George Will Joins Fox News

George Will has left ABC News after 32 years and joined Fox News as a contributor. Although Will's climate-change denying will help him fit right in, I've got my doubts as to how happy he'll be with a network whose Number One Job is advancing a political agenda (and pretending otherwise).

Media Matters writes about Will's hiring:

Will's repeated promotion of climate misinformation has led the late Los Angeles Times editorial writer Dan Turner to pronounce the columnist's misunderstanding of some elements of climate change "mystifying," and a Discover Magazine columnist to write that Will is "helping to muddle our collective scientific literacy."

This climate misinformation will likely find a welcome home at Fox News, which has frequently come under fire for sowing doubt about the veracity of climate change and focusing on purported "scandals" rather than the scientific consensus. One study found that Fox News viewers were "significantly more likely" to be misinformed about the scientific consensus on climate change due to such coverage, which often creates confusion under the guise of "balance." Similarly, a 2012 report from the Union of Concerned Scientists found that coverage of climate science by Fox News, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, has been "overwhelmingly misleading," despite Murdoch's 2007 pledge that his media outlets would treat manmade climate change as "a fact."

But I doubt Fox will only use Will as a climate pundit. Their own press release describes Will as a "political columnist and author" and say he will appear "across Fox News’ daytime and primetime programming."

While I do not often agree with Will's opinions, the fact is he is a thoughtful conservative, not an ideologue. For example, in January 2012, Will announced that Mitt Romney's big problem is his "Romneyness" and his failure to connect with Americans. More recently, he spoke out against Florida's Stand Your Ground law. This is not the kind of expression one sees on Fox from its conservative pundits.

On the other hand, Will was right there with Fox Newsies in predicting a Romney landslide last November. So maybe he'll fit right in after all.

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Showing 8 reactions

followed this page 2013-10-02 11:32:04 -0400

commented 2013-10-02 10:29:51 -0400 · Flag

While I disagree with him on several issues I’ve personally thought of Mr. Will as being an old fashioned journalist which now is mostly extinct today with opinions that are opposite of mine that I could listen to without feeling as if I just witnessed an act from raving maniac and just politely disagree with him while learning the opposing sides point of view.

During the Reagan years and watching him on This Week with David Brinkley when he would have his spars with Sam Donaldson he came across to me as someone on the far right. But in comparison to today’s standards of Fox, Rush and the other fire breathing talk radio loons, today he seems like a right of center moderate. I hope he’ll bring his form of sanity to the nut house.

commented 2013-10-02 09:09:27 -0400 · Flag

Jabba the Ailes would not have hired Will unless he was confident that Georgie would spew out the Fux Noise propaganda.

commented 2013-10-02 06:53:40 -0400 · Flag

I’ve never cared much for George Will, and over the past 10 years have found him to be even less relevant than usual.
However, although I’m not at all surprised at this move, I’m still a bit disappointed in him. I’m sure that after he tires of having to exude hatred in every statement, he’s going to be a bit disappointed in himself.

commented 2013-10-02 06:13:30 -0400 · Flag

Mr. Will has shown himself to be an independent thinker in spite of the prodding of George Stephanopoulos. Anyone who has followed Mr. Will’s writings would know that he is not a lock-step conservative and will be an asset to the “Fair and Balanced” approach of Fox News.

commented 2013-10-02 02:44:56 -0400 · Flag

Surprise, surprise. I thought he was already employed by them. He’s such a reich-wing shill in the first place. Maybe this means we won’t have to watch him on CNN or MSNBC any more?

commented 2013-10-02 02:27:36 -0400 · Flag

OK, what I meant was that I think Will values his independence and won’t like being part of a message machine. But maybe I’m wrong. We’ll see.

commented 2013-10-02 01:55:09 -0400 · Flag

Ellen, sorry but you proved just how well Will will (sorry about that bizarre bit of assonance—it wasn’t intended) fit in with FoxNoise.

“For example, in January 2012, Will announced that Mitt Romney’s big problem is his “Romneyness” and his failure to connect with Americans. . . .On the other hand, Will was right there with Fox Newsies in predicting a Romney landslide last November."

In just 10 months, Will went from “Romney’s got a problem” to “Romney will win.” I’m afraid I have to disagree with you on Will’s standing as an ideologue. The man can be an ideologue with the best of them when it suits his purposes. He’s really little different from Rand Paul in that.