Fox News paid the New York Times over $100,000 to take out an ad that trolled the very same national newspaper, the Associated Press reported.
The co-hosts of "Fox & Friends" proudly showed off the full-page ad appearing in the Times Thursday morning, celebrating a quote from Times media critic James Poniewozik who called the morning news program "the most powerful TV show in America."
According to the AP, the Rupert Murdoch-owned news channel spent a pretty penny to secure the ad placement. While Fox News did not confirm how much they spent for the ad, the Times' typically charges $130,000 for a full-page ad in color.
"They’ve decided to move upmarket and support our journalism with their money," Mark Thompson, CEO, president and director of the Times, told the AP. "So we’re very pleased to have them."
The ad highlights a recent article written by Poniewozik, who examined the relationship between "Fox & Friends" and President Donald Trump. The media critic called the show "an interactive magic mirror" for the president because the co-hosts often echo the rhetoric coming from the White House.
"Suddenly, for no other reason than its No. 1 fan, it is the most powerful TV show in America, Mr. Doocy and Mr. Kilmeade now offer strategic advice on health care legislation," Poniewozik wrote. "Politicians use the show as a kind of virtual Oval Office pitch meeting. In turn, Mr. Trump’s live tweets set and reshape the show’s focus . . . This can make for a wild ride."
"'Fox & Friends' knows what its viewers want to hear, even if it sometimes nudges them on what to say," Poniewozik wrote to conclude the piece. "And viewers stay loyal to a program that they feel speaks to them directly, whether it’s the masses watching 'Fox & Friends' or the superfan in the White House who sees it as 'Fox & Friend' — singular."
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