In Fox News Shamelessly Smears Group That Exposed Network's Sordid His... Mark Howard covers The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network into a Propaganda Machine, was written by David Brock and Ari Rabin-Havt (and others).

...the authors introduce what they call the "Six Steps” that Fox employs to create national controversies:

• STEP 1: Conservative activists introduce the lie.
• STEP 2: Fox News devotes massive coverage to the story.
• STEP 3: Fox attacks other outlets for ignoring the controversy.
• STEP 4: Mainstream outlets begin reporting on the story.
• STEP 5: Media critics, pundits praise Fox News’s coverage.
• STEP 6: The story falls apart once the damage has been done.