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New York Times Editor Hates Fox News ... and Its Audience

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Ray Gustini 1,552 Views Mar 4, 2011

New York Times executive editor Bill Keller has criticized the content  of Fox News over the years for its "unhealthy" tone and the people who crafted its slogan as  "ingeniously cynical." Overall, he finds its presence "more corrosive than cohesive." But he's usually laid off the people who watch the top-rated cable news network. Not anymore.

Last night at a Q&A session with City College of New York journalism students, Keller was asked for his thoughts on Fox News. According to The Cutline's Joe Pompeo, he responded: "I think if you're a regular viewer of Fox News, you're among the most cynical people on planet Earth," adding a favorite dig, "I cannot think of a more cynical slogan than 'Fair and Balanced' "

We're not sure about that. A lot of people watch Fox News for reasons that are uncynical and apolitical. Even Fox critic Alexandra Kitty concedes the network's production values are "sleeker and snazzier" than the competition. And then there's the chance of seeing Shep Smith cover a police chase. Really, is there anything less cynical than that?

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at rgustini at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

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