Shepard Versus Sean

I�ve been away for a little while so before I go on I would like to make a statement and ask a question.

1.       I think I will be flying with Delta from now on.

2.      How�s the healthcare coming, Mitch?

Those were just two little things that have been on my mind all week. Anyways I�ve been gone for a little while. I did not publish an article at all last week for the first time in this blog�s short history. I�ve been posting once, twice, and sometimes three times a week since January and last week I was out of town for a mission trip. Usually I write an article when I�m out of town before I leave but I couldn�t do it this time for some reason. I had gotten back from a trip to New Orleans two days before going to this mission trip and I knew I had to write this blog; but I couldn�t think of anything. Eventually on the eve of my trip, I was sitting at my computer screen at 11 at night trying to put something together. I think I was writing about healthcare. I ended up deleting the 200 words that I had written into that article because I just didn�t think it was very good. I went to bed, woke up the next morning, and went on the trip. So, if you have been wondering why I have been away, there it is.

Tonight�s topic is one that I am ecstatic to write about. There�s currently a war unfolding at Fox News. The two people at the center of that war are anchors Shepard Smith and Sean Hannity. Smith has broken ranks recently at Fox by criticizing President Trump in a rant last Friday where he questioned Donald Trump Jr.�s meeting with the Russians last June.

�Why is it lie after lie after lie?� he said.

Chris Wallace, the other host on the show, befuddled by Smith�s comments, responded with, �I don�t know what to say.�

While it is not uncommon for Smith to be skeptical of the president and not conform to his fellow hosts, people responded to this rant with rage. If you went on Fox News�s Facebook page or Twitter feed on Friday or Saturday, the comment sections were filled with calls for the removal of Shepard Smith. There�s also a petition on Change.org with almost 5,000 signatures as of right now calling for his firing.

The heat intensified yesterday on Sean Hannity�s radio show when he called out Smith by saying, �He�s so anti-Trump,� and, �There are voices at Fox that drive me nuts.� The second statement was an obvious reference to Smith.

Smith responded to Hannity later that day by saying, �Sometimes the facts are displeasing. Journalists report them without fear of favor.�

This is not the first time that an anchor at Fox News has challenged the status quo. The first was Megyn Kelly who has been removed and now works at NBC. She also publicly took on Trump during the campaign which made her very unpopular to many Fox viewers.

This situation is not good for Fox at all. If they fire Smith they will be, in a way, making a statement that free speech is allowed at Fox, as long as you don�t challenge the President and do not upset the viewers. However, if they keep him, it will send a message that not even Fox News can wholly support the President and that it�s firewall of conservative views and constant praise for the President is faltering. Personally, I don�t think Smith will last very long. Ratings are very important to Fox since it is the most watched cable news network in the country, and they do not want to lose that title.

This situation does reveal a lot about the audience of Fox News, however. They want to hear what they want to hear and when something comes up that challenges that, they freak out and try to get rid of it. They�re like children. Fox is that reliable place where they can get their fix of conservative views no matter what. When that becomes less reliable, those people freak out and have a temper tantrum until they get what they want. They sound a lot like snowflakes. Isn�t that ironic?

That�s all for tonight, I�ll have something special on Friday night.