According to New York Daily News’ Gatecrasher (Frank Digiacomo), Fox “News” chief honcho Roger Ailes is showing concern over an upcoming Random House book about Ailes and the Fox "News" Channel currently being scribbled by New York Magazine scribe Gabriel Sherman. Perhaps sensing the book won’t be complimentary—because Sherman has already shown a penchant for reporting truthfully on the network, News Corp. and, by extension, the Murdochs—it appears that Ailes is trying to help conservative writer Zev Chafets get his Ailes/FNC book out first by giving him inside access. Who is Chafets? NYDN says:
In 2010, Chafets published “Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One,” a sympathetic portrayal of the controversial radio talk-show host. That same year, he wrote in the New York Times that Limbaugh was the “brains and spirit” behind the resurgence of the Republican party in the wake of President Obama ’s election.
Given the author’s perspective and the cooperation he’s getting, one source characterized Chafets’ book “as a way for Ailes to scoop Sherman.”
Another source says: “I don’t know if Ailes went to Chafets or vice versa, but either way, Roger is now helping him.” The source added that Ailes “may even be urging Fox News executives to participate.”
No doubt Chafets began his book before Limbaugh’s public meltdown, but Ailes might want to rethink the authorship…or not, since his network worked fairly hard to whitewash Rush’s 3-day slut-shaming of Sandra Fluke. Meanwhile, Sherman reported late last year that Ailes was working on an autobiography, co-authored by Fox News contributor Jim Pinkerton. However, also according to Sherman:
"Nothing is official yet," Pinkerton told me by phone. A Fox News spokesperson added that Ailes's book is "all speculation at this point."
Whether this Ailes/Pinkerton (whitewashing?) tome has morphed into the Chafets book is unclear. That book was apparently to be published by News Corps’ own HarperCollins, for which Ailes could pocket a $3-$4 million advance.
What might have Ailes spooked about the tentively titled “The Loudest Voice in the Room: An Inside Account of the Rise of Fox News,” is that Sherman has already conducted interviews with hundreds of sources. Penguin’s Sentinel imprint is reportedly rush releasing the Chafets book for this fall to get ahead of the Sherman book. No publishing date is scheduled for the Ailes/Pinkerton tome.
NOTE TO AILES
Will that incident in the late 1990s involving your favorite Fox “News” mouthpiece been in the book? Probably not.