The Truth About Fox News

Dealing with T.V. network publicists is often harrowing—and while CNN can be difficult and uptight, and writing a piece on Katie Couric can be exhausting, dealing with Fox News can actually be frightening. Today Times-man David Carr pulls back the covers on the network's tightly made bed, showing how the network's publicists alternately disparage, abuse, and reward reporters covering T.V. news. Read the whole thing: the situation is worse than you can imagine. Every T.V. reporter I've ever met has come away from conversations with Fox News (which usually morph into something resembling hostage negotiations) variously enraged, embittered, or in tears. ("To be fair," as they say, I have had a few good and even fun experiences with Fox News PR, but those were also at times when Fox could benefit and I wasn't being particularly challenging.) Credit where credit is due department: I've never been a fan of Times T.V. reporter Bill Carter but he deserves praise for coming out swinging on the record: "It doesn't seem like you can deal with them professionally." Perfect timing for the piece, too— the Television Critics Association convenes in Los Angeles shortly, where, for the 24th straight year, Fox News will not win the critics' award in the category of "Outstanding Achievements in News & Information."