Steve Jobs Called Fox News 'An Incredibly Destructive Force'

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Posted October 26, 2011 at 7:54pm by Shalom Levytam

Steve Jobs reportedly told Rupert Murdoch that Fox News was 'an incredibly destructive force in our society', according to the Walter Isaacson biography about him.

Reuters recounts a passage from the book in which Isaacson writes that Jobs violated a personal rule to speak at a News Corp management retreat after collaborating on the Daily app for iPad.

Murdoch said Jobs was "very blunt and critical of what newspapers were doing in technology" at the retreat. Later, at dinner, Jobs told Murdoch, "You're blowing it with Fox News."

"The axis today is not liberal and conservative, the axis is conservative-destructive, and you've cast your lot with the destructive people," the book quotes Jobs as saying. "Fox has become an incredibly destructive force force in our society. You can be better, and this is going to be your legacy if you're not careful."

Interestingly, Jobs believed Murdoch disliked the network's direction. "Rupert's a builder, not a tearer-downer," he told Isaacson. "I've had some meetings with James [Murdoch], and I think he agrees with me. I can just tell."

Murdoch shrugged off Job's remarks saying, "He's got sort of a left-wing view on this".

Apparently, Jobs even planned to ask 'The Daily Show' to compile a few clips of Fox News to show Murdoch; however, it's unclear if he ever did.

"I'd be happy to see it," Murdoch said. "But he hasn't sent it to me."

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Steve Jobs Called Fox News 'An Incredibly Destructive Force'

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crankyboy - October 30, 2011 at 11:09pm

User, I'm not sure why you are calling me that name. I do shower every day. At times twice a day if it's been especially hot. Like over the weekend. It was very humid too until the storm. Much better today. I didn't leave out any words from her quote. In fact I didn't edit any of it. I copied it. It does seem to be the popular version. Perhaps you are quoting her "clarification"? I don't watch fox news so I could be wrong (I prefer my information to be "fair" and "balanced"). It was simply one of the many snippets I came across in the 30 seconds of looking. I think you might be confused as to the meaning of the word "lies". It means an intentionally false statement. If I was wrong it was not intentional, simply an error. If I picked the one quote that was wrong I apologise. I'll grab another if you like. There is plenty to choose from.

Bill - October 27, 2011 at 9:21pm

Two points: 1) This article is about Steve Jobs, not Fox. Nobody cares what the individuals posting think about Fox, either pro or con. 2) Who cares what Steve Jobs thought about Fox? He's dead.

David - October 27, 2011 at 2:48pm

Liberals are iPods, iPhones, and iPads; Fox News fans are Zune.

Guest - October 27, 2011 at 2:30am

if fox news didn't have the overall conservative view it has, every single news outlet in america would be hard-core left wing. god forbid there only be one channel that leans more right than it does left. but, if it were left to liberals, they'd want everything to be the same: your income, your political views, etc. i thought this country protected freedom of speech (freedom of opinion), yet every other news outlet bashes fox news for being conservative. let's get one thing straight, people. steve jobs' political views were: social liberal / fiscal conservative = moderate. he used drugs (liberal), he was a zen buddhist (typically liberal), he was a businessman/CEO (typically conservative). i haven't read his bio, but i wanna say he was pro-life (conservative). we have to remember that whenever he showed off iOS and other things Apple, he loved to use The New York Times as a showpiece for demo. when you get your news from NYT, your view on the news is biased so that of course Fox News in comparison looks so right-wing to you. then look at his products: in order to be free, you have to jailbreak to unleash the device's true potential. 'nuf said.

Crankyboy - October 27, 2011 at 4:52am

I'm sorry you feel that way boo hoo. Fox News is globally famous for lies and missinformation. It's the gold standard for which all others are measured. For example: In November of 2009, Dana Perino appeared on Fox News Hannity, claimed, We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during President Bushs term. September 11 anyone?

no_ma'am - October 27, 2011 at 10:09am

@crankboy, it seems you have bought into the lies.

Well put. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Crankyboy - October 27, 2011 at 2:26am

I thought everyone knew that. Apart from the people who only watch Fox of course. Can't burst that bubble with nuke.

Glasmo - October 26, 2011 at 8:59pm

I simply refuse to believe that a hippy would think of Fox News as a "destructive force". Shocker!

no_ma'am - October 27, 2011 at 1:31am

Lol. That is weird. How interesting a total liberal doesn't like Fox. The sarcasm meter is off the charts.

byronchurch - October 26, 2011 at 8:05pm

"I'd be happy to see it," Murdoch told Isaacson What a crock