Would Fox News Ever Commission An External Review?

Or for that matter, would a senior Fox News executive ever resign in the wake of a newsroom controversy?

I can't imagine that happening. So if nothing else, National Public Radio's recent external review of its firing of Juan Williams (who now calls Fox News home), helps contrast the way real news organizations function, as opposed to propaganda outlets.

Can you imagine Fox News' Roger Ailes ever hiring an outside firm to conduct an independent review and allowing lawyers to comb though internal papers? That's what NPR did:

“In conducting the review, [Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP] gathered thousands of documents from various sources and interviewed many current and former NPR employees and contractors.

That will never happen at Fox News because Fox News is a closed shop utterly uninterested in transparency or accountability. It's a closed shop that pretends to be a news organization but is really something else entirely. It's the type of place hwere external reviews and, more importantly, taking responsibility for shortcomings just doesn't happen. And never will.

Just recall how Fox News reacted to the recent University of Maryland study that found Fox News viewers were much more likely to be misinformed about the issues of the day. (i.e. The more you watch, the less you know.) For a serious news organization that would be cause for concern and reflection. But not Fox News. Its news chief actually issued a statement, not addressing the merits of the study, mocking undergraduate students at the University of Maryland.

Facing allegations of journalism malpractice, NPR responded with a careful review of the facts. Fox News? It can't be bothered because, let's face it, it's no longer in the journalism business.