Yesterday, CNN reported that Fox hosts and personalities had been ordered not to name the person rumored to be the whistleblower.
Less than 24 hours later, a Fox guest said the name on-air. mediamatters.org/trump-impeachm…
Less than 24 hours later, a Fox guest said the name on-air. mediamatters.org/trump-impeachm…
This was inevitable. Fox doesn’t have, or doesn’t enforce, standards the way a normal news outlet does. And its business model is built on hosting right-wing bomb throwers and conspiracy theorists whose careers revolve around making wildly offensive and abhorrent comments
The incident today followed several in which Fox hosts told readers to use Google to find the name, cited details from a story purporting to identify him, and even claimed to have confirmed the story.
Whatever Fox is doing in order to enforce its supposed ban, it isn’t getting the job done.
But then, the primary goal of Fox’s coverage since the whistleblower story first broke in September has been to run damage control for the president by any means necessary, including by smearing the person who first brought it to light.
And so it’s no surprise that its personalities would adhere to that essential aim, rather than sticking to the network’s supposed journalistic standards.
