Former Fox News editor claims viewers have been 'deceived' and 'coddled' over the years
Former Fox News politics editor Chris Stirewalt joined CNN Tonight on Wednesday and spoke about being let go from Fox in January 2021 following outrage from viewers after the network's Decision Desk called the state of Arizona for President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. While Stirewalt didn’t blame Fox for his termination, he did say that the network has not served its viewers well.
“I observed in these viewers and these folks, that they had been so deceived, and they had been so flattered, and they had been so coddled over the years,” Stirewalt said, “that when the ice cream dish was taken away, and me, Mr. Green Beans is put in front of them, and I said, ‘Well, too bad, Donald Trump is not going to get reelected,’ they were not ready for that.”
Stirewalt, who spent 10 years at Fox, said he believes journalists have an obligation to the people of the United States.
“As American journalists, we have an obligation to our country. … If we love our country, and we love our fellow countrymen and countrywomen,” Stirewalt said, “what we have to do is make sure that the work that we’re doing is in service of, and not destructive to, those ambitions.”
In January 2021, a Fox News spokesperson confirmed Stirewalt's layoff was a part of post-election restructuring, but would not comment specifically on Stirewalt's role, citing employee confidentiality.
Stirewalt has recently been outspoken about the narratives pushed by his former employer, and he believes it’s a disservice to those who have given their lives for this country.
“When we use fear, and when we use hate, and when we use anger, and when we use paranoia to keep ratings high and keep people attached,” Stirewalt said, “then we are not living up to — I mean, I think about this all the time. A million American men and women died to preserve, protect and defend this country and our Constitution.”
But Stirewalt claimed the network, along with others, are just giving viewers what they want.
“And then as news consumers, let’s not kid ourselves,” Stirewalt said, “this isn’t a supply side problem, this is a demand side, right?”
CNN Tonight airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on CNN.
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