CNN’s chief media correspondent Brian Stelter suggested Wednesday afternoon that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) made a logical decision in not allowing Fox News to host a primary debate. He supported their decision, claiming that Democrats get “attacked relentlessly” on the network.
DNC Chairman Tom Perez released a statement about the DNC’s decision earlier in the day, saying that Fox News is “not in a position to host a fair and neutral debate.”
Perez’s decision is predicated on reporting from earlier this week by Jane Mayer of The New Yorker, which alleged that Fox News has become a propaganda outlet for the Trump administration. (RELATED: NYT Reporter Says Fox News ‘Is Not A News Network)
WATCH:
“Jane Mayer’s story pulled a lot of different threads together, much of it reported before, but she tied it together in a bow and got the attention of a lot of Democrats and a lot of progressives who said why in the world would the Democratic National Committee ever think about giving a debate to Fox News,” Stelter began.
He continued:
Brianna, if we’re realistic about this, it is true Fox has journalists like Bret Baier who do a good job, but every night in prime time, Democrats are dehumanized, they’re attacked relentlessly by Fox News prime time hosts. It was always hard for me to imagine a Democratic primary debate taking place in those hours when figures like Nancy Pelosi and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez are constantly demonized and attacked.
Stelter also reported that the Dems will host their first primary debate on NBC in June and their second on CNN in July.
Fox News Senior Vice President Bill Sammon slammed the DNC’s decision pointing out that Chris Wallace, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum “embody the ultimate journalistic integrity and professionalism.”