Irritable Proprietor Boots Obnoxious Employee: World Keeps Turning

Michael Hedges May 1, 2023 Follow on Twitter

Tales of mean and nasty bosses are common in the popular media. Over time there have been really mean ones. Nasty, too. They are impetuous, rude, crude and just plain dreadful. They micromanage. And, they fire people. Some collect bonuses for these behaviors, reinforcing the legends.

News Corporation / Fox Corporation chairperson Rupert Murdoch has exhibited none of these traits, at least not in public. Last week, though, he ordered Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson fired, by common telling, “with immediate effect.” Owing to his decades long position as publishing and broadcasting proprietor everything the Elder Mr. Murdoch does attracts considerable attention.

What set-off Mr. Murdoch was subject, through the week, to considerable speculation. There is little question that the last few weeks had been tough. The rather expensive settlement of the defamation lawsuit by election service provider Dominion Election Systems likely figured into the irritation, though big companies have liability insurance to cover such inconveniences. Mr. Murdoch’s various companies have faced these in the past. But, for a person who loves his money, having to pay US$787 million - or part of it - likely raised the angst. Dropping a lawsuit against a small Australian publishing house just added to the discomfort. Other lawsuits are on the horizon.

But firing Mr. Carlson last Monday (April 24) - with ten minutes notice, according to several reports - was special. He was the leading ratings magnet on Fox News, beloved by right-wing viewers for touting their beloved conspiracy theories, many outrageous even by American standards. Deposition transcripts for the Dominion trial revealed Mr. Carlson mocking the conspiracy theories and their fans as they came out of his mouth as well as disparaging other Fox News employees and executives. His dismissal, fairly clear, was also a message to other Fox News show hosts

The decision to fire Mr. Carlson, according to the LA Times (April 24), came directly from the Elder Mr. Murdoch, miffed about yet another lawsuit, this time from former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg and Mr. Carlson’s repeated assertions that a January 6th rioter was actually an FBI informant, which the agency strenuously denies. Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott was assigned the task of informing Mr. Carlson, which came just minutes before what would become his final show. Mr. Carlson had worked for Fox News since 2009 and became a prominent show host in 2016, replacing Bill O’Reilly, who was fired.

Media luminaries rounded viciously on the firing. “I’ve been a big money earner for radio companies for a long time now, but there’s one thing I never forget. My boss is super wealthy,” said infamous New York radio show host Howard Stern, quoted by The Hill (April 26). “If you work for Rupert Murdoch, you know that (he’s) got so many billions that as important as Tucker Carlson might be to the Fox Network, he will fire your ass if you’re a pain in the ass.” Stern also noted that Mr. Carlson forgot he was “a worker bee.”

By the end of the week, the story had almost run its course. Mr. Carlson issued one rather innocuous statement on social media (April 27), conspicuously avoiding any language that might interfere with the non-disclosure agreements in the current contract with Fox News. He has hired a big time lawyer. More or less expected job offers have arrived. Smaller but ever-so-right-wing cable channel Newsmax offered to have him “run the channel.” Russian propaganda channel Russia Today (RT) invited him to come on over. There will be others.

The inevitable coda arrived Saturday night (April 29) at the annual White House Correspondent’s Dinner, always the big go-to Washington event. "Scandals have been devouring careers this year,” said comedian Roy Wood Jr., hosting the proceedings, quoted by CNN (April 30). "We gotta get Tucker Carlson back on the air, mister president, because right now, there's millions of Americans who don't even know why they hate you,” referring to US President Joe Biden. Following Mr. Wood, as is the tradition, President Biden in campaign mode said “The job isn’t finished, I mean it is finished for Tucker Carlson,” quoted by Deadline (April 29). He went on to note that Fox News employees were in the audience because they “couldn’t say no to a free meal. I called Fox honest, fair and truthful, and I could be sued for defamation.”

Today marks a fresh new week.

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