Within minutes on Monday, two of the leading figures in cable news suffered what may have been staggering blows to their TV careers. If history is any guide, Tucker Carlson of Fox News and Don Lemon of CNN will never regain the prominence they enjoyed until the moment their employers said farewell.
Getting to the top echelons of the TV news business is difficult; staying there can be even harder. And when the fall comes, it can be hard and swift.
Bill O’Reilly, once the most-watched man in cable news, has never fully recovered since being forced out of Fox amid multiple sexual harassment scandals in 2017. He took the reinvention route, with diminished returns; he now has a website and hosts a podcast...
“Those who giveth the camera can taketh the camera away,” said Frank Sesno, a former CNN anchor who is the director of strategic initiatives at George Washington University in Washington.
He added: “Big megaphones are big megaphones. It’s hard to replace the reach, clout and promotional support of a major platform,” such as a TV network, “once you’re no longer associated with it.”
You can read the full article on the Washington Post's website.