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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 20 OctOber 2017
Fox's Wallace doesn't like colleagues echoing press attacks

By DAVID BAUDER "When I go out and when
AP Television Writer I'm with people, people
NEW YORK (AP) — Sunday feel a tie to you because
host Chris Wallace gener- I'm an anchor at Fox News
ally lives in peaceful co- that I've never felt any-
existence with Fox News place else," Wallace said.
Channel's opinion folks, ex- "There's a sense of kinship, if
cept when he hears some you will.
of them echo President That doesn't mean they
Donald Trump's criticism of want it one way. I'm not
the news media. one of the opinion guys ...
Fake news? He's fighting They know I'm not going
back. to sell a party line, and the
"It bothers me," Wallace people who come up to
said in an interview. "If they me respect that."
want to say they like Trump, Both during former Fox
or that they're upset with News CEO Roger Ailes'
the Democrats, that's fine. reign and after, Wallace
That's opinion. That's what said management has not
they do for a living. second-guessed his show's
"I don't like them bashing content.
the media, because often- Wallace and his wife re-
times what they're bashing cently bought a second
is stuff that we on the news home on the water in Mary-
side are doing. I don't think land, where he happily re-
they recognize that they treats after each Sunday
have a role at Fox News show is done. He's starting
and we have a role at Fox to appreciate the experi-
News. I don't know what's ence of his father, the late
in their head. I just think it's "60 Minutes" legend Mike
bad form." Wallace, who did some of
Wallace, who turned 70 In this Oct. 19, 2016 file photo, moderator Chris Wallace guides the discussion between Demo- his best work in his 70s and
cratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump
last week, speaks from a during the third presidential debate at UNLV in Las Vegas. even beyond.
position of strength. He just Associated Press "I actually feel like I'm com-
signed a contract exten- ing in to my own, as a jour-
sion that commits him to distorting remarks made by same rotation with ABC, Sen. John McCain. nalist, as an interviewer, as
keep questioning politi- Barack Obama and giv- CBS and NBC shows in For the most part, the peo- a debate moderator," he
cians for Fox until well past ing excessive attention to terms of offering interview ple who recognize him on said. "I feel like I'm in a real-
the 2020 election. Now the them. subjects. President Obama the street support his efforts ly good stage in my career,
dean of Sunday morning As president, Trump has went two years without giv- to ask tough questions of not at all like I'm on the way
political talk hosts, he mod- given interviews to Fox ing Fox an interview before everyone, he said. out."q
erated his first presidential News more than any other appearing with Wallace in
debate last year and drew outlet, but he has favored April 2016.
generally high marks. Hannity and other support- Wallace refers to "Trump
He doesn't call out press- ive hosts like Jeanine Pirro Sundays" for the days he's
bashing colleagues by and Jesse Watters. News hurriedly had to revamp his
name. It's no secret that anchors Wallace, Bret show in the hours before
prime-time star Sean Han- Baier and Shepard Smith going on the air to respond
nity is the president's fierc- and chief White House cor- to something the president
est defender on Fox, with respondent John Roberts has done or said. Such
frequent references to the have been shut out. Wal- changes on the fly were
"destroy Trump media." lace spoke to Trump when rare before this year.
Hannity criticized the press he was president-elect. "When you've been cover-
in 90 percent of his mono- "Ultimately, any White ing the White House since
logues from May 15 to Sept. House decides who they 1980, you get a little bit
1, according to the liberal want to go out and talk to," jaded," said Wallace, who
media watchdogs Media Wallace said. "Would I rath- followed the Reagan ad-
Matters for America, and er they talk to me? Well, if ministration for NBC before
used the term "fake news" that's what they're going to moving on to ABC and, in
67 times. do, that's what they're go- 2003, to Fox. "I've seen it all.
Wallace generally steers ing to do." Now I feel like a cub report-
clear of Fox News Chan- But he said the White House er, because I've never seen
nel's opinionated shows has been fair in deliver- anything like this."
when he makes appear- ing other administration With Fox News the pre-
ances outside of "Fox News officials and, despite their ferred network for conser-
Sunday," which is on the boss' attacks on the press, vatives, journalists there will
Fox broadcast network "the guests that are there often hear it from viewers
and is repeated on cable. are very professional and about stories that don't toe
He doesn't go on the "Fox & answer questions." a party line. Wallace said
Friends" weekday morning Wallace said there were he does, too, like when
show, for instance, after he periods when the Obama he hears grumbling about
scolded that show's hosts administration did not keep someone on his show who
on the air in March 2008 for "Fox News Sunday" on the does battle with Trump, like