Biodun.BBC: fox news

Monday, March 18, 2019

Trump favorite Fox News hires ex-Democrat leader Donna Brazile

Date created : 19/03/2019 - 02:35 GMT/ZULU

Donna Brazile, a former Democratic Party operative, will be a commentator on Fox News, the cable channel preferred by her party's political nemesis, Donald Trump AFP/File

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New York

by Tamara Kachelmeier and Biodun Iginla, France24 Media reporters

Former Democratic National Committee leader Donna Brazile agreed Monday to become a commentator for Fox News, in a move highlighting how American politics can make truly strange bedfellows.

Brazile, who has served as interim DNC chair, will be joining the cable news channel preferred by her party's nemesis, President Donald Trump.

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Brazile, 59, said in a statement she was "excited by the opportunity" and hoped she could "help shape the dialogue at this important juncture in our history."

The move comes amid ongoing attacks by the White House at much of the mainstream media, including Fox News rival CNN, which Trump has labeled as "fake news" over its coverage of politics.

Brazile, who served as a campaign manager for Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore, said she hoped to help tone down the heated rhetoric in politics in the runup to the 2020 election.

"My mother tried to teach us Brazile kids a lesson we all need to heed as citizens: Listen more, talk less," she said.

"Be civil to one another. Find common ground. Contempt is hatred towards others. These are the lessons and the attitude I will bring to Fox News."

The longtime political operative said she hoped her presence would reduce the effect of the "filter bubble" in which people read or view news from a single perspective.

"My beliefs will be challenged, and I welcome it," she wrote.

"Will I agree with my fellow commentators at Fox News? Probably not. But I will listen."

Brazile previously worked as an analyst for CNN, which parted ways with her after hacked emails released by WikiLeaks showed that she shared questions with Hillary Clinton's campaign during the Democratic primary campaign ahead of events sponsored by the network.

The move to Fox comes just a week after a New Yorker investigative report claiming that the network blocked the airing of a report ahead of the 2016 election on Trump's hush money payments to help the Republican candidate.

The story by Jane Mayer suggested that Fox News, controlled by Trump ally Rupert Murdoch, has effectively become a propaganda arm of the White House.

But Trump in recent days criticized some Fox hosts and pressed the network to bring back a show from Jeanine Pirro after her comments criticizing a Muslim member of Congress.

Some reports said Pirro was suspended, but Fox declined to comment.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

BREAKING: Kaitlan Collins: Row over CNN reporter's White House ban

Media captionCNN reporter asks Trump about Cohen

by Melissa Gruz and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Washington DC

A CNN reporter has been barred from a White House event for asking Donald Trump "inappropriate" questions.

Kaitlan Collins said she was excluded from a Rose Garden event after asking about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Trump's ex-lawyer.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the reporter had shouted questions and refused to leave.

President Trump has repeatedly attacked CNN as "fake news" and has refused to take questions from CNN reporters.

Ms Collins attended a photo opportunity with Mr Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday.

She was acting as the White House pool reporter - one of a rotating group of journalists, who will attend an event and write a report which all other networks can use.

This system allows networks to share the burden of covering the president.

Ms Collins said she had tried to ask Mr Trump questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin's postponed visit and recently released tapes documenting a conversation with lawyer Michael Cohen.

The president reportedly ignored the questions. Shortly afterwards, Ms Collins was barred from a Rose Garden press event with Mr Trump and Mr Juncker.

"They said that the questions I asked were inappropriate for that venue," Ms Collins told CNN.

A fight he can win

Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

Donald Trump's feud with the press is nothing new. Back in 2016 his presidential campaign barred publications from his rallies after they ran critical articles.

Perhaps some thought that, as president, Mr Trump would behave differently. But on this, as in countless other areas, President Trump operates just like Candidate Trump.

In fact, hostilities may be growing. The president bashes the media in speeches and tweets. He refers to a growing number of outlets as "enemies of the American people". He has refused to call on certain reporters during media availability. His press office has limited access to some smaller briefings.

Now an individual reporter has been blocked from a major presidential event - for shouting questions even though the president often answers such call-outs.

The White House says it is frustrated by what it views as reflexively hostile media coverage. It points to instances where reporters got stories wrong or amplified inaccurate reports on social media.

There may be a larger strategy at play, however. Mr Trump often seems intent on needling the media into righteous outrage, focusing their attention inward instead of on stories that could damage his administration.

The public at large doesn't have much sympathy for the journalists these days. The president may feel that a conflict with the media pack is one he can win.

Ms Sanders said a reporter, whom she does not name, has refused to leave after shouting questions, and "was not welcome to participate in the next event" - although colleagues from her network could do so.

In a video posted on Twitter by another reporter, Ms Collins can be heard asking questions along with other pool reporters.

CNN condemned the ban as "retaliatory" and "not indicative of an open and free press". The White House Correspondents Association called it "wrongheaded, and weak".

Traditional rival Fox News also attacked the ban.

"We stand in strong solidarity with CNN for the right to full access for our journalists as part of a free and unfettered press," network president Jay Wallace said in a statement.

Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier retweeted CNN's statement about the ban, saying his network "stands firmly" with the rivals.

Mr Trump is a noted supporter of Fox News, and has appeared on the network for a number of interviews.

The president has publicly criticised a number of major media outlets, notably CNN and the New York Times.

On his visit to the UK, Mr Trump attacked an article in The Sun on the same grounds, although retracted his statement after speaking to a reporter from the paper.