Catching Flack » Fox “News”

Good Riddance, Lou Dobbs

jongreer — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:38:53 +0000

Buh-bye Lou: The bombastic and misguided Lou Dobbs has finally given up his perch on CNN and quit the network, more than a year before the end of his contract. For now, he will spew his anti-immigration, white-privileged perspective on his national radio show. I haven’t looked up the odds, but if I were a betting man, I’d say 5:1 he goes to Fox “News” after a respectful interregnum.

I’m not a big believer in the so-called objectivity of the mainstream media, but for years Dobbs has even crossed that line and used his show, ostensibly about business and finance news, to spout his wingnut opinions. Because CNN’s ratings suck so bad, the bigwigs there had little choice but to live with it, because Dobbs was one of their original and top personalities.

He crossed the point of no return when he insisted on keeping the Obama birth certificate story alive on his CNN show, even after the network itself fully debunked the story.

Good riddance to a flaccid corporate cheerleader and megaphone for racism.

Talkin' FBN

jongreer — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:24:20 +0000

Comcast hasn’t added Fox Business to my line-up yet, so I can’t really give you a first-hand take on the goings on. Needless to say, the global point for business news PR people is that a huge new mainstream media outlet just opened shop, which is very good news in the era of widespread newsroom cutbacks.

Some basic tips in this situation:

The paint is still drying at FBN, which means it’s a really good time to pitch them and get to know them. No matter how long they’ve been in the business, they are all anxious to get off to a good start at their new home and eager to make new friends for themselves and the network. But remember, people: smart pitches. Smart pitches. Not dumb pitches.
It’s crazy over there at FBN. Going from pre-launch to running a 24-hour always-on news operation is almost unimaginably hard. So if you want to be helpful and establish a good name for yourself, get to the point, get to it fast, and get out of the way.

I could spend a lot of time compiling the mountains of stories that have already been written about FBN, but lucky for me and you, I don’t have to. You can just head over to Talking Biz News and read up on FBN to your heart’s content.

Lots More on Fox Business Network

jongreer — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:59:40 +0000

Time to get serious about this major new media outlet, which launches Monday Oct. 15. Given Fox’s track record, I wouldn’t bet against the success of this new network. And if history is any guide, it will have a disruptive influence on business news coverage in the U.S. If I were CNBC, I’d be worried. Plenty worried.

Lots of coverage coming out, so here are some links to get started:

MarketWatch: To Win, Fox Business Network Must KO CNBC
MediaLife: Soft Launch for FBN
NY Daily News: Fox Hope to Show it Means Business
Fox Adds Forbes Editor to Staff

For a look at what FBN is saying about itself, go to www.foxbusiness.com.

Coming Next Week: Fox Business Network

jongreer — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 22:54:10 +0000

Even as Rupert Murdoch moves forward to close the deal to by Dow Jones, Fox is close to launching its much-anticipated Fox Business Network to compete for business news viewers with CNBC.

The Talking Biz News blog is doing a good job tracking this new entrant in business news. If you’re interested in pitching FBN, you should check in with this blog to see who’s signing on.

I was interested to see that Carly Fiorina has just signed on to be a commentator on the channel. Coincidentally, I heard her speak on Tuesday night in Oakland. She’s very, very impressive and articulate. And perhaps most importantly, she talked about business and life and rarely lapsed into business jargon. THAT’s how you communicate with a mass audience and rise to the top — not by talking in buzzwords and jargon.