Sadly the intrigue about Fox News's mole has come to a conclusion. The WaPo is reporting that the mole is an associate producer of the O’Reilly Factor named Joe Muto,
Gawker’s Fox News mole is outed and ousted
By Erik Wemple, Wednesday, April 11, 7:09 PM
But Fox News employees know Fox Newsn about its operations with the outside world.
as a clampdown operation. Defined as a “severe or concerted attempt to suppress something,” “clampdown” describes just how Fox treats the sharing of information.
Doesn’t happen, can’t happen, shall not happen. . . .
The network, as always, had good internal sources. Just hours after that headstrong confirmation, Gawker posted another item from the Mole. Or the Former Mole.
“In the end, it was the digital trail that gave me away,” wrote Joe Muto, who identified himself as an associate producer for “The O’Reilly Factor.”
From Gawker:
Hi Roger. It’s Me, Joe: The Fox Mole
Hi. My name is Joe Muto. I was the Fox Mole.
Two hours ago I was called into a meeting with Dianne Brandi, the Fox News Executive Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs and suspended indefinitely... with pay, oddly enough.
They nailed me.In the end, it was the digital trail that gave me away. They knew that someone, using my computer login, had accessed the sources for two videos that ended up on Gawker over the past few weeks. They couldn't prove it entirely, but I was pretty much the only suspect.
In January 2007, I joined the O'Reilly Factor as an associate producer, and there I have remained ever since. That's me in this YouTube video pitching O'Reilly a story at the 4:00 mark.
I am a weasel, a traitor, a sell-out and every bad word you can throw at me... but as of today, I am free, and I am ready to tell my story, which I wasn't able to fully do for the previous 36 hours.
Stay tuned for much, much more tomorrow.
Oooh1 this sounds like there are more shoes yet to drop. This is one former weasel I admire for his courage and I will look to more juicy details from Fox News inner sanctum. I can hardly wait.
Update #2:
How Sean Hannity Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Teleprompters
Sean Hannity's interviews are a source of embarrassment for many of us at the network. Even those ideologically sympathetic to him joke about the ostentatiously friendly treatment he routinely gives Republican candidates. Not that anyone at the network is in the business of grilling GOPers, of course. But Bret Baier and Chris Wallace have been known to make politicians on the right squirm in their seats every once in a while. Hell, even O'Reilly seems to know that you've got to give the interviewee a little bit of chin music, if only to give yourself cover later when someone questions your credibility.
Original post is below the fold.
The Fox Follies continue as Fox News went into frenzy of internal McCarthyism over their newly relieved mole, then triumphantly announcing uncovering their politically unreliable employee in a single news cycle.
Fox News Spokesperson Tells Mediaite: We Found The Mole
By Jon Bershad
Here is the brief statement from the spokesperson:
“We found the person and we’re exploring legal options at this time.”
More on this story as it develops.
Not so fast! The intrigue continues. This comes from Gawker:
I Am the Fox Mole, And I’m Still Here
If Fox has smoked me out, it's news to me. I'm still here. Back to work.
The current spasm of paranoia and McCarthyism sweeping through Fox News must be doing wonders for employee morale.