With a few hours apart, today Monday two news networks on the US scene, Fox News and CNN, announced the dismissal of two main faces of their news presenters.
The first was Fox, which issued a statement informing that the company and the controversial Tucker Carlson, a well-known far-right figure in the world who is very close to former President Donald Trump, agreed to “separate each other.” In American business parlance, this concept means a virtual layoff.
The network made the announcement less than a week after it agreed to pay $787.5 million in a defamation lawsuit in which Carlson’s show, one of the highest-rated shows on Fox, was featured prominently for its role in broadcasting. of fake news after the 2020 presidential election.
according to the newspaper The New York Times, Carlson was not warned Monday morning that his time at Fox News was up. He did not find out until he arrived at the station, two people with knowledge of the facts informed the newspaper.
Justin Wells, the executive producer of “Tucker Carlson Tonight”, also suffered the same fate: he is no longer employed by Fox News, the same sources guaranteed. Wells has worked closely with Carlson since the latter began his primetime show in 2016.
Shortly after, CNN reported in a statement that it had reached an agreement to “separate” from host Don Lemon, a star on the network at the helm of a daily show on political issues.
The journalist had been under fire since February for derogatory comments of his about women and the elderly. Lemon said on air that Nikki Haley, the 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate, “isn’t in her prime, I’m sorry.”
“A woman is considered to be in her prime between her 20s and 30s, maybe her 40s,” while dismissing the objections of her fellow show hosts with “I’m just saying what the facts are: Google them.” ”. She later apologized to the CNN newsroom and agreed to attend a training program to address her on-air behavior.
CNN President Chris Licht issued a conciliatory statement. “CNN and Don have parted ways. Don will always be a part of the CNN family, and we thank you for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him the best and we will encourage him in his future projects”, he specified.
That language was in stark contrast to the interpretation of Lemon, who in a message on his account said he found out about the firing from his agent.
“I am stunned,” he wrote. “After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly. At no time did they give me any indication that I would not be able to continue doing the work that I have loved at the network.”
But CNN disputed the account, saying the host “was offered the opportunity to meet with management, but instead issued a statement on Twitter.”
Lemon plans to go to court. He has hired the notorious lawyer for Hollywood stars, the aggressive Bryan Freedman, to handle his exit. His contract with CNN runs through 2026 with approximately $20 million still to be collected, two informed sources told The New York Times.
Hours earlier, Lemon had appeared on the air in his usual presenter’s chair on “CNN This Morning”, the show he has hosted since November with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. But she showed no signs of anxiety and waved goodbye to the onlookers with a smile and a “Bye, everyone.”
Several analysts have commented that both layoffs are attempts by both networks to shift their news coverage to the center in view of the proximity of a presidential campaign that appears to be quite close and politicized.
