Three reasons why Sarah Palin joined Fox News

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Decoder

Three reasons why Sarah Palin joined Fox News

Sarah Palin is already a multimillionaire and a best-selling author. Why put up with the hassle of being a contributor for Fox News? Well, her 'polibrity,' for one.

Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal/AP/File

Sarah Palin signed autographs in Sioux City, Iowa, in early December, for her best-selling memoir 'Going Rogue.'

By Peter Grier Staff writer

Jan. 12, 2010, 3:34 p.m. ET | Washington

Sarah Palin 鈥� welcome! You鈥檙e one of us now, a member of the media fraternity. Maybe you never had to cover a school board meeting, or local opera, but then again, neither did George Stephanopoulos. That鈥檚 one of the beauties of journalism. One appearance, and you鈥檙e forever a pro.

But, Ms. Palin, if we may ask, why bother? You鈥檙e already a multimillionaire. 鈥淕oing Rogue,鈥� your best-selling memoir, has seen to that. I鈥檓 sure Fox News waved a big check in your direction, but there are unglamorous aspects to working in the media, too. Deadlines, for instance. Inane repartee. And those lights 鈥� spend a couple of hours in a TV studio, and you鈥檒l feel like you鈥檙e working inside the world鈥檚 biggest tanning bed.

I guess there are some obvious reasons you agreed your new deal with Fox News, though, that transcend your affinity for the network.

Here are a few:

1. You're a 'polibrity.' Recent years have seen the rise of a new kind of famous person: the out-of-office politician whose prominence is sustained by the ongoing drama of whether they鈥檒l run for president. They鈥檙e hybrid politician/celebrities, or 鈥減olibrities.鈥�

Think Newt Gingrich, or Mike Huckabee, or (now) Sarah Palin. A guaranteed media platform only increases a polibrity鈥檚 reach.

2. Building the Palin brand. The book tour is over, so it is time to take the step to stay in the public eye (see 鈥減olibrity,鈥� above). The Fox News deal ensures a continual, and probably friendly, forum for your opinions. It fits nicely with the fact that you鈥檝e signed up with the Washington Speakers Bureau to book your paid speeches.

3. Palin on Palin. Every US political journalist knows that readers and viewers can鈥檛 get enough about Sarah Palin. Those who love you, love you. Those who don鈥檛 love you appear to enjoy how mad you make them feel.

So the actual Sarah Palin reporting on what Sarah Palin thinks is a double dose of win 鈥� kind of like hot fudge on chocolate ice cream. The ratings should be phenomenal.

It all starts tonight, on the "O鈥橰eilly Factor," at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Fox News, with your scheduled first appearance. All the best! And remember, in journalism there鈥檚 no such thing as a 鈥渕istake.鈥� There are only 鈥渆rrors inadvertently introduced in the editing process.鈥�

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