And now for some satire…
William Powers in the National Journal sees the story that Richard Engel will head NBC News’ Middle East Bureau as an example of a network doing what it should have been doing. And he uses that as an excuse to launch into satire…(via Romenesko)
2. Fox to Choose Female Anchors for Brains, Not Looks.
NEW YORK CITY — Fox News, America’s first choice in news, will begin hiring female anchors based entirely on intelligence. Beginning this week, the network will be on the lookout for smart, news-savvy women with extensive journalistic experience. “Given the intense competition for cable audiences, we wanted something special to draw viewers, something they can’t get elsewhere,” Fox News Vice President David Pixelbot said. “Since many Fox viewers have better-than-average IQs, it hit us that ’showing a little brain’ could be just as compelling as ’showing a little leg.’ Also, we studied headshots of Edward R. Murrow and concluded that he was not exactly eye candy.” Henceforth, female anchors will be selected through a “looks-blind” process in which candidates will be issued identical brown paper bags to wear over their heads during interviews and test videos.
What FNC hire for brains? The day they do that, —- will freeze over.
Comment by Harry — May 30, 2006 @ 10:16 pm
Fox has plenty of SMART AND ATTRACTIVE ladies already. It is just that most of them don’t get the airtime that their less able coworkers get.
Comment by malone — May 31, 2006 @ 1:34 am
That’s right, these women are all beauty and no brains (at least that’s the spin that FNC’s critics would have us believe). Lis Wiehl, Megyn Kendall, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Brenda Buttner, Greta, Jamie Colby, Gretchen Carlson, Jennifer Griffin, Amy Kellogg, etc.
Too bad the author neglects the fact that these women are typically more educated than is he. The list includes those who hold law degrees, who’ve attended Ivy league schools, who are multi-lingual, etc.
Don’t let the facts get in the way!
Comment by Missy — May 31, 2006 @ 9:55 am
Not to mention Lauren Green who is a accomplished pianist, Laurie Dhue who graduated with honors for North Carolina and Juliet Huddy who used to work for my favorite radio station in Jacksonville, Florida…..
Comment by JR — May 31, 2006 @ 12:23 pm
The woman may be degreed but some choose to lower their standards & stifle their opinions depending on which show they appear. Listen to Lis Wiehl on the Radio Factor or Hannity & Colmes & you will see she acts like a giddy, silly woman. Megyn Kendall seems to have lost the objectivity she had at the beginning of her tenure, now following Hannity’s lead of hysterics & witch hunts, gossip. Plus, there is more than a hint of sarcasm, as noted, in the author’s post.
Comment by MLS — June 4, 2006 @ 8:45 am