C
Clay
Guest
Megyn Kelly, Fox News's Fast-Rising Anchor
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 14, 2008; C01
NEW YORK -- It's just after 10:30 Monday morning on "America's
Newsroom," and Megyn Kelly has bounced from riots in Paris to storms
in the Midwest, from a truck-and-train collision to a strange
interview about the 1969 Manson family murders with the sister of
slain actress Sharon Tate.
But the Fox News anchor doesn't seem truly animated until senior
producer Tom Lowell says in her ear: "Megyn, remember the bee story?
Think you can ad-lib us a tease here?"
Kelly looks into the camera and exclaims: "Imagine what happened when
you're driving by that truck and out come bees! Tens of thousands of
bees!"
She is causing quite the buzz herself. Four years ago, Kelly was a
Washington lawyer pleading with WJLA-TV for part-time work. Now she's
the co-anchor of two Fox shows, including a new 5 p.m. hour on the
presidential campaign.
"When I was practicing law and had to do these 13-, 14-, 16-hour days,
I was miserable," she says. Now, "you get off the set, you have that
post-show high."
Most of the stars at Fox are highly opinionated men. Kelly, 37, is a
former legal affairs correspondent who mostly keeps her views out of
her on-air work. That may be a more circuitous path to cable stardom,
but it is becoming more common.
MSNBC has given political shows in recent weeks to NBC correspondents
Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory, who also fills in on "Today." CNN
has given programs to former CBS correspondent John Roberts and former
NBC correspondent Campbell Brown, and is tapping reporter John King as
a substitute anchor. They all serve up analysis but stop short of
commentary.
What makes Kelly unusual is the sheer speed of her ascent. "She has
learned television news very quickly," says Bill Hemmer, her co-
anchor. "She cares about the news, she studies it, and she has a
wicked sense of humor. There is a chemistry that's required, this Fred-
and-Ginger dance you have to perform every day on the fly."
Kelly, who grew up in an Albany, N.Y., suburb, was practicing law in
Chicago -- securities law, contract disputes and the like -- when she
took some journalism classes and served an internship at the NBC
station in town. After moving to Washington in 2003, she reduced her
legal load and persuaded WJLA, the ABC affiliate, to give her
reporting assignments a couple of days a week.
Within a year, Kelly sent Fox a tape, which immediately impressed Brit
Hume, the Washington managing editor, and his wife Kim, then the
bureau chief.
"Here is this woman who was strikingly attractive but has tremendous
air presence and a very strong voice," Hume says. "We were knocked
out. It was screamingly obvious that this was someone with tremendous
potential."
What's more, says Hume, "she seemed to get what we've talked about
with 'fair and balanced news' . . . She came in believing there was a
left bias in the news. That's not common." He quickly created an
opening for her.
As a Washington correspondent, Kelly specialized in legal issues and
was an early skeptic of the sexual-assault charges against the Duke
lacrosse players who were ultimately exonerated. She enjoyed reporting
but "thought it would be fun to have a job where you could show a
little bit more personality."
Her first attempt was nervously filling in as the host of Geraldo
Rivera's weekend show: "I thought, 'Oh my God, it's so cool.' " Kelly
sees parallels to the lawyer's trade: giving a presentation, keeping
it concise, maintaining energy and trying not to let them see you
sweat.
Thirteen months ago, Fox executives summoned her to New York for a new
mid-morning show that replaced "Fox News Live." Ratings are up 15
percent since then.
Did good looks play a role in the promotion? Kelly was voted a
"hottie" in a contest on the Fishbowl DC Web site, and some bloggers
have blathered on about her appearance, with one calling her "Leggy
Meggy." YouTube features a series of videos such as "Hot Collection of
Megyn Kelly" and one simply titled "Leather Boots & Skirt." On the
morning show, Fox puts her on an open set that showcases her long
legs.
But Kelly says success hinges on inner beauty. Still, she says, "In
the industry, women have a hard time because there's an assumption
that maybe you've moved up for reasons other than your mind."
Fox's morning show has what's known as a high story count, forcing
anchors to race from one item to the next. Kelly recalls Lowell saying
they would try launching the program as "America's Newsroom on crack,"
and later try a version on Valium, but "we never got off the crack."
Kelly can be a tad on the bubbly side, saying things on the air like
"hiya" and "see you, guys." As a nervous flier, she told an airline
safety expert last month: "You're freaking me out a little bit."
On this particular morning, Lowell tells Kelly that she may need to do
an unexpected interview with Sen. Charles Schumer on the economy.
During a break, Kelly e-mails a couple of financial analysts for
suggested questions. But, she says, "I generally try not to know too
much about complex financial news, because then you try to conduct an
expert interview. Our viewers aren't experts." The interview falls
through at the last minute.
In her "Kelly's Court" segment, the anchor moderates a debate over a
California court ruling that parents do not have a right to home-
school their children. She makes her disdain obvious in her questions,
saying, "It sounds more like a court that is picking and choosing the
facts it wants," before delivering her verdict: The decision "smells
arbitrary" and is a "slam against home schooling."
On another day she sides with a photographer who refused to work at a
lesbian wedding, saying discrimination laws don't require the woman
"to sacrifice her religious beliefs in the name of social harmony."
Kelly says that "my job is to do the interviews, not be the opinion-
giver," but she feels free to offer her views in these legal
arguments. Occasionally, though, there are hints of her political
outlook. During the weeks when Fox News was making a major issue of
the offensive sermons by Barack Obama's former pastor, the Rev.
Jeremiah Wright, Kelly told viewers it was "pretty stunning" that
Wright got a cheering welcome at a Chicago church while President Bush
was booed at the Washington Nationals home opener. "No respect for the
president of the United States when he showed up to throw out the
first pitch," she said.
Kelly, who began her television career as Megyn Kendall, explained to
viewers that she was reverting to her maiden name after her divorce.
When she was about to get remarried last month, colleagues showered
her with gifts on the air, from balloons to a hand-painted wine glass.
"I love you guys, too!" she exclaimed.
Before she went honeymooning at a Mexican villa with Internet
entrepreneur Doug Brunt, the New York Times reported that she had met
her man on a blind date at the Washington mezze bar Zaytinya (actually
a semi-blind date; the matchmaking friend had showed her Brunt's
picture).
"I don't love talking about my personal life, but you try to stay
connected with your audience," Kelly says. "We try not to be these
little automatons who sit there and read the news."
======================
No Comment
Nearly three weeks after apologizing for having published a story
based on fake FBI documents, editors at the Los Angeles Times are
remaining silent.
After other media debacles -- Jayson Blair at the New York Times, Jack
Kelley at USA Today, Stephen Glass at the New Republic, Janet Cooke at
The Washington Post -- those responsible have eventually fielded
questions about what went wrong. But even after last week's formal
retraction of a story that accused associates of Sean "Diddy" Combs of
involvement in the 1994 shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur, Editor Russ
Stanton and his deputies have declined to grant a single interview
with outside news organizations.
To their credit, Stanton, Deputy Managing Editor Marc Duvoisin and
reporter Chuck Philips quickly apologized after the Smoking Gun Web
site revealed the hoax. But the Times' own coverage has not addressed
Stanton's degree of involvement or whether anyone has been
disciplined. Would the paper accept such conduct from a government
agency?
Pressed for comment, a Times spokeswoman released another statement in
which Stanton said the paper "has taken this matter very seriously"
and that the retraction and apology "speak for themselves."
-------------
-C-
By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 14, 2008; C01
NEW YORK -- It's just after 10:30 Monday morning on "America's
Newsroom," and Megyn Kelly has bounced from riots in Paris to storms
in the Midwest, from a truck-and-train collision to a strange
interview about the 1969 Manson family murders with the sister of
slain actress Sharon Tate.
But the Fox News anchor doesn't seem truly animated until senior
producer Tom Lowell says in her ear: "Megyn, remember the bee story?
Think you can ad-lib us a tease here?"
Kelly looks into the camera and exclaims: "Imagine what happened when
you're driving by that truck and out come bees! Tens of thousands of
bees!"
She is causing quite the buzz herself. Four years ago, Kelly was a
Washington lawyer pleading with WJLA-TV for part-time work. Now she's
the co-anchor of two Fox shows, including a new 5 p.m. hour on the
presidential campaign.
"When I was practicing law and had to do these 13-, 14-, 16-hour days,
I was miserable," she says. Now, "you get off the set, you have that
post-show high."
Most of the stars at Fox are highly opinionated men. Kelly, 37, is a
former legal affairs correspondent who mostly keeps her views out of
her on-air work. That may be a more circuitous path to cable stardom,
but it is becoming more common.
MSNBC has given political shows in recent weeks to NBC correspondents
Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory, who also fills in on "Today." CNN
has given programs to former CBS correspondent John Roberts and former
NBC correspondent Campbell Brown, and is tapping reporter John King as
a substitute anchor. They all serve up analysis but stop short of
commentary.
What makes Kelly unusual is the sheer speed of her ascent. "She has
learned television news very quickly," says Bill Hemmer, her co-
anchor. "She cares about the news, she studies it, and she has a
wicked sense of humor. There is a chemistry that's required, this Fred-
and-Ginger dance you have to perform every day on the fly."
Kelly, who grew up in an Albany, N.Y., suburb, was practicing law in
Chicago -- securities law, contract disputes and the like -- when she
took some journalism classes and served an internship at the NBC
station in town. After moving to Washington in 2003, she reduced her
legal load and persuaded WJLA, the ABC affiliate, to give her
reporting assignments a couple of days a week.
Within a year, Kelly sent Fox a tape, which immediately impressed Brit
Hume, the Washington managing editor, and his wife Kim, then the
bureau chief.
"Here is this woman who was strikingly attractive but has tremendous
air presence and a very strong voice," Hume says. "We were knocked
out. It was screamingly obvious that this was someone with tremendous
potential."
What's more, says Hume, "she seemed to get what we've talked about
with 'fair and balanced news' . . . She came in believing there was a
left bias in the news. That's not common." He quickly created an
opening for her.
As a Washington correspondent, Kelly specialized in legal issues and
was an early skeptic of the sexual-assault charges against the Duke
lacrosse players who were ultimately exonerated. She enjoyed reporting
but "thought it would be fun to have a job where you could show a
little bit more personality."
Her first attempt was nervously filling in as the host of Geraldo
Rivera's weekend show: "I thought, 'Oh my God, it's so cool.' " Kelly
sees parallels to the lawyer's trade: giving a presentation, keeping
it concise, maintaining energy and trying not to let them see you
sweat.
Thirteen months ago, Fox executives summoned her to New York for a new
mid-morning show that replaced "Fox News Live." Ratings are up 15
percent since then.
Did good looks play a role in the promotion? Kelly was voted a
"hottie" in a contest on the Fishbowl DC Web site, and some bloggers
have blathered on about her appearance, with one calling her "Leggy
Meggy." YouTube features a series of videos such as "Hot Collection of
Megyn Kelly" and one simply titled "Leather Boots & Skirt." On the
morning show, Fox puts her on an open set that showcases her long
legs.
But Kelly says success hinges on inner beauty. Still, she says, "In
the industry, women have a hard time because there's an assumption
that maybe you've moved up for reasons other than your mind."
Fox's morning show has what's known as a high story count, forcing
anchors to race from one item to the next. Kelly recalls Lowell saying
they would try launching the program as "America's Newsroom on crack,"
and later try a version on Valium, but "we never got off the crack."
Kelly can be a tad on the bubbly side, saying things on the air like
"hiya" and "see you, guys." As a nervous flier, she told an airline
safety expert last month: "You're freaking me out a little bit."
On this particular morning, Lowell tells Kelly that she may need to do
an unexpected interview with Sen. Charles Schumer on the economy.
During a break, Kelly e-mails a couple of financial analysts for
suggested questions. But, she says, "I generally try not to know too
much about complex financial news, because then you try to conduct an
expert interview. Our viewers aren't experts." The interview falls
through at the last minute.
In her "Kelly's Court" segment, the anchor moderates a debate over a
California court ruling that parents do not have a right to home-
school their children. She makes her disdain obvious in her questions,
saying, "It sounds more like a court that is picking and choosing the
facts it wants," before delivering her verdict: The decision "smells
arbitrary" and is a "slam against home schooling."
On another day she sides with a photographer who refused to work at a
lesbian wedding, saying discrimination laws don't require the woman
"to sacrifice her religious beliefs in the name of social harmony."
Kelly says that "my job is to do the interviews, not be the opinion-
giver," but she feels free to offer her views in these legal
arguments. Occasionally, though, there are hints of her political
outlook. During the weeks when Fox News was making a major issue of
the offensive sermons by Barack Obama's former pastor, the Rev.
Jeremiah Wright, Kelly told viewers it was "pretty stunning" that
Wright got a cheering welcome at a Chicago church while President Bush
was booed at the Washington Nationals home opener. "No respect for the
president of the United States when he showed up to throw out the
first pitch," she said.
Kelly, who began her television career as Megyn Kendall, explained to
viewers that she was reverting to her maiden name after her divorce.
When she was about to get remarried last month, colleagues showered
her with gifts on the air, from balloons to a hand-painted wine glass.
"I love you guys, too!" she exclaimed.
Before she went honeymooning at a Mexican villa with Internet
entrepreneur Doug Brunt, the New York Times reported that she had met
her man on a blind date at the Washington mezze bar Zaytinya (actually
a semi-blind date; the matchmaking friend had showed her Brunt's
picture).
"I don't love talking about my personal life, but you try to stay
connected with your audience," Kelly says. "We try not to be these
little automatons who sit there and read the news."
======================
No Comment
Nearly three weeks after apologizing for having published a story
based on fake FBI documents, editors at the Los Angeles Times are
remaining silent.
After other media debacles -- Jayson Blair at the New York Times, Jack
Kelley at USA Today, Stephen Glass at the New Republic, Janet Cooke at
The Washington Post -- those responsible have eventually fielded
questions about what went wrong. But even after last week's formal
retraction of a story that accused associates of Sean "Diddy" Combs of
involvement in the 1994 shooting of rapper Tupac Shakur, Editor Russ
Stanton and his deputies have declined to grant a single interview
with outside news organizations.
To their credit, Stanton, Deputy Managing Editor Marc Duvoisin and
reporter Chuck Philips quickly apologized after the Smoking Gun Web
site revealed the hoax. But the Times' own coverage has not addressed
Stanton's degree of involvement or whether anyone has been
disciplined. Would the paper accept such conduct from a government
agency?
Pressed for comment, a Times spokeswoman released another statement in
which Stanton said the paper "has taken this matter very seriously"
and that the retraction and apology "speak for themselves."
-------------
-C-