February 8, 2008
Roger Ailes gives an object lesson in brutal truth
Good Lord. Talking of internal memos to staff, here is one sent out today by Roger Ailes, chief executive of Fox News. Unlike Jerry Yang’s, Mr Ailes’ memo is written with meticulous clarity, as befits one of the great media communicators (I make no judgement about the message, just how it is expressed).
His message to staff is: Quit whining and, if you don’t like working here, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Actually, there is no need to paraphrase because that is pretty much exactly what he writes.
Take this passage:
But today, I sometimes hear too much selfish complaining, petty whining, and a desire to have what someone else has. Of course there are exceptions to this and we all know who they are, on the other hand do not assume I am talking about someone else. As I have always said, negative people make positive people sick.
And this one:
We work for a great company. We contribute to the most exciting profession in the world and we live in America. If that is not enough, you should note that there are no locks on the outside of the doors keeping us here. I would never want to hold anyone back.
I have no idea why Mr Ailes sent out this memo or what the internal discontent he detects is about. Fox Business Channel has had a bumpy launch, drawing not very many viewers, and Fox News faces some challenges from a resurgent CNN. Still, there must be something more to it than that.
As to the wisdom of the memo, I feel torn. On the one hand, I have to admire a boss who is quite so clear in saying exactly what he thinks and does not cover his message with waffle. One the other, is it really a good idea for a CEO to be so critical, so publicly, of so many of his employees?
If nothing else, when the memo is, inevitably, leaked, it makes everyone aware that Fox is not a happy ship. In this instance, his thoughts took only a few hours to find a wider audience. Such is the nature of email and the internet.
