Roger Ailes: Criticisms Are 'Very Hard' On My Family

Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes discussed some of the challenges in leading a public life, "New York Daily News" reported in an article focusing on the 15-year anniversary of the number one cable news network.

"It's very hard on my family," Ailes said, when responding to how he handles the harsh attacks and criticisms he frequently faces. "How many times can you be called a fat, right-wing kook who's destroying the world?" He said that even his 11-year-old son's birthday parties have even been impacted, as some parents will not allow their children to attend due to their negative opinions of Fox News.

Ailes, the 71-year-old media titan who left a career in politics for television ventures, said that he's become accustomed to the negative light that critics cast over him. He urged his son to "never get in a fight about [his] father." Ailes told him, "you're going to hear things about me, and you're going to have to walk away from it."

Despite encouraging his family to maintain a good grasp on the harsh realities of life in the public eye, Ailes does take his and his family's security very seriously. A Rolling Stone profile of Ailes describes him as, "convinced that he has personally been targeted by Al Qaeda for assassination," and reported that he "he surrounds himself with an aggressive security detail and is licensed to carry a concealed handgun."

Moreover, Ailes told his son to walk away from negative comments about his father, he has been known to respond differently at times. A resident of Putnam County, New York and owner of two local newspapers in the area, " target="_hplink">Ailes reportedly had staffers from one of the papers followed. Ailes was concerned the staffers "were bad-mouthing him during their lunch breaks," according to New York Magazine's Daily Intel.

RELATED VIDEO