The so-called "Fox Effect"

Upon graduation from a radio and television program at Ohio University, Roger Ailes went on to work for The Mike Douglas Show. On the show's set in 1968, at the age 27, Ailes met then-presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon - a Republican.

According to The New York Times, Ailes told Nixon: "The camera doesn’t like you." In response, Nixon said that "It’s a shame a man has to use gimmicks like this to get elected." To this, Ailes offered a warning. "Television is not a gimmick," he said, "and if you think it is, you’ll lose again." Nixon's campaign team hired him within days.

Today, Ailes is the president of the remarkably successful Fox News Channel (FNC) and chairman of the Fox Television Stations Group. As of late, this network news broadcaster is known best for its unmistakable right-wing stance and "fair and balanced" slogan - which appears to exist solely for the purpose of infuriating Democrats.

Regardless of FNC's questionable antics, the network continues to draw the highest ratings of any American news network. This statistic begs the question: Is it possible for a cable news network to shape the politics of a nation?

For one, U.S. President Barack Obama seems to think so.

In October 2008, after his successful election win, Obama told The New York Times Magazine that the so-called “Fox effect” had robbed him of a couple of points at the polls.

Further, liberal pundit James Carville also noted that if Ailes were a Democrat, “there would be 67 Democratic senators right now.” Currently, there are 60.

So, what is this "Fox Effect"?

Well, this term speaks of the major impact the FNC's introduction into the American mediascape has had on the practice of domestic politics throughout the United States and news coverage by other industry competitors.

When directly questioned on the notion of a "Fox Effect", Ailes responded, even with all of the vast options for news sources in the American mediascape, "This little cable channel called Fox is somehow ruining your life?"

(Note: This post pertains to Segment 3 of 5. Segment 3 starts at 14:15).


Regardless of Ailes's opinion on the issue, according to The Telegraph, he remains on the 100 Most Influential Conservatives in America. In fact, on the 2010 list, he came in at an impressive seventh.

Interestingly, despite hefty criticism from the more liberal-leaning members of the American media, David Gergen, a senior political analyst for CNN, only had kind words for Ailes.

"Regardless of whether you like what he is doing," Gergen said, "Roger Ailes is one of the most creative talents of his generation. He has built a media empire that is capable of driving the conversation, and, at times, the political process."

While the work of citizen media is certainly up and coming, it is clear that the mainstream news networks continue to maintain a grip on public opinion. This is because even today it appears that their broadcasts continue to have success in swaying the masses one way or the other.

Undoubtedly, such a reality only reinforces the need for the voices of citizen journalists in the public sphere.

A win for citizen journalists everywhere

In 1948, George W. Polk, an American journalist and CBS correspondent, was slain while on assignment in Greece. At the time, Polk was covering the country’s tumultuous civil war. It was in Greece that Polk’s "status as a symbol of journalistic integrity" was solidified by his critical reporting on both of the warring parties – the right-leaning Greek government and the Communists.

In 1949, in commemoration of Polk’s death, Long Island University unveiled the George Polk Award for outstanding radio and television journalism. The Polk Award was intended to compliment the Pulitzer Prize – which honours outstanding print journalism in newspaper publications.

Since this time, the Polk prize has grown to represent one of the highest honours in American journalism. One does not have to look beyond the likes of past Polk prize winners - Christiane Amanpour, Walter Cronkite, and Carl Bernstein, to grasp the quality of journalism that this award honours.

This February, decades after Polk’s death, the 2009 award winners were announced. Interestingly, among the numerous honours, the George Polk Award for Videography was given to a work produced anonymously.

The feat sent shockwaves through the journalistic community. In fact, one critic wrote, ““Anonymous” wins a Polk Award? What’s going on here?”

The answer is citizen journalism.

Following the disputed re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009, dissenters took to the streets of Tehran. In the midst of one protest, 26-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan was shot dead. Reportedly, Agha-Soltan was targeted by a pro-government militant.

Thanks to the quick thinking of one bystander, the entire incident was captured on a cell phone. In the Polk prize-winning clip, Agha-Soltan lays dying on the street as fellow protestors rush to her aid.

(WARNING: The video does contain graphic content).


Neda Agha Soltan Shot in Iran
Uploaded by ART1988. - News videos from around the world.

In the peak of last summer’s digital activism movement, the video was uploaded to the Internet and went viral as it was shared across cyberspace. Soon after, this work of a citizen journalist was picked up by traditional mainstream media institutions across the world - who were barred from entering the country by the Iranian government.




The overwhelming international exposure granted Iran's pro-democratic Green Movement the attention of the world community. As well, the video succeeded in elevating the status of citizen journalists amongst skeptics.

However, there will always be critics. In this case, they are traditionalists who believe that the individuals who participate in this type of reporting are actually “bystanders — not journalists. Just good bystanders.”

However, upon recognition of the intensity and resonance of the video, John Darnton, the new Curator of the Polk Awards, defended his choice. Darnton said, “Isn’t that the definition of news? Something that gets people talking and thinking and reveals something?”

Interestingly, this debate comes at a time when the professional status of journalists is being called into question by advocates of citizen–generated media.

Despite the contention, this Polk Award is an undeniable win for citizen journalists everywhere. The prize, founded on the principle of journalistic integrity, brings credibility to the citizen media movement and grants it official recognition as a legitimate journalistic force.