‘All You Need to Know’: Major Garrett Tells Mediaite What Really ‘Sums It Up’ About Fox News As a Network
CBS News Chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett was, long ago, White House correspondent for Fox News. In his appearance on this week’s episode of Mediaite’s The Interview he talked about the current state of his former network with Mediaite co-hosts Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone.
Garrett is the creator and host of CBS News podcast The TakeOut, and is also hosting a new true crime podcast series for the network, Agent of Betrayal, on the subject of treasonous ex-FBI agent Robert Hanssen.
During the wide-ranging interview, Mediaite editor-in-chief McLaughlin asked Garrett about the current state of Fox News, and for the veteran journalist’s assessment of the “saga” surrounding the Dominion and Smartmatic lawsuits, Donald Trump, the Arizona call, and whether it’s even fair to consider the network “legitimate” anymore.
His answer covered the full ground, but he put it succinctly when he said that, on the network’s Arizona call in 2020: “They got it right and they were first. And the person responsible for that was fired. That’s all you need to know.”
“In the competitive environment of news, where being first and right is the preeminent qualification for excellence, it’s the definition of excellence — first and right — gets you fired?” said Garrett. “That sums it up.”
The Arizona call enraged Fox viewers and sparked panic within the network that it had alienated an audience that believed Trump’s false claims the election was stolen. Within months of the call, Bill Sammon, an executive who worked with the Fox News “decision desk,” left the network, as did Chris Stirewalt, the editor who defended the call on air. Arnon Mishkin, the data contractor who made the call, remains at the network.
Garrett said:
MCLAUGHLIN: I have a question about Fox News, which is a network that you worked for years ago. I think it’s fair to say that Fox has changed a lot since you were chief White House correspondent there, particularly when it comes to its coverage of Donald Trump and his loss of the 2020 election. Just a few months ago, Fox had to pay $787 million to Dominion to settle a lawsuit over the lies it aired regarding that election.
What do you make of that whole saga and Fox’s coverage of 2020, their coverage of Trump, and how do you see the network now?
GARRETT: So just so everyone knows, I worked for Fox News from 2002 to 2010. So when you said it’s been a while. Yes, it’s been a while. Quite a while. I think all you need to know about where Fox is and where it led itself is what happened shortly after the 2020 election ended, meaning votes were being cast and then finally cast and counted and projections were being made on election night or the hours thereafter.
The Decision Desk at Fox, which in my ears again 2002 to 2010, was highly competent, staffed by really aggressive, smart people, statistical, analytical and otherwise. The decision desk at Fox made a determination about Arizona and called it. Accurately. Well ahead of my network and other networks.
They got it right and they were first. And the person responsible for that was fired. That’s all you need to know. In the competitive environment of news, where being first and right is the preeminent qualification for excellence, it’s the definition of excellence — first and right — gets you fired? That sums it up.
Garrett’s podcast Agent of Betrayal is available now. Watch Mediaite’s full interview here. Subscribe to The Interview on Youtube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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