Fox News chief Roger Ailes resigns after harassment allegations

“Rupert Murdoch is a conservative, but the Republican intensity, the conservative passion including the viciousness toward the Democrats that we now see against Hillary Clinton and has been going on against Obama all these years, all that is Roger Ailes, ” Paul Levinson, communications professor at Fordham University, told the AP news agency.

Roger Ailes has officially stepped down as Fox News Channel’s chairman and chief executive with immediate effect following his 20-year tenure at the company, but will continue to serve as adviser to 21st Century Fox Inc executive chairman, Rupert Murdoch.

However, Ailes has not agreed to the allegations. But let’s be clear on something: Even here, Fox News is proclaiming their fake populist message in the downfall of their corporate honcho.

Mr Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox and a U.S. citizen since 1985, will remain in place until a replacement is found. O’Reilly has recently mused about retirement, and he and Sean Hannity reportedly have contract provisions that would allow them to leave if Ailes does.

Despite the warm words, however, Ailes was not at the network’s Midtown Manhattan headquarters on Thursday, and one person briefed on the matter said that Murdoch had barred him from the building.

Reactions to Ailes’ departure has reverberated far and wide.

Murdoch said Fox managers Bill Shine, Jay Wallace and Mark Kranz will assist him in day-to-day management of the network.

The resignation announcement from 21st Century Fox makes no mention about the sexual harassment scandal that Ailes is facing.

“It appears to be a holding action”, said Joe Peyronnin, a journalism professor at Hofstra University and former CBS News executive.

Roger Ailes, the CEO and chairman of Fox News, is stepping down from his role.

With your support, I am proud that we have built Fox News and Fox Business Channels into powerful and lucrative news organizations that inform our audience and reward our shareholders. “He is the best fit”.

Carlson, who worked for the network for 11 years, alleges that he proposed having a sexual relationship with her and he instructed her to turn around in his office so he could look at her backside.

After the allegations emerged, some reports said several other women at Fox News had also claimed harassment, including the popular host Megyn Kelly. Ailes has denied those incidents as well.

Attorneys for Carlson saluted her “extraordinary courage” and said Ailes’ exit represented a “seismic shift in the media world”. As part of the agreement, Ailes can not start a competitor to Fox News. There, he announced the news about Ailes and read remarks to a small group. But 21st Century Fox immediately launched an internal investigation, interviewing other employees.