This blog would like to give Page Hopkins a big thumbs up and “Way to go!” for doing the right thing, and journalistically correct thing, this morning on ‘Fox & friends 1st’ as she read the news and included the name of Matthew Murray while updating the new information on the Colorado shootings.
Page Hopkins bucked the trend on F&F of their ill advised choosing to refuse to say the name of Matthew Murray while reporting on this story. Page was filling in for Alisyn Camerota this morning on F&F1st. Later in the morning during F&F Gretchen Carlson took over the headline news update duties, normally done by Camerota. While doing the updates Carlson continued her refusal to say Murray’s name. This F&F boycott of Murray’s name was furthered by now the screen graphics not listing his name. Later in the show when Carlson, Doocy and Kilmeade interviewed guest Jeanine Pirro about the legalities of carrying a gun and shooting in defense of others, the hosts still would not say Murray’s name, referring to him only as ‘the shooter’.
This blogger has noticed that the other anchors and reporters on Fox News (or CNN) continue to mention Murray when discussing the story. It is heartening to not see other journalists not falling down this rabbithole.
On Alisyn Camerota’s blog she posted that on Monday and Tuesday there was a heated debate between the hosts and the producers on the subject of this refusal to state Murray’s name. It seems that the producers feel it their responsiblity to provide all the information. Carlson and Camerota believe “it’s our responsibility to do whatever we can to avoid giving any unhinged, disturbed person incentive to go off the deep end.” Camerota then asked for comments of the blog readers. There have been in excess of 50 comments. The majority of the comments seem to be in support of the Carlson/Camerota position.
If F&F chooses to cater to the whims of the viewers and continues to fail to do their journalistic duty in reporting all of the news, one can only believe that the executive producer of ‘Fox & friends’ and the management of Fox News no longer care about the program being a crediable news source and have ceded editoral control of the show to Gretchen Carlson.
One wonders how Doocy and Kilmeade feel about having become sidekicks on Carlson’s show?
One Eyed Man
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