Google Smith’s name and you will find a litany of stinging complaints and an assortment of sometimes vile, derogatory comments about him — mostly from Fox’s conservative viewers.
Among these negative postings are a few positive comments, presumably from the rare liberal viewers of Fox News. They gush over what they call Shepard’s extraordinary courage — standing up to his right-wing colleagues. These positive comments represent only a very small, minority view and one would think that Fox News management must surely be aware of the overwhelmingly negative opinions on Smith.
Detractors are bewildered that Smith is even on Fox News in the first place. Some compare Smith being on Fox News to Michael Savage being on CNN. This would never happen on CNN, so why is it happening on Fox?
Some speculate that Smith must have some real “dirt” on either or both Fox owner Rupert Murdock and late CEO Roger Ailes, for them to do something that is seemingly so irrational and detrimental to their own network. Other than blackmail, why else would they knowingly do something that infuriates their loyal audience to the point that many people change channels the moment Smith’s face pops up on the screen?
Conservative Fox fans will probably never give up hope that top management will, someday, see the light and dump Shepard Smith. Early in 2018, with Smith’s contract coming to an end, eternally hopeful conservatives dared dream of a conservative taking Smith’s slot. Their dreams were dashed when, in March of 2018, Murdock announced Smith had been signed to a new, multi-year contract.
Rubbing salt in the newly-opened wound, Murdock said, “Shepard Smith is an exemplary journalist whose skill in anchoring breaking news is unrivaled. His powerful storytelling on both television and digital platforms has elevated our entire news gathering process.” – READ MORE
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