Senior Fox News Reporter Abruptly Leaves Network
While the opinion side of Fox News dominates ratings with frequent endorsements from President Donald Trump, its news division continues to see key departures.
According to Politico, an on-air reporter based in Los Angeles submitted his resignation this week in what sources say was his disillusionment over the direction of the cable news network.
Two former Fox News Channel employees close to the situation spoke to Politico for the report, both of them citing the network’s increased promotion of opinion content and Trump coverage as the reason Adam Housley believes he can no longer be effective as a journalist.
“He’s not doing the type of journalism he wants to be doing,” one source said. “And he is unhappy with the tone of the conversation of the channel.”
In a statement released through Fox News, Housley said he quit to spend more time with his family.
Several other insiders have cited similar complaints among the news staff, including a Jerusalem-based reporter who resigned earlier this month. One source familiar with that situation said Conor Powell was similarly dissatisfied with the network’s coverage.
Some still working in the news division told Politico that morale has suffered since Trump’s inauguration.
“People are losing their minds,” one Fox News employee was quoted as saying.
While he did not agree to an interview following the announcement, a statement Housley released through Fox News made no mention of the reported journalistic differences.
“After nearly two decades at Fox News, I have decided to leave the network and take some time in northern California to raise our two young children closer to my family, which includes running the family winery and even coaching their sports teams,” he wrote.
.@adamhousley just did a great live shot for our morning show today from Hawaii… and this afternoon he announces he is leaving Fox News to run his family's winery and spend more time with family. You are one of the best at Fox, Adam. A real pro. Happy for you. pic.twitter.com/UBluaIKnPx
— Troy Hayden (@troyhaydenfox10) August 23, 2018
Housley added that he “could not be more proud of the journalism” he was part of at the network, “from war zones, to tsunamis, to watching miners pulled from the ground in Chile.”
He expressed gratitude for “the extraordinary opportunities to have a front seat to history and cover news all over the world.”
The statement continued with a word of thanks to his colleagues, “especially behind the scenes,” who had been a big help along the way.
“We are friends for life,” he wrote.
In addition to the statement through his former employer, Housley addressed the claims surrounding his departure in a tweet.
Shocking. My leaving Fox News quickly gets political on Twitter. Yep..the sad world we live in. I’m sure gonna enjoy that glass of wine while the polarized in this country duke it out. Maybe one day…one day we can find common ground first rather than just call names
— Adam Housley (@adamhousley) August 24, 2018
“Shocking,” he wrote. “My leaving Fox News quickly gets political on Twitter. Yep..the sad world we live in. I’m sure gonna enjoy that glass of wine while the polarized in this country duke it out. Maybe one day…one day we can find common ground first rather than just call names.”
Fox News President and Executive Editor Jay Wallace released a statement thanking Housley “for his many years of service — his passion for storytelling, professionalism and dedication to journalism made our reporting stand out on countless stories throughout his tenure.”
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