Fox News Drops 'Fair And Balanced' Slogan To Distance Itself From Roger Ailes

Update: Thursday, June 15 at 1:15 p.m. EDT: Fox issued the following statement to International Business Times: “A FOX News spokesperson confirmed that the network hasn’t used the slogan in external marketing or on-air promotions since August 2016, but said 'the shift has nothing to do with programming or editorial decisions.'"

Original Story:

Fox News distanced itself further from former CEO and Chairman Roger Ailes by dropping its iconic — and often mocked — slogan "Fair and Balanced," according to a report by New York Magazine on Wednesday. Instead, Fox management has instructed executives and employees to use the network's other tagline "Most Watched. Most Trusted."

The tag line, invented by Ailes when the network was created in 1996, was a mantra against what he considered to be the liberal bent mainstream media. Ailes' hostile attitude towards other sources of news was reflected in many interviews. He characterized mainstream media as being news being pulled in an unfair and liberal direction.

"Every other network has given all their shows to liberals. We are the balance," Ailes said in a 2011 interview with Newsweek. He was asked about those that accuse the network of being biased.

Fox News' role, according to Ailes, was not just for it to be used as a reliable news source, but to act in conversation and as a foil to the other mainstream media networks like MSNBC and CNN.

The decision to drop the slogan was made in August 2016, two months after Ailes was forced to resign on July 21 amid sexual harassment allegations made by former Fox News anchors Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly. After resigning from his position, he reportedly went on to advise then-presidential candidate Donald Trump who defended Ailes.

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After Ailes left the network, Fox News continued to be dogged by negative press.

Ailes died on May 18 at the age of 77.

Ailes wasn't the only one who plagued the network. The New York Times revealed in April that the network had settled five lawsuits alleged against host Bill O'Reilly dating back to 2002, only two of which had previously been made public. These revelations prompted advertisers to pull ads from the show's airtime, O'Reilly was forced to take an indefinite hiatus, and on April 19, Fox News announced O'Reilly would not be returning to the show.

Despite the change of slogan, some of the current anchors have remained defiant, like Bret Baier, host of "Special Report with Bret Baier," who said that they would continue to sign off with his signature line: "Fair, balanced, and unafraid."

"I will say the same thing. 'Fair - balanced and Unafraid'. Like I have every night since I took over from @brithume 8 1/2 yrs ago," Baier said on Twitter when asked if he would change his sign off.

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Fox News sued Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota when he used the slogan in his book "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right." The suit lasted only three days and was dropped when a judge refused Fox an injunction.

Judge Denny Chin of United States District Court who presided over the court said, ''Of course, it is ironic that a media company that should be fighting for the First Amendment is trying to undermine it.''