''Fox News Watch'' was an American current event debate program on the Fox News Channel hosted by

Jon Scott Jonathan Arthur Scott (born November 7, 1958) is an American television news anchor who hosts '' Fox Report Weekend'' on Fox News. Also, Scott is the lead anchor for any breaking news each weekend. Jon Scott longtime co-anchored ''Happening Now ...

which was dedicated to discussing

media bias Media bias is the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of many events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening of J ...

. The show ended August 31, 2013, replaced by the similar '' MediaBuzz''.

Format

The show featured a panel composed of two

conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

and two liberals, moderated by Scott. Similar in premise to

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

's '' Reliable Sources'', the panel on ''Fox News Watch'' discussed how the media portrayed certain news stories from the previous week. Panelists also discussed the overall condition of the American news media, such as the newspapers, cable news networks, broadcast networks, and other popular news outlets.

Departures

On February 2, 2008, Eric Burns said that Neal Gabler had left the show to work for

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

and that Jim Pinkerton had left the show to work for Mike Huckabee. In June 2008, Pinkerton had returned to the panel. Burns' contract was not renewed and expired in Spring 2008, reportedly saying in an interview that, "Fox News has told me that my contract will be terminated within the next 2 months, perhaps sooner. I was given no reason. It certainly has nothing to do with ratings; the last episode of ''Fox News Watch'' was the second highest-rated weekend show on all 3 cable news networks and the program has almost been in the top 4 or 5. I have no theory, none, why they are getting rid of me. Although I heard rumors, I have never heard reasons." Fox News responded by saying Burns's contract was a contributor agreement rather than a talent agreement. Burns was replaced by Jon Scott. The final ''Fox News Watch'' program aired August 31, 2013.

Howard Kurtz Howard Alan Kurtz (; born August 1, 1953) is an American journalist and author best known for his coverage of the media. Kurtz is the host of Fox News's '' Media Buzz'' program, the successor to ''Fox News Watch''. He is the former media writer f ...

hosts the replacement program '' MediaBuzz''.

Personalities

Hosts

* Eric Breindel (1997–1998) * Eric Burns (1998–2008) *

E. D. Hill Edith Ann "E.D." Hill (''née'' Tarbox; born July 27, 1961), known professionally as E.D. Donahey during her second marriage, is an American journalist. She has been a news anchor and radio host and formerly worked for the Fox News Channel. ...

(2008) *

(2008–2013) * Rick Folbaum (2009–2013)

Panelists

Alan Colmes Alan Samuel Colmes (September 24, 1950 – February 23, 2017) was an American radio and television host, liberal political commentator for the Fox News Channel, and blogger. He was the host of ''The Alan Colmes Show'', a nationally syndica ...

Cal Thomas John Calvin Thomas (born 2 December 1942) is an American syndicated columnist, author and radio commentator. Early life and education Thomas was born in 1942 in Washington, D.C. He attended the American University for his undergraduate educat ...

Rich Lowry Richard Lowry (; born August 22, 1968) is an American writer who is the former editor and now editor-in-chief of ''National Review'', an American conservative news and opinion magazine. Lowry became editor of ''National Review'' in 1997 when selec ...

* Jim Pinkerton *

Judith Miller Judith Miller (born January 2, 1948) is an American journalist and commentator known for her coverage of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program both before and after the 2003 invasion, which was later discovered to have been based on ...

(2008–2013) *

Ellis Henican Ellis Henican (born October 9, 1958) is an American columnist at ''Newsday'' and AM New York as well as a political analyst on the Fox News Channel. He hosts a nationally syndicated weekend show on Talk Radio Network and is the voice of "Storm ...

Former panelists

Neal Gabler Neal Gabler (born 1950) is an American journalist, writer and film critic. Gabler graduated from Lane Tech High School in Chicago, Illinois, class of 1967, and was inducted into the National Honor Society. He graduated ''summa cum laude'' from t ...

(2002–2008) *

Laura Flanders Laura Flanders (born 5 December 1961) is an English broadcast journalist living in the United States who presents the weekly, long-form interview show ''The Laura Flanders Show''. Flanders has described herself as a "lefty person". The brother ...

(1997–1998) * Jeff Cohen (1997–2002) * Jane Hall (1997–2009)

Reception and criticism

Left-wing media critics and bloggers argue that ''Fox News Watch'' perpetuates the myth of liberal bias in the mainstream media while ignoring conservative bias by Fox News. ''Fox News Watch'' has also been accused of ignoring or dismissing controversies concerning Fox News' parent company,

News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New ...

, such as when an outtake was leaked online showing the program's panelists refusing to discuss News Corp's phone hacking scandal. This issue was, however, later discussed in-depth (and without further refusal) during a broadcast on July 16, 2011.

References

External links

''Fox News Watch'' on FOXNews.com
* {{FoxNewsChannelPrograms Fox News original programming 1990s American television news shows 2000s American television news shows 2010s American television news shows 1997 American television series debuts 2013 American television series endings