The news of the two dismissals on Monday had the effect of a thunderclap. If the notoriety of Don Lemon is not comparable to that of Tucker Carlson, the fact remains that the departure of the two men could constitute the beginning of a new era.
Carlson pushed the envelope too far
A few hours after the announcement of the departure of Carlson, we could already measure the impact of his departure on the value of the action of Fox News.
A drop of $5 compared to the price at the close of trading last Friday. The cost of separation is very high, around $690 million.
If light has not been shed on all the reasons for this sudden break, we can safely say that the links between the star and Rupert Murdoch were broken.
That Carlson’s lies cost a fortune is one thing, but that leaking the contents of his text messages exposed what he thinks of Fox News executives is another.
It is also alleged that Carlson’s name appears in two lawsuits filed by the former producer of his show. Abby Grossberg recently revealed that the host made her live a real hell, denouncing misogynistic practices and a discriminatory work environment.
Carlson’s departure is good news for news processing. Propagandist, conspirator, exploiting his popularity with the extreme right, this talented communicator shamelessly exploited a dangerous vein.
Many now imagine him as a candidate for the 2024 presidency, alone or in the company of Donald Trump. Otherwise, we guess that Newsmax and AON would welcome it with happiness, the two networks dreaming of chipping away at Fox News’ market share with a very conservative audience.
Don Lemon didn’t get the message
As long as we go back in time, we take the full measure of the dizzying fall of Don Lemon. At the start of the pandemic, he and Chris Cuomo were leading the way, sharing the best hours of the evening grid.
Cuomo got trapped due to more than questionable ethics, while Lemon never took the turn of the new direction.
Pointed out because of coverage deemed partisan and centered on opinion, the network turned in May 2022 to Chris Licht to make a major shift.
The latter carried out a major reorganization of the workforce. The new boss does not intend to laugh and he now wants more factual coverage of the news.
Too committed, polarizing, Lemon first lost his evening show before joining the morning show team. The transplant failed and Lemon tripped a few times.
I suddenly find myself hoping that the fate reserved for the two hosts marks the beginning of more profound changes in the American media. Opinion and provocation are profitable, but we will perhaps go less to extremes.