Here’s a First Look at Fox News’ New Newsroom

By Chris Ariens 

Eights months after announcing plans for a new centralized newsroom, and six months after the walls started coming down, Fox News employees are now working out of a gleaming state-of-the-art workspace.

The main newsroom, which had been in the basement of 1211 Avenue of the Americas since the channel launched in 1996, is now on the light-filled second floor. The 7,600-square-foot newsroom and studio space includes a customizable media ribbon featuring 72 displays, robotic cameras and multiple data walls (think Bill Hemmer’s Billboard on steroids).

That floor had formerly housed Fox News executive offices, including that of Roger Ailes, the co-founder and, until 2016, CEO of the channel. Gone are the warren of offices hidden behind solid wooden doors. In their place, a bright, open newsroom with a handful of glass-walled offices.

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The newsroom includes a studio–Studio N–that can accommodate live shots or a fully-produced show, though no programs are set to originate from here as of now.

Fox News chairman Rupert Murdoch calls it “easily the most modern, state-of-the-art news gathering space in the industry.”

“I encourage all of you to come by this week and take a look at the re-creation of the second floor and the superior design elements throughout,” Murdoch wrote in a note to staffers this morning.

This is phase one of the workspace improvements, with phase two beginning today. “And this is just the beginning of many changes we have planned to ensure we are providing top-notch workspaces for all employees,” Murdoch writes. “We take tremendous pride in the hard work of all of our journalists who will house this newsroom amid relentless 24/7 news cycles.”

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer will share the new newsroom with viewers a little later this morning in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

And here’s Murdoch’s full memo:

Dear colleagues,

Today, I am proud to announce the opening of our new world-class newsroom — easily the most modern, state-of-the-art news gathering space in the industry. With access to a customizable media ribbon featuring 72 display regions, robotic cameras, a sleek new studio and multiple data walls all laid out in a bright, open and collaborative 7,600 square foot area, our journalists will now have the most advanced technology to continue delivering exceptional reporting for decades to come.

I encourage all of you to come by this week and take a look at the re-creation of the second floor and the superior design elements throughout. While phase one has just been completed, phase two isn’t far behind. And this is just the beginning of many changes we have planned to ensure we are providing top-notch workspaces for all employees.

Today’s debut is another example of the network’s long-term commitment to excellence in journalism — we take tremendous pride in the hard work of all of our journalists who will house this newsroom amid relentless 24/7 news cycles.

Welcome to the future of FOX News.

Update: The ribbon cutting which aired live at the end of the 9 a.m. ET hour:

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