Roger Ailes Quotes

Powerful Roger Ailes for Daily Growth

About Roger Ailes

Roger Ailes, a towering figure in American media, was born on May 15, 1940, in Warren, Ohio. His interest in politics and television began at an early age, influenced by his father's political activism and the local TV station he frequented as a teenager. After graduating from Ohio University, Ailes joined Local 12, a CBS affiliate in Cleveland, where he honed his skills as a producer and director. In 1967, Ailes moved to NBC News, where he played a crucial role in the coverage of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. His career took off when he joined ABC News in 1969, where he produced several high-profile shows including "Good Night America" and "The Mike Douglas Show." Ailes's big break came in 1970 when he was hired by Rupert Murdoch to launch Fox News Channel. As the founding CEO of Fox News, Ailes revolutionized cable news with a conservative slant, turning the network into a ratings juggernaut and political powerhouse. His influence on American politics cannot be overstated, shaping public discourse and the political landscape for decades. Ailes's career was not without controversy. Accusations of sexual harassment led to his resignation from Fox News in 2016. Despite these allegations, Ailes left an indelible mark on the television industry and American politics. Throughout his life, Ailes remained a master strategist and a shrewd operator, using his skills to create some of the most influential media platforms in modern history. His legacy continues to be debated, but there is no denying his impact on the political landscape and the future of American television.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In America, there's a huge appetite for news, and if you give people a good, fair, honest presentation, they will come."

The quote suggests that there is a high demand for reliable, impartial, and truthful news in the United States. By delivering such content effectively, media outlets can attract viewers or readers who value unbiased reporting and fair presentations of facts. In essence, it emphasizes the importance of credibility and transparency in journalism to engage and satisfy the audience's appetite for news.


"The media's job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."

This quote by Roger Ailes suggests that the primary role of media is to support or provide solace to those who are suffering (the "afflicted") and to challenge or disturb those who are privileged or comfortable in their positions, thereby encouraging change for the better. In essence, it's a call for journalism to hold the powerful accountable while providing a platform for the underprivileged to be heard.


"You can't be too careful in this business. You have to watch your back 24/7."

The quote implies that in the world of business, one must always remain vigilant and cautious due to the potential for competition, rivalry, or unscrupulous behavior. Ailes suggests that a constant awareness of one's surroundings and potential threats is essential for success in this cutthroat environment. In essence, he is encouraging a proactive and defensive approach to navigate the challenges of business effectively.


"The way to win an argument is three parts emotion, one part reason."

This quote by Roger Ailes suggests that in a debate or argument, emotional appeal plays a significant role in convincing others more than pure reasoning alone. While facts and logic are essential components of a persuasive argument, they often need to be accompanied by an emotional connection to resonate with the audience effectively. Emotion can help people relate to an argument on a personal level and feel invested in its outcome, making them more likely to agree or act upon it. The ratio of 3:1 implies that while emotion is crucial, reason should not be neglected entirely; it still holds value as a persuasive tool when used alongside emotional appeals for a successful argument.


"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

This quote by Roger Ailes emphasizes the long-lasting impact emotions have on people. While specific events or words may be forgotten over time, the feelings they evoke are more likely to be remembered. These feelings can shape one's perception and impression of an interaction or experience, making them a crucial aspect in building connections, shaping opinions, and leaving lasting impressions. In other words, how you make people feel is a significant factor in how they remember you and the interactions they have with you.


Van Jones has one job: to stir up racism, whether he can find it or not.

- Roger Ailes

Racism, Van, Whether, Stir

I was in the Oval Office when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon because I was called in to coordinate the coverage. I got to thinking, 'We have a feed from the moon. We've got a feed from the Earth. I can set up the first interplanetary shot in history.'

- Roger Ailes

Thinking, Office, Got, Armstrong

The difference between pros and amateurs is that pros play hurt.

- Roger Ailes

Play, Difference, Pros, Amateur

I've got a bad leg; I'm a little overweight, so I can't run fast, but I will fight.

- Roger Ailes

Run, Bad, Will, Leg

Fox News has a very-high-income audience, and I think that any business channel automatically draws that. We're not gonna reach for a lower financial demographic.

- Roger Ailes

Think, News, Audience, Automatically

I've been kicked out of every damn church I've ever belonged to.

- Roger Ailes

Damn, Been, Ever, Kicked

I think that 'Fox & Friends' audience is going to increase. That franchise in the morning is very important to any television operation because they make money.

- Roger Ailes

Think, Audience, Very, Operation

Everybody fears the unknown. But I have a strong feeling there's something bigger than us. I don't think all this exists because some rocks happened to collide. I'm at peace. When it comes, I'll be fine, calm. I'll miss life, though. Especially my family.

- Roger Ailes

Strong, Some, Everybody, Unknown

Hispanics who get on government programs are doing only a little better than they were in the old country.

- Roger Ailes

Doing, Country, Old, Hispanics

If somebody wants to book Alec Baldwin on one of our shows, and he wants to come on and talk to our people and say what he wants, I don't care. We would question him on his choice of words.

- Roger Ailes

Book, Question, Alec, Our People

Giving up your core business in search of a phantom audience is not wise.

- Roger Ailes

Search, Audience, Core, Phantom

CNN and MSNBC, our primary competitors, are trying to figure out how to beat us. There are some good, smart people at those networks, and even occasionally a blind pig finds an acorn.

- Roger Ailes

Blind, Some, Networks, Acorn

David Dinkins was a financial disaster personally - and as an administrator. That is what the record shows.

- Roger Ailes

Financial, Shows, Personally, Administrator

We didn't have locks in the early 1940s because nobody got into anybody's house, and nobody did anything wrong.

- Roger Ailes

Locks, Anybody, 1940s, Early

Obama's the one who never worked a day in his life. He never earned a penny that wasn't public money. How many fund-raisers does he attend every week? How often does he play basketball and golf? I wish I had that kind of time.

- Roger Ailes

Play, Week, Attend, Play Basketball

I've been thanked a lot in Wendy's, Applebee's, and Marriot hotels, I've never been thanked in Le Cirque, for some reason. I try to spend as little time as possible in Le Cirque; that's not because the food isn't good... I'm not the kind of guy who likes to find his food under his parsley.

- Roger Ailes

Reason, Some, Been, Little Time

I don't tell Rupert Murdoch who to endorse.

- Roger Ailes

Tell, Who, Endorse, None

I view myself more as a traditionalist than a conservative. But I like the traditions, so I tend to try to keep them alive. But I'm open to any kind of political thought - I don't care - I have people that I don't agree with, and I have good friends I don't agree with, but for me personally, I'm more comfortable with the traditional stuff.

- Roger Ailes

Thought, Conservative, Alive, Traditions

I have a soft spot for Joe Biden. I like him. But he's dumb as an ashtray.

- Roger Ailes

Like, Joe, Ashtray, Soft Spot

Tell me who you want to see on the Left, and I'll hire them. If you give me a big name that's out there, that's floating around and wants work, I'd be happy to hire them.

- Roger Ailes

Big, Give, Hire, Floating

I never want to lose. I hate to lose... But Babe Ruth struck out 1,300 times. You can't hit the home run every time you come up to bat.

- Roger Ailes

Want, Home Run, Ruth, None

CNN International, Al-Jazeera and BBC are the same in how they report mostly that America is wrong and bad.

- Roger Ailes

How, CNN, BBC, Report

Who's like Bill O'Reilly? If there was somebody like Bill O'Reilly, they'd be out there getting ratings. No matter how much the mainstream press dumps on him, the guy constantly delivers an interesting show. He's unique.

- Roger Ailes

Matter, Guy, Show, Ratings

I'd like to hire Hillary Clinton. She looks unhappy at the State Department. She'd get ratings.

- Roger Ailes

Hire, Like, Clinton, Ratings

I hired Sarah Palin because she was hot and got ratings.

- Roger Ailes

She, Sarah Palin, Palin, Ratings

My toughest job every day is maintaining intensity with myself and with my staff.

- Roger Ailes

Myself, Intensity, Toughest, Maintaining

Anybody who knows me knows that half the time I'm saying things with a somewhat humorous overtone.

- Roger Ailes

Anybody, Half, Half The Time, Humorous

I don't have any focus groups on talent and programming. If I need five people in a mall to be paid $40 to tell me how to do my job, I shouldn't do my job.

- Roger Ailes

Need, Tell, Mall, Programming

We're not programming to conservatives. We're just not eliminating their point of view.

- Roger Ailes

View, Just, Conservatives, Programming

Twitter is a wonderful device. And I call it a device, but there are people that are addicted to it now. That's not good. You're really not very interesting using only so many letters.

- Roger Ailes

Addicted, Very, Using, Letters

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