Shep Smith out at Fox News.

[Brian37]

He even implied he'd be back, but not in the near future. Contract crap. I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up on MSNBC or CNN. 

It is still damaging to have that absence in the meantime. In this age of instant media we need constant daily watchdogs.

Google was kind enough to inform me that there are something over 49 000 broadcast journalists in the US.  I don't think Mr. Smith's absence is going to seriously damage anything.

Boru

Boru still not the point.

You are making the false assumption that journalism is a given, and in reality, if a disturbed person in a position of power can convince enough people to follow them, that can be destroyed. We have seen that before in human history, I wouldn't assume journalism is a given. Like any society, it still depends on enough people wanting to defend it, and it is paramount to fight those in power who attack the institutions that act as a check on power.

Free and open societies are not something you take for granted, they take constant vigilance to defend. 

There are journalists in western history that set a positive model such as Walter Cronkite and Murrow. But not all journalists have big bullhorns, and constantly have to fight people like Murdoch who seek to destroy journalistic objectivity. Shep had a bigger bullhorn than say, a small town reporter or small town newspaper reporter. 

Yes we have tons of journalists, but it still takes a society to want to defend them. And right now we have a POTUS who is seeking to destroy any challenge to his power, and I take that very seriously.