Tucker Carlson says day-to-day ratings are a trap, pointing to Fox News colleague Sean Hannity. He instead praised Rachel Maddow for following her own instincts.
What We Know: Carlson made the remarks on NPR Newsmakers. Specifically, he described grilling contributors on his Fox News show despite audience backlash.
What They Said: “I systematically brought on Fox News contributors like Max Boot or John Bolton, and I grilled them on my show, and the audience hated it. They hated it because a key plank of the Republican platform since George W. Bush was ‘We’re neocons. We’re the world’s policemen, and we’re doing this because we’re bringing freedom. They hate us for our freedoms,’ and all that nonsense.
“So I went against our audience. My producers were like ‘What are you doing?’ And I thought it was right. By the way, I also thought it would work over time. I always felt that people agreed with me secretly. Maybe I’m more arrogant than I think I am. I did that and it didn’t help our ratings, but ultimately I think it did.
“But day-to-day ratings are a trap. You wind up like Sean Hannity, doing the same show every night ’cause it worked three years ago. Don’t do that. Be more like, honestly, Rachel Maddow, who I don’t agree with on a lot of stuff. But Rachel Maddow would just do whatever she wanted to do. If Rachel Maddow thought it was important — and I used to work with her, so I know her — she’d be like, ‘Well, I don’t care. I think it’s important.’ And she got to be number one in her area, liberal television, doing that. I just think it works.” -Tucker Carlson
What Remains Unclear: Whether or not Carlson’s strategy did or didn’t improve his ratings. At the end of his tenure with Fox News, he was routinely the highest-rated primetime host in cable news.
What It Means: Carlson’s message is clear: chasing daily ratings can backfire. Instead, he says hosts should trust their convictions, like Maddow. He also speaks to the authenticity of his message as much as anything.
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