Fox News host Shep Smith, one of the few voices on the network occasionally willing to buck the Trump message, announced at the end of his show Friday that he’s stepping down from his job at the network.
Wow! Sheppard Smith was one of one and a half journalists in the FOX news building. The ½ being Wallace. Two ways of reading this (1) the propaganda side has won, and FOX will stay all Trump lies, all the time, or (2) he just got fed up with the B.S. and propaganda, and got out while the gett’n was good.
But hard to miss the fact that Bill Barr had dinner with Moscow Murdoch the other day, and now Sheppard Smith is leaving. Certainly is a canary in the shit show of FOX, and despite the optimistic view of some that Ryan’s board membership would change things, it looks to me like Murdoch has decided to go full on Völkischer Beobachter
P.s. (added later) I think it is very possible that the actual result is the combo of (1) and (2). Smith recently had well publicized fights over Judge Napolitano’s analysis, and it was reported that he was told to tone it down. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/09/madness-at-fox-news-as-trump-faces-impeachment-lachlan-murdoch
I seriously doubt that Murdoch wants the hit that Smith leaving will cause to FOX’s already dismal credibility. It is very possible that Smith demanded that the lies be pulled back some, and was told no, then quit. I seriously doubt that Murdoch decided to Fire him at Barr’s request. Too much damage to the brand. My guess is that Murdoch wanted to keep things just as they were (a few fig leafs on the propaganda network) and Smith was not willing to go along.
Ok, now this Friday is complete. Unless they take in Ghoulsie.
Barr met Murdoch a couple of days ago.
Hmm, Barr meets with Murdoch, Trump is pissed that FOX isn’t carrying kissing his ass anymore and now Shep Smith is gone. 
Best of luck. Enjoyed his reporting.
“Attorney General William Barr met with Fox Corporation Rupert Murdoch Wednesday night…”
(h/t @geofu54)
Smith said he was not going to be reporting in the near future.
What about testifying if called on eventually?
Well, the week has not been boring. And Friday is not over yet.
Calls into question the idea that the Murdoch boys are taking the long view and planning for a post-Trump media world now (well, soon) with 30 percent less crazy. They’re going with an all-crazy-all-the-time format. Derpotainment, call it. When Chris Wallace walks that’ll be one less thing we have to talk about with some nuance.
Actually another good news story as well…https://www.lawfareblog.com/district-court-rules-against-trump-border-wall-case
Trump’s boarder wall emergency was found to be illegal, as was his using non-appropriated funds.
The Supreme Court may chose to cheat/steal to give Trump what he wants, but the opinion is correct and based upon a simple statutory rule…
Probably has a non-compete to keep him off other networks for a period of time. But, it will take a while to get the Trumpstink off of him anyway. Less time for him that any other Faux anchor, though, since he didn’t drink from the Kool-Ade.
The exact reason for Smith’s ouster is unclear, but Attorney General William Barr met with Fox Corporation Rupert Murdoch Wednesday night as President Donald Trump has been ramping up his criticism of the network.
It doesn’t really need to be said, but just in case: Barr’s unrestricted access to intelligence makes it possible for him to use it selectively to blackmail individuals seen as threats to himself and the president.
The exact reason for Smith’s ouster is unclear, …
It would be unreasonable not to speculate:
… but Attorney General William Barr met with Fox Corporation Rupert Murdoch Wednesday night as President Donald Trump has been ramping up his criticism of the network.
See? Proof that Fox News is not state-run media. If it were, he’d have been executed.
WTF is the Attorney General doing dining with Murdoch?? Barr is as unhinged as Rudy, only more solemn and corpulent and corrupt.
I would hire Shep Smith today, if I needed a reporter or anchor.
Coincidence that Coverup General Barr just met with Rupert Murdoch two days ago? Maybe… but if not, who is next…Chris Wallace?
Could be a non-compete clause, or it could be that he’s still being paid for a period. If he was fired via the preznit’s imperial order, I could see him getting a settlement where he’s paid but doesn’t work for a competitor for a year.
Testifying is on the table, with a subpoena.
Not only effectively fired, but muzzled. I hope he got a good exit package.