Howard Kurtz glossed over the substantive criticisms Jon Stewart leveled at Fox News over its Ferguson coverage in order to gloat over the fact that Stewart acknowledged "that time you were right."
Kurtz concluded his MediaBuzz show with a response to Jon Stewart’s epic takedown of Fox News last week. In case you missed it, Stewart razzed Fox for its (hypocritical) self-righteousness over the Department of Justice's vindication of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed Michael Brown (video below).
Kurtz somehow missed the point.
Kurtz: He’s all wound up because Megyn Kelly’s been making the point that many other media outlets bought into the false Ferguson narrative of “Hands up, don’t shoot,” while she and I and other Fox folks said, “Let’s not rush to judgment in the Michael Brown shooting.” So Stewart does a riff about how Fox isn’t shy about rushing to judgment, in his view, then he zeroes in on a segment, featuring me.
Kurtz played a clip of Stewart mocking Kurtz and Kelly by saying, “That is newsworthy when Fox is right and cause for celebration.” And, in honor of “that time you were right,” Stewart awarded them a Fudgie the Whale cake with “You were right!” written on it.
“Why, that’s very fair and balanced of you, Jon,” Kurtz said. “By the way, I personally don’t care who gives Fox credit, just that journalists should own up to their missteps on a story the magnitude of Ferguson.”
Well, if you want to talk fair and balanced, Howie…
As Heather at Crooks and Liars pointed out, it has not been proven that Michael Brown did not have his hands up, as Megyn Kelly keeps sneering. What the Department of Justice found is that they couldn’t prove or disprove it.
Secondly, as Stewart noted in a previous skewering of Fox on Ferguson, Fox has consistently ignored the other DOJ report, the one that found shocking racism on the part of the Ferguson police and that gave credence to the protesters’ grievances.
Thirdly, does Kurtz really think Fox doesn't rush to judgment? Stewart brilliantly made the point by citing Fox’s obsession with Benghazi. I’ve pointed out that Kelly spent at least 45 segments accusing Holder of refusing to prosecute some members of the New Black Panther Party because of racial preference – only to drop her obsession once it had been disproven. If Kelly has ever apologized to Holder for those wrongful accusations, I’ve missed it. And she still considers her so-called whistleblower for the story a legitimate source for more racial attacks on Holder.
And how about Donald Trump’s utterly bogus birther attacks on President Obama? Let me know if I missed Fox’s apology for that, Howie. And also, please explain why it is that Trump is still considered a credible pundit on Fox.
Kurtz concluded Stewart had acknowledged Fox was right about Ferguson and was merely unhappy about that – while conveniently ignoring Stewart’s larger, less flattering points about Fox - including Fox's ludicrous braggadocio that prompted the Fudgie the Whale cake.
KURTZ: Now I know it really bugs you to have to celebrate Fox. So, thanks for the cake. Victory tastes sweet when it’s served with all that chocolaty sarcasm. Here’s to you, Jon.
Kurtz held up a chocolate donut and took a taste.
Watch it below, from the March 29 MediaBuzz, via Crooks and Liars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_News_Corp
In the bogus world of Kurtz, his FOX “news” paycheck means more to him than critical media analysis and honesty.