Fox News Anchor Eric Shawn assailed by Maria Bartiromo in a chat on Nov. 15: A successful South Carolina governor and an Indian immigrant
In a group chat of the network’s three biggest prime-time stars on Nov. 15, Tucker Carlson noted that a segment by Fox reporter Eric Shawn was being used by the Daily Beast to assail Maria Bartiromo — one of the most pro-Trump hosts on the network.
I’ve never met Haley, but from afar it seemed that she had a reasonably good story to tell — a successful South Carolina governor from 2011 to 2017, Trump’s first U.N. ambassador and the daughter of Indian immigrants. Her mother, Raj, studied law at the University of New Delhi, and after immigrating to South Carolina, earned a master’s degree in education and became a local public-school teacher. Her father, Ajit, was a professor of biology at Voorhees College for 29 years, after earning a doctorate from the University of British Columbia. They opened a clothing boutique on the side.
Mr. Dinh said that Fox executives had an obligation to prevent hosts from broadcasting lies.
Fox’s lawyers said in their reply that the broadcasts after the election were protected by the First Amendment. Fox’s commentary and reporting is the kind of work that any journalistic outfit would do by covering events and newsmakers that are indisputably newsworthy.
The painful truth about email and text messages, which every TV anchor and media executive should learn, is that you never know which message will be publicly released when your company is sued.
It’s especially painful if, as is the case for Fox News anchors and executives, the messages appear to show you are knowingly allowing false information on the air.
Murdoch’s January Deposition on the Electronic Voting Controversy: What Have We Learned About Donald Trump Voting?
Murdoch rejected all electronic voting conspiracy theories when he was asked about them in his January deposition. You’ve never heard of the effort to delegitimize and destroy Donald Trump votes, correct? a Dominion lawyer asked at one point. “I’m open to persuasion; but, no, I’ve never seen it,” Murdoch replied.
Carleson ‘passionately’ hates Trump: When Fox News is the solution to the problem in the conservative movement, it isn’t going to be a bigger platform than the Trump presidency
► Carlson “passionately” hates Trump: In a number of private text messages, Carlson was harshly critical of Trump. In one November 2020 exchange, Carlson said Trump’s decision to snub Joe Biden’s inauguration was “so destructive.” Carlson said that Trump was trying to look away, and that his behavior after the election was disgusting. Two days prior to the attack, Carlson said in a text message that they were close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I can’t wait. Carlson dislikes Trump so much that he hates him very much. The Fox host said of the Trump presidency, “That’s the last four years. We’re all pretending we’ve got a lot to show for it, because admitting what a disaster it’s been is too tough to digest. Come on. There isn’t an upside to Trump.
He said the company. The Fox leaders and top talent were focused on the company, not the country. Democracy was at stake, but the larger concern at Fox News appears to be that rival Newsmax was gaining traction after Trump lashed out at Fox News for his 2020 election loss.
Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch didn’t mind the politics of putting the conspiracy theory-pushing MyPillow CEO on Fox News, he said in a deposition, according to court records.
In the interview posted Tuesday on The Bulwark Podcast, Ryan said he believed Fox News is “gonna have to be a part of the solution if we’re going to solve the problem in the conservative movement.”
Darcy notes that Ryan was grilled by a conservative commentator last week over his decision to remain on the board of directors of Fox News’ parent company.
“Because there isn’t a bigger platform than this in America,” Ryan said. “So I think the conservative movement is going through a lot of churn and a lot of turmoil and I don’t like where it is right now.”
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/01/politics/fox-news-republicans-what-matters/index.html
Fox, Carlson, and DeSantis: Hard Core Republicans and Freedom Caucus Members During Trump’s Four Years in the White House
During the George W. Bush administration, Fox would have been a major backer of military aid for Ukraine if Russia had invaded as it did a year ago. That perspective is still evident on the network, where many guests talk about the importance of Ukraine aid.
Carlson is imitating Trump and questioning whether the US should take a stand against Russia, since it is in conflict with the US.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump’s current chief rival as they look ahead to the 2024 presidential race, represents the evolution in his own policy positions, as CNN’s KFile notes: “DeSantis wanted to send weapons to Ukraine when he was a congressman – as a presidential hopeful he questions US involvement.”
Trump will appear this weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference, long a major stop for potential Republican presidential candidates. The other major announced candidate, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, will also attend.
As he prepares to launch his campaign, DeSantis is skipping the event to promote his new book. He’ll also pop into a private retreat for the anti-tax Club for Growth in Palm Beach, Florida, where he can hobnob with donors, according to Politico.
CNN interviewed two dozen or so lawmakers that they described as “hardcore Trump supporters, people who are members of the Freedom Caucus, and people who were essentially his biggest defenders during his four years in office.”
“The overriding concern among Republicans: They are concerned about Trump’s viability as a candidate,” Raju said. They are worried that he could give Joe Biden another four years in the White House, after he underperformed in the last three election cycles.
Several members of the Freedom Caucus were in Florida to talk to Governor DeSantis, rather than meet with Trump. They were impressed with what they saw.
Fox News vs. Capitol Police: Mitch McConnell defended the Jan. 6 Capitol Security-Tapes Tucker Carlson and the Chief of the Capitol Police
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell joined a chorus of widespread attacks on Fox News host Tucker Carlson for his portrayal of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol since he accessed more than 40,000 hours of security footage.
The security tape surrounding the attack was only granted to Carlson and his team because of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, causing concern that the tapes would be used to spread misinformation.
McConnell said that he and his colleagues agreed with remarks made by the Chief of U.S. Capitol Police, who criticized Carlson’s conclusions about the siege. He held up Manger’s one-page statement — called “Truth & Justice” — near the Senate chamber on Tuesday.
McConnell said it was a mistake for Fox News to depict this in a way that was different from the law enforcement official at the Capitol.
“TV commentary will not record the truth for our history books,” Manger said in closing. The justice system is bound to do that. The truth and justice are on our side.
“Clearly the chief of the Capitol Police, in my view, correctly describes what most of us witnessed firsthand on January 6. So that’s my reaction to it,” he said.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/07/1161686255/fox-tucker-carlson-jan-6-security-tapes-mcconnell-manger
The Fox News Story: A Tale of Two Misleading Cable News Menaces and One Explanation for Two Of His Misdemeanors
Democrats warned that it was a dangerous move. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer doubled down on those concerns speaking to reporters after McConnell’s remarks.
Schumer claimed that Fox News aired one of the “most shameful hours” in cable TV history. “Tucker Carlson is a propagandist publicly pretending to be a newsman.”
This article was first published in theReliable Sources newsletter. The daily digest will chronicle the evolving media landscape here.
Hundreds of pages are the amount of legal filings. For days and weeks to come, journalists will be sifting through them. Here are some immediate conclusions.
The top was angry. “I hate our Decision Desk people!” Fox Corp. boss Rupert Murdoch wrote on Nov. 7, the night the networks projected Biden would prevail nationally. “Just for the hell of it, still praying for Az to prove them wrong!” he stated to the editor of The New York Post.
Murdoch wanted to help his friend. In his deposition, Murdoch was asked why he divulged confidential campaign ad information to Kushner. Murdoch said he was trying to help the man. “he’s a friend of mine.”
What Do Fox News Reporters Really Know about Corrupt Practices in Biden’s Era? A Post-Trump Debate with J.D. Bartiromo
Bartiromo told her staff to keep the Democrat out of the picture when the election was called for Biden. “I want to see massive fraud exposed … I told my team we are not allowed to say pres elect at [all]. Not in the script or on the air. Bartiromo wrote that she was scared and sad and until this moves through the courts. Bannon said she is a “fighter” and that the movement needed her. “Ok,” Bartiromo replied.
Reporters said they were being punished simply for doing their jobs. One producer told colleagues he was quitting because he could not justify working for Fox anymore.
The network’s CEO, Suzanne Scott, said that she couldn’t defend the reporters who did not understand the viewers and how to handle the stories.
The level of discovery in this case — an avalanche of evidence — would trigger disclosures that would make any news organization quail. But legal observers say Dominion has put together a powerhouse case.
Carlson wrote he didn’t trust attorney Sidney Powell, who appeared on Fox repeatedly to allege Dominion committed fraud against Trump. Ingraham called her “a bit nuts.” (Separately, Carlson wrote to an associate, “I hate [Trump] passionately.”)
Yet they reserved their anger for their reporting colleagues, mocking, for example, Arnon Mishkin, the director of the Fox News Decision Desk. She said that Musskin always made her skin crawl.
“It should be,” Carlson responded. “They allow Chris Wallace and Leland to wreck it, because we devote our lives to building an audience.”
And CEO Suzanne Scott and Fox News President Jay Wallace, the network’s executive editor, exchanged irate notes a few days later after appearances by White House reporter Kristin Fisher.
Fisher appeared on Dana Perino’s afternoon program to debunk claims made by Rudy Giuliani. “That was certainly a colorful news conference from Rudy Giuliani but it was light on facts,” Fisher told viewers that night. Much of what he said was not true, and that has been thrown out in court. She got to the truth of many of Giuliani’s claims.
A Fox Corp. staffer warned of “a backlash from the pro-Trump orbit,” citing social media posts from a trio of right-wing commentators who have spread baseless conspiracy theories.
The theme again came up on December 9 when reporter Gillen Turner wrote to Fisher saying that she was no longer being asked to be a host on Fox & Friends. That makes us two! Fisher was texting. It’s a network. I’m not being allowed to speak.
In late November, Hannity chatted by text with Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy. He sent a picture of his turkey. “This year is gonna suck my friend,” Hannity texted Doocy. “News destroyed us.”
Turner isn’t the only one who left for a software technology company. Now with News Nation, Leland Vittert did the same. Fisher worked at Fox before moving to CNN.
Phil Vogel wrote he was taking a pay cut and forgoing six weeks paid leave to get out. The birth of my daughter gave me the idea that “voter fraud” was the end of the coverage of it. While trying to teach my daughter to do what is right, I realized I couldn’t defend my employer.
The Arizona network took two hours of political news programs and gave them to opinion hosts, it laid off a significant number of writers and reporters and it forced out Managing Editor Bill Sammon, who had been a part of the decision desk team.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/08/1161694400/fox-news-lawsuit-civil-war-ingraham-hannity
Carlson’s claim that the insurrection was actually a harmless ambling of peaceful protesters is a false accusation of the FBI
Carlson moved on to new conspiracy theories, claiming that Trump’s supporters were going to block the congressional certification of Biden’s victory. Carlson has implied that it was organized by the FBI. This week, he relied on snippets of official video released to him by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, to contend falsely that the insurrection represented the harmless ambling of peaceful protesters.