Fox News Invokes Mistake Zero Tolerance

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 November 2009 04:25 Tuesday, 24 November 2009 04:25

The management at the Fox News Channel have, according to a leaked memo, invoked a zero tolerance policy regarding on air mistakes, following several mishaps over the past few months. The memo, which was obtained by Mediabistro's Fishbowl DC, includes a warning that anyone involved in future mistakes that make it to air will recieve "warning letters to personnel files, suspensions, and other possible actions up to and including termination."

The memo follows a high profile mistake where Fox News accidentally broadcast old footage of former Govenor Sarah Palin during a segment about her book tour. The footage used was infact from the presidential campaign, and not from her book toor itself. Jon Stewart's The Daily Show also called Sean Hannity's show on using old protest footage when attempting to illustrate large crowds at a Michelle Bachmann rally.

The Memo

Subject: Quality Control We had a mistake on Newsroom today when a wrong book cover went on screen during a guest segment, the kind of thing that can fall through the cracks on any day with any story given the large amount of elements and editorial we run through our broadcasts. Unfortunately, it is the latest in a series of mistakes on FNC in recent months. We have to all improve our performance in terms of ensuring error-free broadcasts. To that end, there was a meeting this afternoon between senior managers and the folks who run the daytime shows in which expectations were reviewed, and the following results were announced:

Effective immediately, there is zero tolerance for on-screen errors. Mistakes by any member of the show team that end up on air may result in immediate disciplinary action against those who played significant roles in the "mistake chain," and those who supervise them. That may include warning letters to personnel files, suspensions, and other possible actions up to and including termination, and this will all obviously play a role in performance reviews.

So we now face a great opportunity to review and improve on our workflow and quality control efforts. To make the most of that opportunity, effective immediately, Newsroom is going to "zero base" our newscast production. That means we will start by going to air with only the most essential, basic, and manageable elements. To share a key quote from today's meeting: "It is more important to get it right, than it is to get it on." We may then build up again slowly as deadlines and workloads allow so that we can be sure we can quality check everything before it makes air, and we never having to explain, retract, qualify or apologize again. Please know that jobs are on the line here. I can not stress that enough. I will review again during our Monday editorial meeting, and in the days and weeks ahead. This experience should make us stronger editorially, and I encourage everyone to invest themselves one hundred and ten percent in this effort.

Reaction

Inside Cable News has reacted to the memo by commenting;

I’m all for quality control but this is bullying people for accidents that you can’t completely stamp out no matter how hard you try. It’s live TV. Mistakes have always happened and always will happen. Intimidation and threats are not the solution. Cleaning up the process is. I disagree that the number of “mistakes” have increased greatly in the past few months as the mysterious memo writer states. I see no marked uptick. I do see a marked uptick in the high profile nature of the gaffes, meaning they got wider media circulation, but that’s not the same thing.

I’d really love to know why FishbowlDC redacted the sender’s name. This suggests this is an unofficially official leak.

It raises a really valid point, exactly how high up the payscale is this memo from, or could it be a possible young whipper-snapper middle manager, attempting to stamp their probably minimal authority around the FNC newsroom.