Liberal journalists reacted with nastiness and glee Thursday to news of the death of former Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, using his death to make cheap jokes and hot takes to pick up likes and retweets from their left-wing colleagues and followers.
Ailes, a former Republican political consultant, established Fox News, along with News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch, in 1996. He revolutionized the media landscape as he guided Fox as CEO for 20 years, until his departure last year amid a number of sexual harassment allegations.
At the news of Ailes’ death, many outlets and commentators hailed Ailes’ monumental achievements, while also noting his controversies and flaws. Even Rev. Al Sharpton — who was in many ways the opposite of everything Ailes stood for — paid tribute to him and said, “his impact on US culture is undeniable.”
Meanwhile, Fox journalists and hosts paid tribute to the man who turned the once-tiny network into a media powerhouse.
But among some left-wing journalists, the story was very different. In a Twitter climate where all that matters is impressing other beltway journalists, and picking up likes and retweets through cheap jokes and hot takes, the atmosphere quickly became toxic.
Alexandra Petri, a writer for The Washington Post, jumped on the allegations of sexual harassment to mock both Ailes and those at Fox grieving his death.
Other writers focused on those allegations.
https://twitter.com/HeatherMallick/status/865188075709837312
Meanwhile, Business Insider’s Josh Barro accused Ailes of changing America’s culture for the worse and “making people dumber and angrier.”
Other blue check marks followed this line of attack, while some just enjoyed their moment.
https://twitter.com/MattSaccaro/status/865193783163588608
It seems that a journalism degree can give you a lot of things — but class may not be one of them.
Adam Shaw is a political reporter for Breitbart News. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY
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