Politico quotes Socolow in report on Fox News
Michael Socolow, an associate professor of communication and journalism at the University of Maine, was interviewed by Politico for the article, “Has Fox News hit its ceiling?” Following the exit of the Fox News chairman and CEO amid sexual harassment allegations, control of the channel will soon fall to Rupert Murdoch’s sons, and with it will come the opportunity to rethink how to position the brand, according to the article. The remaking of a TV news network is not without precedent, the article states. ABC News improved its content in 1977, and according to Socolow, CBS similarly used news — Edward R. Murrow and WWII, specifically — to catch the dominant NBC. “This is an opportunity for Fox — one it’s never really had before,” Socolow said. “Just as CBS News gambled on ‘60 Minutes’ in the late 1960s — which turned out to be one of the most lucrative television shows in broadcast history — Fox might try innovative programming to distinguish itself more clearly in the cable news universe.”