Out CNBC anchor and former Fox News host Shepard Smith has broken his long silence about his 2019 departure from the network.
In a new interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on January 19, Smith called out Fox News for the spread of misinformation, and for his fellow anchors editorializing too much during their broadcasts.
“Opine all you like, but if you’re going to opine, begin with the truth and opine from there,” Smith said. “When people begin with a false premise and lead people astray, that’s injurious to society and it’s the antithesis of what we should be doing: Those of us who are so honored and grateful to have a platform of public influence have to use it for the public good.”
Smith also revealed that he stayed at Fox News from its 1996 inception all the way until 2019 to act as a sort of counterbalance to the network’s right-wing leanings.
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“I thought it was important that I stay there,” he asserted. “If you feel like the Fox viewers were getting mis- or disinformation, I was there to make sure that they got it straight.”
“I stuck with it for as long as I could,” Smith also added. “At some point, I realized I’ve reached a point of diminishing returns, and I left.”
That breaking point came in 2019 when fellow Fox News host Tucker Carlson criticized Smith for defending his longtime friend Judge Andrew Napolitano. A guest on Carlson’s show had referred to Napolitano as a “fool,” and Carlson proceeded to make fun of Smith for his defense. Smith appealed to network executives to intervene on his behalf, but none of them would. Instead, Smith opted to resign over network pleas for him to stay.
Now, Smith has no problem speaking his long-suppressed criticism of the network.
“I don’t know how some people sleep at night,” Smith added, noting that the network continues to spread bias and false information. “I know that there are a lot of people who have propagated the lies and who have pushed them forward over and over again who are smart enough and educated enough to know better.”
Over the past 20 years, Fox News has become the most-watched cable news channel, and something of a joke within the news business for its concentration on tabloid stories, innuendo, deceptive tactics and flagrant political bias.
JromeGervais09
Fox news = Yellow Press.
cuteguy
Fox is only top rated in this country bc it has no competition for it targeted demographic. CNN has to compete with MSNBC and CNBC and basically all other mainstream media. Fox “News” is only beginning to receive competition from OAN and Newsmax but they have a ways to go to truly compete. Faux News is not #1 worldwide bc other countries won’t broadcast them bc Faux News doesn’t meet their standards for broadcast journalism so they’re banned, and rightly so.
Mack
You’re saying exactly what I’ve been saying for years. Only recently did Fox “news” get competition in the right wing fake news business.
Joshooeerr
Totally agree. Speaking from experience, you only need to work at any Murdoch venture for three months to get a complete view of the entrenched bias, the oppressive work culture and the fact that you cannot avoid being complicit. You either get out as fast as you can, or you’re agreeing to play the game. Shepherd played it at the highest level for 20 years; he doesn’t get to cloak himself in glory for making a stand after all that time.
woodroad34
You’re “cute” because you’re smart. That’s exactly correct. Just like the Republican Party is actually a minority that depends on the middle-right to swell their ranks,which obviously didn’t happen in the last 4 years…especially since Trump lost both times With this time Mitch’s senate also losing. This is the negative side of riding someone’s coattails
alterego1980
Also, if the left stopped hate-watching (aka factchecking) FoxNews, my guess is their rating would go down 20pct.
rray63
Let’s look at this without the emotion. Do we believe the Smith now, or the one that took Fox’s money for 20 years? He made himself a multi-millionaire on their platform and walked away because he disagreed. (Or so he says.) There is a word for this type of person, it’s called hypocrite. No, I’m no troll but I can look at something with clear eyes and wonder which is the real person.
Liquid Silver
Agreed. It’s the “I wrote a book and I’m a good person now” meme we see so often. They’re not, they’re simply cashing in on the bad stuff they did.
Shep was fine with this for decades, and NOW a problem? I don’t think so. It simply became more lucrative to leave than to stay.
It’s not that people can’t change, they can. However, there’s a ton of momentum seeing to it that people don’t change. I’ve lost a lot of weight, quit smoking, and made a lot of other changes, and those were all huge efforts to change my lifestyle.
Does Shep now donate time to the people he spent twenty years harming? Money? Hours of air time? No? Shocker. He didn’t really change that much.
CurtisIsTheOne
Actually, ARSEHOLES, upon quitting FOX NEWS, Shep Smith donated$500,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Said Smith: “Intimidation and vilification of the press is now a global phenomenon. We don’t have to look far for evidence of that,” Smith said at the group’s annual International Press Freedom Awards in New York, The New York Times reported. The nonprofit organization works to guard press freedoms around the world.
And YOU could have found this out by doing a simple GOOGLE search, but, instead, you chose to ignorantly vilify him. SHAME on you.
Liquid Silver
No, I was actually aware of that one, done in public, very visibly, the equivalent of the written book of “See? I’m good now.” Because I have a Google search, as you noted.
As he turns back to his $10 MILLION DOLLAR A YEAR salary. That five hundred K? A drop in the friggin’ bucket. It’s the equivalent of this household dropping $450 on the ASPCA one year. We do more than that every year.
I know an ahole when I smell one. Shep’s definitely one.
ttm9
Bravo Ray, I totally agree with you. Shepard Smith is the type gay man that gives us all a bad image. So full of himself with NO reason!!
woodroad34
Every network has its opposition commentators. I don’t think Smith is to be distrusted as he seems to have posed a strong opposition to the likes of F*ckerTUCKER. That brings in viewers. Sometimes what you’re asked to do gets the best of you and no matter how much money you make, it’s just not enough.
fur_hunter
When will people understand that Fox is NOT a legitimate news channel? It is registered as an entertainment channel like the Comedy Channel. They don’t have to follow the same rules and regulations as a legitimate news channel. That’s why they can LIE through their teeth and get away with it. It’s called…..Entertainment! Get it?
missvamp
but that’s the problem- people don’t get that. they think it’s really news. that’s partly why we are in the mess we are. people took it as news & believed them. they didn’t get that it was supposed to be satire & entertainment & that these fake correspondents are allowed to lie & mislead. if they were required to have a disclaimer on their page at all times, it would fix the problem. but no- they aren’t. they air 24/7 & look just like any other legit news station, like cnn or msnbc. that’s why the public has been mislead by them for 20 years. it shouldn’t be allowed- but it is.
rray63
Can an anchor talking with a field reporter call a “disturbance” a mostly peaceful protest while right behind the field reporter you see buildings on fire, people rioting, looting of stores, violence perpetrated against anyone other than the thugs doing the rioting, or is it an organization that is putting across a narrative? See – CNN
Andrew
If it is registered as an entertainment company rather than a news company then anyone can sue them for use of their image. Only new programs have the right to show people without a signed release form.
woodroad34
You’re correct; it’s commentary posing as “news”. John Stewart was honest enough to point that out about his show. Weakling Fox has yet to reach that kind of maturity.
ceej11
Thanks for that. I never knew. Makes perfect sense now.
happy50132003
Those comments coming Shepherd Smith is hilarious. Smith was forced off Fox because the audience hated his anti truth and editorial comments. Smith belongs on CNN or MSNBC with their editorial comments. No news or facts from those stations just the spread of HATE. Sad that people really believe all the LIES that are on CNN and MSNBC.
ttm9
Love you happy you really got it right.
Kangol2
@unhappy, your alternate reality is not reality. I hope you realize that one of these days soon.
Jimmer
As was mentioned earlier, FOX News is registered as an entertainment network. CNN, MSNBC, and the major networks are the truthful networks. They are held to a hire standard. I haven’t seen a single lawsuit from the Trump crowd. We all should know that if someone disparages him and it happens to be untrue, he would sue. The truth is that if Trump says it, it is either a exaggerated, a half-truth, or an out right lie. Stop watching those far right “news” channels for a month, then maybe you can come back to the real world and realize Trump is in his on delusional world.
Cam
Please point out what lies Smith supposedly told. FOX registers as an entertainment network as a defense against lying. So by all means, let’s see what truth’s Tucker or Sean Hannity were telling that Smith wansn’t
Waiting…….
By the way, have you given up on the other screenames Roy AJax? You’ve already switched to a new one? Those other two only lasted a few days!
ttm9
What the hell does Q want me to modify in my reply to Fur?
Liquid Silver
It’s always a mystery, isn’t it? Apparently it thinks you sent underground signals to ET or something.
Mister P
News networks should be held to telling the truth. Fox tells the base what they want to hear and not the truth.
CNN and MSNBC are much more honest.
Happy is way off.
Caddy4J
@MisterP. I have agreed with you many time and even responded. But really, the two networks you just mentioned are honest???? Where have you been for the last four years??? Every news outlet including Fox sucks up to their base. That’s where the Ad money comes from. Those two networks are the biggest lying hypocritical networks on Cable news. CNN’s Brian Stelter (the hall monitor) is the biggest liar of them all . Google the history of retractions. I used to be a Hard core CNN watcher, then switched to Fox. Now I’ve switched the all off.
Cam
Hi @Caddy4J
You were already exposed as one of the new screeames of right wing troll Roy Ajax,
So please don’t think that by coming in here to defend FOX you’re fooling anyone.
wolfman6
That’s why he left? Seriously? They were making fun of him behind his back for years.
Money was the reason he stayed. Gay or not, it rules everyone.
Now, Biden and Congress need to ban that damn channel forever.
rray63
Who will you ban next Wolfman? Perhaps the RNC? Disqualify all Republicans in our country from voting? Execute those that will not follow our rules. If you read back in history, controlling the message (propaganda), banning books, news, art, etc. There was one regime that did that, do you know what regime that was?
Caddy4J
I have to agree with many of you but this is not new. He tried this after his NDA expired with Fox. Shep is an old Diva and didn’t like all the new talent Fox was hiring. After 20 yrs. and multiple contract extensions with ridiculous compensation, he now thinks it’s toxic. All cable news outlets do the same thing, more than others. He’s decided to do this now because his ratings are in the tank and viewers are not tuning in to him like on Fox. I always say, don’t bite the hand that feeds you, one day it’ll bite you back. Unbelievable, after Fox made him insanely wealthy, he does this. And, his new network hyped his show and threw so much money promoting him, it backfired. Anything for ratings?????
Cam
What a shock, the new right wing troll screename is trying to defend FOX.
rray63
Cam, take a reading comprehension class, please.
My2CentsWorth
I don’t watch TV (less than 1 hr/year in 2020 because I did not go inside anyone’s home) but wonder what is the appeal of Fox News. It wonder if it is perhaps due to Fox News appeals to viewers. That is, maybe they engage in a more emotional approach not only with the wording of what they read but in body language and etc..
It would be interesting to learn of any studies of how listeners/watchers can be manipulated by how the presentation. Maybe study in which the news is presented in different ways (wording, body language, how the verbiage is delivered & etc.).
Cam
Probably because it is geared to anger people. Nothing is a normal decision. (New lightbulbs aren’t for saving energy, they’re a SCAM to get you to spend more money!) or (Front loading washers aren’t for saving water and improved cleaning, it’s because environmentalists hate you and want to force you to bend down and hurt your back when you move clothes!)
That combined with that whole mindset of telling their viewers that they are now in on the REAL information. they’re part of the club that REALLY knows what’s going on.
Kind of the same way people got sucked into the 911 conspiracies or anti-vaxx nonsense.
yaletownman
Fox News is for white trash people. It gives them the news that aligns with their belief system of victimhood and there is a boogeyman around every corner out to get them. These are the people that have spent generations reading periodicals like The National Enquirer and other weird sources.
I don’t why Smith would ever complain about them being anything but what they are. No one that lives in the intelligent universe has ever thought of them as a legitimate news source.
Unfortunately we just have a lot of the kind of people that do and always have.
dhmonarch89
Shep spread some false stories himself- his hands aren’t clean.
ffmikey
FOX News as well ass MSNBC and CNN are nothing more than the evolution from Joe Pine and Wally George. None of them present the news but instead offer their slanted view of the news that fits their individual and stations agenda. In these last four years all we have seen is Republicans and Trump are bad , Democrats can do no evil on MSNBC and CNN and the reverse on Fox News. This is followed up[ on by having the same guests all day repeating their bias views much like Joe Pine and Wally George. The only thing we don’t see usually are an audience and those who disagree thrown out.
Cam
So let’s see, one network encouraged insurrection and lies so much it has to file as an entertainment group and not a news group.
None of which is true for the other two, but you’re trying to say they’re the same.
Nice try.
Mister P
For truth and a variety of opinions read the newspaper.
steve1637
I read all the comments on here and I have to laugh and everyone in their corners defending the indefensible. Oh cable news and most mainstream news except for a few exceptions cowtown to their base and omit critical facts that their base doesn’t want to hear. I’ve tuned it all off and I picked very carefully information that gives honest reporting something very hard to find these days. CNN MSNBC Fox NBC ABC CBS are all owned by four corporations and they’re interest is in making money and the truth is second to that. They have their audiences and that pays the bills. If you think that is any other way then you are still not being honest with yourself and with the reality of the times we are living in. Both those who hate Trump and love Trump to death have given in The dishonesty in the media. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Particularly with Trump.