Major Garrett Leaving FNC…
The New York Times’ Brian Stelter and Jeremy W. Peters write that FNC’s Major Garrett is leaving the network for The National Journal. Do note the spin The Times puts on the story by characterizing Garrett as stuck between a rock and a hard place at FNC…
Major Garrett, the chief White House correspondent for Fox News, is quitting his job at the cable news channel after eight years. He is joining National Journal as a Congressional correspondent.
Mr. Garrett’s surprise departure comes just weeks after Fox was moved up to the front row in the White House press briefing room.
In the past year and a half Fox News has been a voice of the opposition to the Obama administration, putting Mr. Garrett — a well-respected newsman — in an unenviable position.
Related: Mediaite’s Steve Krakauer talked to Garrett about his departure (link updated). As did The Washginton Post’s Howard Kurtz…
The main reason for his departure, Garrett said, is the frenetic pace of cable news: “I want to talk less and I want to think more. I always considered myself an accidental TV reporter.”
When he told Roger Ailes he was leaving, Garrett said, the Fox News chairman replied: “You’re one of the few guys who never got addicted to TV.”
Inside Cable News 
August 25, 2010 at 9:37 am
I hope Wendell Goler gets Garrett’s seat in the WH briefing room.
August 25, 2010 at 9:43 am
I don’t see how FNC can spin this as anything but bad news. Garrett is giving up a coveted front row seat in the WHBR for one in the forth row; and he will have to push out someone else at National Journal to get that.
Despite all the happy talk he must have been very pissed at FNC.
August 25, 2010 at 9:57 am
Fritz…instead of spinning this as being bad for Fox News. It appears Garrett “chose” to return to his roots as a print reporter. I’ve attached the link from Politico which paints an entirely different picture than the NYT.
Less we forget, the Old Grey Lady is tilting more to the left every day. 😉
http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/0810/Major_Garrett_leaving_Fox_News.html
August 25, 2010 at 10:11 am
Scandal! Major Garrett has had enough! He couldn’t take it anymore! There, I did the work for the print press as well as the networks, CNN & MSNBC. Feel free to copy & paste, rip & readers!
August 25, 2010 at 10:13 am
It’s too bad, because I liked and respected Garrett.
He has never uttered so much as a cross word at Fox’s expense, and obviously his rise to prominence and probable wealth coincided with Fox’s. Until I hear him say something negative about the network in the future, I will see this as a reasonable man exercising his right to follow a new career path.
Let’s face it, the White House beat may be prestigious, but it can also be horribly stifling.
Good luck and God bless, Major
August 25, 2010 at 10:46 am
“Fritz…instead of spinning this as being bad for Fox News. It appears Garrett “chose” to return to his roots as a print reporter.”
Chip I don’t have to spin the obvious.
Imagine Chuck Todd wanting to return to “the Hotline” because he misses the freedom he had there.
Garrett is leaving the premier non-host position on the highest rated cable news network and joining yet another right-wing Huffpost wannabe that will compete with Daily Caller and another half dozen clones. There has to be more to it than wanting to get back to his roots.
August 25, 2010 at 10:59 am
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 10:46 am
There has to be more to it than wanting to get back to his roots.
Perhaps money?
Of course, to someone who hates FNC, they only “other story” is that “FNC is awful, and blah blah blah.” Perhaps there is another story behind the scenes… but why must it be that one very standard, very predictable (from the angry crowd), completely unsubstantiated story?
August 25, 2010 at 11:01 am
network and joining yet another right-wing Huffpost wannabe that will compete with Daily Caller and another half dozen clones
Huh? The National Journal is a “rightwing Huffpost wannabe”?
Please don’t tell me you’re using Ron Paul as a source again?
August 25, 2010 at 11:03 am
Sorry, someone who says the National Journal is a “right wing blog” is essentially making things up.
August 25, 2010 at 11:03 am
Just a little future predicting, folks… if FNC puts Wendell Goler into that position permanently, expect the angry-left to get even angrier.
FNC with a permanent WH Correspondent who happens to be Black?! That would really interrupt their “racism” narrative.
August 25, 2010 at 11:10 am
“yet another right-wing Huffpost wannabe”
I was wrong when I said the National Journal was “right-wing” and I withdraw that word. Sorry.
“Perhaps money?”
Unlikely, but who knows.
My only point is there have been a number of instances lately that have made his job more difficult and that may have played a role. Who knows maybe he was pushed out for whatever reason.
At least he didn’t say he wanted to spend more time with his family.
August 25, 2010 at 11:13 am
imnotblue: Another reason why FNC should do it. Plus, after Garrett, Goler deserves that position.
August 25, 2010 at 11:17 am
I’ve never quite understood the antipathy towards Fox by the left.
Sure, it’s a conservative/right network and too much of the journalism is driven by the rightwing talk hosts. That’s the problem; not the straight reporters. It’s the hosts driving the agenda.
Okay, that’s lousy journalism.
But the liberal/left certainly isn’t silenced in America. No one thinks CNN or the major networks are hostile to liberal views. Moreover, progressives have great influence in Hollywood and in academia and even the major publishing companies. NY Times anyone?
What’s the deal?
August 25, 2010 at 11:20 am
“Just a little future predicting, folks… if FNC puts Wendell Goler into that position permanently, expect the angry-left to get even angrier.
FNC with a permanent WH Correspondent who happens to be Black?! That would really interrupt their “racism” narrative.”
So your arguement is FNC should promote Goler because he’s black and that would make liberals angry because it couldn’t call FNC racist anymore. Your kidding ,right.
August 25, 2010 at 11:29 am
carolmr Says:
August 25, 2010 at 11:13 am
Couldn’t agree with you more. Wendell is great!
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 11:20 am
Actually, no that’s not my point… and not close to what I said. FNC should promote him because he’s awesome at his job, great on television, and a well qualified replacement for Major.
HOWEVER, the promotion would anger the left, who loves to use the “FNC is racist” lie to attack them.
August 25, 2010 at 11:31 am
Sad to see Major go. He was always a class act – even when all the hub bub was going on about Fox not being a real news organization when asked by Bill O’Reilly how things were going for him he said he just does his job and tried to stay out of the fray. I believed him when he said that because he has always (the times I have watched him) been a true professional.
August 25, 2010 at 11:32 am
— Your kidding ,right. —
Of course he is. Facts never stop the left from yelling ‘racism’.
August 25, 2010 at 11:39 am
^fritzy’s just keeping the lefty seat warm until joe wakes up and comes on line– it’s to be expected– Garrett was a good guy and we’ll miss him– has anyone heard that Jenny Griffin is coming back from her illness?– that’s good news as she’s a smart cookie and gets by with her brains and not her looks–
August 25, 2010 at 12:10 pm
“HOWEVER, the promotion would anger the left, who loves to use the “FNC is racist” lie to attack them.”
Unless they appoint Alan Keyes or Sarah Palin to the WH slot no one on the left is going to care what race or gender the reporter is.
You seem to confuse the type of stories FNC covers with the color of the reporters skin. I don’t.
The color of Goler’s skin has nothing to do with why Garrett left FNC and to throw that into the discussion is just an poor attempt to discredit those on the left without a shred of proof.
August 25, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Of course he is. Facts never stop the left from yelling ‘racism’.
The Tea Party is racist, those who support tougher illegal immigration and border control are racist and those who wish to have the mosque/center moved a couple of blocks away from the Ground Zero area are racists (even though Islam is a religion and not a race).
I notice a trend.
Sure, there are racists in all of those movements.
But just as we shouldn’t judge all members of a religion by the acts of some – as we’re continually told (rightly so) – we shouldn’t judge all members of a movement by the fringe among them.
At least I thought that was the lesson.
I’m by no means a liberal basher. This country owes a great deal – a great deal – for their efforts on making it a fairer and more equitable nation. But these racism and bigotry charges have to cease. Or, at least, be a little more careful when being used.
August 25, 2010 at 12:22 pm
— This country owes a great deal – a great deal – for their efforts on making it a fairer and more equitable nation —
Minor quibble. Most liberals today had little if anything to do with such movements in the past. They’re pretenders who only wish they could be so heroic. An important part of their self-image lies in the assumption that conservatives are racist. These thoughts are shamelessly cribbed from James Taranto, WSJ, no doubt a racist himself.
August 25, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Minor quibble. Most liberals today had little if anything to do with such movements in the past
Yes, there’s a difference between liberals and leftists, to be sure.
Just as there is a difference between conservatives and rightists.
One of the greatest achievements by liberals was their efforts on behalf of black Americans. Truly great.
Unfortunately, too many of them are still fighting that battle. As the saying goes, generals tend to fight the last war.
So do political movements.
August 25, 2010 at 12:53 pm
They try to cloak themselves in the heroism of the past, as though they actually crossed the bridge. One way that they do it is by imputing evil to their opponents. They can then live their lives truly believing that they are fighting the same evil as Abraham, Martin and John. The sad thing is that most people turned their heads to the things that happened in the past, and there’s little reason to believe that many of us would be any different.
August 25, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Anyone know why a media news story about Major Garrett leaving FNC has morphed into a bunch ofthose bad liberals are calling us racist comments. Just asking
August 25, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Boredom?
August 25, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Anyone know why a media news story about Major Garrett leaving FNC has morphed into a bunch ofthose bad liberals are calling us racist comments. Just asking
Fritz, re-read the posts carefully because nothing of that kind has been stated by Laura or me. We’ve qualified our statements.
It’d just be great, frankly, if people who are correct about not generalizing about an entire group of people, i.e., Muslims, because of the behavior of some would adhere to that standard when it comes to their political opponents.
‘Tis true on the right as well.
August 25, 2010 at 2:04 pm
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Unless they appoint Alan Keyes or Sarah Palin to the WH slot no one on the left is going to care what race or gender the reporter is.
You seem to confuse the type of stories FNC covers with the color of the reporters skin. I don’t.
Again… really?
You seem to have forgotten the recent attack on FNC by the NYTimes, who “reported” that FNC has lower than its competitors when it comes to Black hosts/reporters. Additionally, anyone who has read the blogs for more than a day has seen the left claim that FNC only has “White” people in front of the camera.
I’m not sure if you really don’t know this stuff… or are simply pretending, hoping we don’t know.
August 25, 2010 at 2:06 pm
^well fritz, laura is right– some of us are here to talk about more than how many intellects of Rachel Maddow u can fit on the head of a pin or some such nonsense–
and steveo, how can one not generalize about Islam?– they make it so easy– it’s one thing to use a 2000 year old bible as a “guide” to the way to live ur life, but it’s quite another to use a 1300 year old koran and adhere to it word for word– it’s almost more a lifestyle than religion for most Muslims in the world–
August 25, 2010 at 2:31 pm
What the hell are you people babbling about? Major Garrett just got one of the most coveted jobs in journalism…and quit! Sorry people, there’s something fishy here..
August 25, 2010 at 2:54 pm
What the hell are you people babbling about? Major Garrett just got one of the most coveted jobs in journalism…and quit! Sorry people, there’s something fishy here..
Joe…Major has been the Chief White House correspondent for the past few years (Sorry, I don’t remember when he received his promotion).
People & their professional lives change during their careers. I believe Garrett when he says that he’s a print reporter first. Imagine the opportunity to develop/write a story vs. the standard White House story of the day.
We don’t know the entire story…maybe he wants to spend more time with his family, maybe he grew tired of being on television (it does happen), or perhaps he wanted to do something different.
Last time I checked…it’s okay to change careers (Lord knows I’ve had to change my career). 😉
August 25, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I agree with you, Chips, but the righties here immediately jumped on “what the left would say”, as if it was insane to wonder if the recent activities vis-a-vie FNC, O’Reilly, et al, had anything to do with it. I know a volley of fire intended to silence debate when I see one, and this is it. Sorry, I’m going to go right ahead and question this supremely odd decision. Maybe he is sick of it, but that’s still unusual for a man with enough drive to get to the front of the room.
August 25, 2010 at 3:02 pm
^ …of course, listening to Robert “um” Gibbs every day would drive anyone mad..
August 25, 2010 at 3:05 pm
^
Joe…perhaps that’s why Major is leaving the gig. Being placed in the front row listening to Gibbs must take great patience.
Personally, I’ll take watching paint dry over listening/watching Gibbs daily. 😉
August 25, 2010 at 3:06 pm
“You seem to have forgotten the recent attack on FNC by the NYTimes, who “reported” that FNC has lower than its competitors when it comes to Black hosts/reporters. Additionally, anyone who has read the blogs for more than a day has seen the left claim that FNC only has “White” people in front of the camera.”
If I decipher your comment correctly your saying the NY Times “attacked” FNC for not having as many black reporters as other networks. I really doubt that happened as you describe it but whatever.
As for the blogs: people on the left ‘attack’ FNC all the time for promoting ‘racist’ ideas on their opinion shows but I can’t remember seeing anyone complain that they didn’t have enough black on-air talent. That’s a new one for me.
Personally I don’t think FNC is racist or even that they promote racism. They are in business to make money and how they do that is to cater to their audience. Their audience is mostly conservative and they mostly vote Republican. So FNC promote the Republican party and finds fault with the Democratic Party. If they did any different they would lose audience share and make less money.
August 25, 2010 at 3:11 pm
— I know a volley of fire intended to silence debate when I see one —
And look how well that turned-out. 😉
August 25, 2010 at 3:18 pm
“Last time I checked…it’s okay to change careers”
This isn’t a career change, it’s just a job change. If he decided to join the military that would be a career change and you would have a point. This is a very large demotion no matter how you slice it. He’s going back to doing what he did 20 years ago.
I starting to think that maybe it wasn’t as voluntary as he and FNC would let you think and maybe his reporting wasn’t meeting the ideological standards that FNC wanted. Mr. Goler; whatever you think of him; has a history of putting a spin on stories that FNC prefers. That’s why all the right-wingers here want him to be the successor and not Emanuel; despite all the affirmative action chat.
August 25, 2010 at 3:26 pm
-And look how well that turned-out.-
I didn’t say they were good at it..
August 25, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Garrett told Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post that the White House’s war on FNC was beginning to wear on him. He said, “he’d be ‘a liar’ if he said it hadn’t, adding he saw himself as a ‘conscientious objector.’ “
August 25, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Garrett told Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post that the White House’s war on FNC was beginning to wear on him. He said, “he’d be ‘a liar’ if he said it hadn’t, adding he saw himself as a ‘conscientious objector.’ ”
Carol: Your comment is interesting and I thought I would post the actual quote from the article to make a small point.
“The hostility between the administration and Fox “never wore us down” Garrett said Wednesday. But “of course it made my job more difficult….I’d be a liar if I said otherwise.” But he added”I was a conscientious objector in that war. I never fought it. ”
There’s no reference to a war on FNC by the administration. He said it never wore him down and the liar comment referred to how the hostility made is job more difficult. All in all a classy and accurate comment.
August 25, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Major will probably be making a lot of money where he’s going. The people running The National Journal are making a big investment in talent.
Major wasn’t forced out. His wife, Julie Kirtz, still works there. It would be awfully awkward for her, don’t you think? Major just likes print better, and he was given an offer he couldn’t refuse.
August 25, 2010 at 6:00 pm
joeremi Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:01 pm
…but the righties here immediately jumped on “what the left would say”
That’s not true! We had a few comments of the “he must hate FNC” nature, and saw a lot more over at Mediaite. Nobody played that game regarding what the left would say about Major… we didn’t need to.
I know a volley of fire intended to silence debate when I see one, and this is it.
What are you talking about?
Sorry, I’m going to go right ahead and question this supremely odd decision. Maybe he is sick of it, but that’s still unusual for a man with enough drive to get to the front of the room.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with question it… but the manufacturing of stories and rationales is equally wrong.
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:06 pm
If I decipher your comment correctly your saying the NY Times “attacked” FNC for not having as many black reporters as other networks. I really doubt that happened as you describe it but whatever.
Ugh… this is getting tedious. The NYTimes reported that FNC has a smaller “Black audience” than some of the competition… as if that was supposed to prove something. It was later shown that the same “problem” (as it was written up by the lefty blogs) afflicts the NYTimes too!
Source
This is all just a few weeks old… I don’t know how you missed it.
As for the blogs: people on the left ‘attack’ FNC all the time for promoting ‘racist’ ideas on their opinion shows but I can’t remember seeing anyone complain that they didn’t have enough black on-air talent.
Sample 1
Sample 2
Now those are just generic “everybody is White” type stories… but imagine how the bloggers take information like that. If it’s new to you, you’re not reading around the web enough.
Their audience is mostly conservative and they mostly vote Republican.
That’s pretty misleading. Most studies show that FNC is more balanced in terms of audience ideology than the other networks. Do you have any different evidence, or is that an assumption?
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Or maybe, he was hypnotized by radical Martians… and is actually now working for them, spreading propaganda via mind altering ink.
The point being… making up stories and speculating without facts is a waste of time.
August 25, 2010 at 6:01 pm
joeremi Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:01 pm
…but the righties here immediately jumped on “what the left would say”
That’s not true! We had a few comments of the “he must hate FNC” nature, and saw a lot more over at Mediaite. Nobody played that game regarding what the left would say about Major… we didn’t need to.
I know a volley of fire intended to silence debate when I see one, and this is it.
What are you talking about?
Sorry, I’m going to go right ahead and question this supremely odd decision. Maybe he is sick of it, but that’s still unusual for a man with enough drive to get to the front of the room.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with question it… but the manufacturing of stories and rationales is equally wrong.
August 25, 2010 at 6:02 pm
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:06 pm
If I decipher your comment correctly your saying the NY Times “attacked” FNC for not having as many black reporters as other networks. I really doubt that happened as you describe it but whatever.
Ugh… this is getting tedious. The NYTimes reported that FNC has a smaller “Black audience” than some of the competition… as if that was supposed to prove something. It was later shown that the same “problem” (as it was written up by the lefty blogs) afflicts the NYTimes too!
Source
This is all just a few weeks old… I don’t know how you missed it.
As for the blogs: people on the left ‘attack’ FNC all the time for promoting ‘racist’ ideas on their opinion shows but I can’t remember seeing anyone complain that they didn’t have enough black on-air talent.
Sample 1
Sample 2
Now those are just generic “everybody is White” type stories… but imagine how the bloggers take information like that. If it’s new to you, you’re not reading around the web enough.
Their audience is mostly conservative and they mostly vote Republican.
That’s pretty misleading. Most studies show that FNC is more balanced in terms of audience ideology than the other networks. Do you have any different evidence, or is that an assumption?
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Or maybe, he was hypnotized by radical Martians… and is actually now working for them, spreading propaganda via mind altering ink.
The point being… making up stories and speculating without facts is a waste of time.
August 25, 2010 at 6:04 pm
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:06 pm
If I decipher your comment correctly your saying the NY Times “attacked” FNC for not having as many black reporters as other networks. I really doubt that happened as you describe it but whatever.
Ugh… this is getting tedious. The NYTimes reported that FNC has a smaller “Black audience” than some of the competition… as if that was supposed to prove something. It was later shown that the same “problem” (as it was written up by the lefty blogs) afflicts the NYTimes too!
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/07/29/nyt-reporter-who-criticized-fox-news-audience-diversity-writes/
This is all just a few weeks old… I don’t know how you missed it.
August 25, 2010 at 6:04 pm
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:06 pm
As for the blogs: people on the left ‘attack’ FNC all the time for promoting ‘racist’ ideas on their opinion shows but I can’t remember seeing anyone complain that they didn’t have enough black on-air talent.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-24/msnbc-cnn-fox-cable-news-is-very-white/
Now that’s just a generic “everybody is White” type stories… but imagine how the bloggers take information like that. If it’s new to you, you’re not reading around the web enough.
Their audience is mostly conservative and they mostly vote Republican.
That’s pretty misleading. Most studies show that FNC is more balanced in terms of audience ideology than the other networks. Do you have any different evidence, or is that an assumption?
fritz3 Says:
August 25, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Or maybe, he was hypnotized by radical Martians… and is actually now working for them, spreading propaganda via mind altering ink.
August 25, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I couldn’t care less what idiocy is being spouted on Mediaite. The site itself is pretty good, but the comment sections are horrible.
August 25, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Hey Blue: Whatever.
August 25, 2010 at 9:25 pm
-Comments on Mediaite-
That place is wild – and not in a good way.
I’ll miss Major Garrett and I hope Wendell Goler wants the job. He’s been a White House correspondent for FNC a long time, and the same with AP before that, I think. Not meaning to take anything away from Mr. Garret’s extensive previous WH experience, but I’ve long suspected he got the “chief” gig because Mr. Goler turned it down.
I hope I’m wrong. Wendell Goler is possibly my favourite cable news reporter. He’d be a fabulous news anchor, too.
August 26, 2010 at 1:07 am
While I was saddened by Major Garrett’s announcement, his comment about returning to print journalism reminded me that he’s written 2-3 books (I have one of them, but it’s been 9-10 years since I read it).
I’m glad that he has the opportunity to pursue this journalistic avenue. While I think he’s great at covering the White House, I also think he is a terrific writer, so if this is what he wants to do, then I wish him all the best.
August 26, 2010 at 4:55 am
Yeah, Mediate blows. The commenters on there are hateful bomb throwers… quite a gem of a website Dan Abrams has created over there. They love the traffic they’re getting, though. You won’t see them complaining.
By the way, regarding Garrett quitting… Isn’t print journalism in a major decline these days? Why would he want to go back to something like that? He could have at least tried to get his own show, or something.
August 26, 2010 at 8:49 am
What does Mediaite do besides that blog? I recall Dan Abrams announcing some sort of PR firm when he launched the name, and had no idea it was going to be a media-aggregate site. Was that just a way to avoid saying “I lost my TV job, here’s a blog”?
August 26, 2010 at 9:28 am
I never knew Garrett is married to FNC’s Julie Kirtz. Learn something new…