name calling (liberal pinheads being one of his favorites) came in handy when aiming to portray liberal guests as nonsensical partisans. For those guests brave and shrewd enough to retaliate effectively, O’Reilly would respond with loud screaming followed by a call to end the interview or cut their microphone. In spite of these tantrums, his audience didn’t view cowardness, but rather they saw a “straight shooter” confronting the intellectual elite that neglect the needs of middle class Americans.
No matter how ludicrous and tone-deaf his comments were, with one of his latest gaffes being him comparing Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ hair to James Brown’s hair, loyalty from his audience only grew fiercer. Even after the sexual harassment allegations came to a boiling point this past week, ratings for The O’Reilly Factor increased significantly, signaling a loyal base that stands behind the person they perceive as their voice.
The King of Bullshit Mountain, as Jon Stewart called him, has fallen. But the crown is now being shared by three individuals that continue the Fox tradition of facilitating the decline of public discourse through the employment of spectacle. Meanwhile, O’Reilly will continue to opine on his podcast that premieres this Monday.
When we refine the focus to the state of American media and political conversation fueled by our media sources, we have nothing to celebrate. Fox News will continue to contribute to the manifestation of two different political worlds by portraying the news of the day with an obscene conservative twist. But let us not be blind and believe that Fox News is the sole culprit. Mainstream media sources, enticed by the monetary success experienced by hyper-partisan news networks, will also continue to mimic the Murdoch style of commentary. Let’s not forget that MSNBC materialized largely as a response to Fox News’ success.
It is naive to believe that the demise of one poisonous host will revitalized public discourse. Particularly when the rest of the industry suffers from the same malady. Nevertheless, if you were sincerely bothered by the nature of our past election and by the parasitic partisanship encumbering our Congress, then the demand for substantive political commentary must come from our rhetoric and our actions. Until then, brace yourself for the worse.
