Former Fox News commentator’s mug shot
Apparently Fox News Channel isn’t happy with our coverage of the National Rifle Association convention.
And you know how when you don’t like how Fox News has covered a story, you just send them a note and tell them to add something to their story and they’ll do it? No? Well that’s what Fox News Channel told me to do.
Yesterday I received an email from Caroline Shanahan, senior PR director, Fox News Channel. Here’s what she wrote to me:
“I am reaching out about your story below. Can you please add the language from Oliver North’s press release from earlier today? See below.”
She was was referring to our story “Convicted felon named new NRA president” that was about Fox News commentator and convicted Iran-Contra felon Oliver North being named the new NRA president. North was convicted of selling arms to Iran to fund a war in Nicaragua. (And yes, I know the convictions were later vacated by a judge.)
Here’s the totally extraneous piece Shanahan wanted me to add:
“North said he was eager to take on this new role as soon as his business affairs were put in order. North is retiring from Fox News, effective immediately. ‘I am honored to have been selected by the NRA Board to soon serve as this great organization’s President,’ North said. ‘I appreciate the board initiating a process that affords me a few weeks to set my affairs in order, and I am eager to hit the ground running as the new NRA President.'”
Thank you Fox News for fixing our coverage of your former employee, Iran-Contra felon (yes, I know the convictions were vacated) Oliver North. You must be in a real quandary right now seeing how Fox & Friends co-host Donald Trump just pulled out of that Iran treaty and North was caught selling them arms. I was surprised they didn’t want me to add, “emails, Hillary, Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi.”
And just to be clear, Shanahan represents Fox News Channel, the fair and balanced people on cable. The email most definitely did not come from our friends at Fox4 in Dallas. I must make the distinction, because Channel 4, the local Fox affiliate, employs a team of talented and respected journalists who work hard to report the news accurately every day and doesn’t employ a single convicted felon (yes, I know, vacated) among its on-air staff.
— David Taffet
I see nothing wrong with this. They asked you to please add the language to your story. They did not “tell you” to do it.
I would think you would see this as pretty cool that a national cable network not only noticed your posting but cared enough to ask you to add something to it.
It seems to me that you may be a bit touchy over the whole vacated felony charges correction that people pointed out.
Once the convictions were vacated he was no longer a convicted felon. Do you think those who were convicted under anti-homosexuality laws now overturned should be labeled as convicts in the press?