Fox News host Howard Kurtz shared his thoughts on the revelation that fellow host Sean Hannity is Michael Cohen’s client, contending that disclosing that relationship earlier would have benefitted Hannity personally and professionally.
“Here’s the problem: Hannity needed to inform his viewers,” Kurtz said. He went on to describe Hannity’s coverage of the FBI raids on Cohen, adding that “his viewers didn’t know he was talking about a friend who has given him legal advice. That was a mistake.”
Kurtz also detailed the glee with which Hannity’s competitors, ranging from MSNBC host Rachel Maddow to late night host Jimmy Kimmel, have received the news, arguing that Hannity made himself an easy target.
“Hannity doesn’t believe his friendship with Cohen rose to that level,” Kurtz said of Hannity’s choice to neither disclose the relationship nor recuse himself from reporting on Cohen. “But by making that choice, he gave his detractors ample ammunition against him.”
h/t The Hill.
Kurtz is attempting to show that there is a shred of journalistic professionalism and responsibility at Fox. Maybe there is, but it’s a very threadbare shred. And it’s only tolerated so that the network can make some pretense of being a news outlet.
‘It didn’t rise to that level’ but apparently rose to the level of Attorney-Client privilege so keep my name out of it. Can’t have it both ways. If he wasn’t your attorney then anything that was swept up in that raid with your name on it should be fair game for review by the prosecutors, right?
Not how it works. It isn’t enough to disclose the relationship. You’re not supposed to have the relationship with people you’re covering whether you’re doing straight news, opinion, whatever. A “friend” is by definition someone you’re partial to, as in not impartial. Redo the assignment, Kurtz. This is not acceptable work.
Hannity is not even dead yet and the vulture is pecking out his eyes. Sad on so many levels.
Just to correct Howie…the ‘glee’ came AFTER the revelation and Hannity’s ‘I deserve a little privacy’ BS…