Fox News Crosses the Line

Posted on July 11, 2005

For those that literally couldn't believe what they were hearing, Media Matters has posted the transcripts of the outrageous comments made by various Fox News anchors during their reporting on the 7/7 London Bombing attacks. There are so many appalling quotes, it's hard to pick just one.

First up is Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume who immediately saw a way to make a buck off the death and suffering of people hit by the terrorist bombs.

"I mean, my first thought when I heard -- just on a personal basis, when I heard there had been this attack and I saw the futures this morning, which were really in the tank, I thought, 'Hmmm, time to buy.'"

To make such a disgustingly callous comment on air is really beyond the pale. But it gets worse. During the breaking news coverage of the attacks on Fox News' Fox & Friends, we were treated to an unbelievable exchange between Fox News host Brian Kilmeade and Fox News business contributor (and former co-host of CNN's Moneyline) Stuart Varney:

KILMEADE: And he [British Prime Minister Tony Blair] made the statement, clearly shaken, but clearly determined. This is his second address in the last hour. First to the people of London, and now at the G8 summit, where their topic Number 1--believe it or not--was global warming, the second was African aid. And that was the first time since 9-11 when they should know, and they do know now, that terrorism should be Number 1. But it's important for them all to be together. I think that works to our advantage, in the Western world's advantage, for people to experience something like this together, just 500 miles from where the attacks have happened.
VARNEY: It puts the Number 1 issue right back on the front burner right at the point where all these world leaders are meeting. It takes global warming off the front burner. It takes African aid off the front burner. It sticks terrorism and the fight on the war on terror, right up front all over again.
KILMEADE: Yeah.

This was during breaking news coverage, when many Americans were tuning in to make sure vacationing friends and relatives were safe in London. And what do they hear? What a great thing the bombings are because it will knock the global warming discussions off the front page. Where is the FCC now? To mock a country's dead and wounded during the tragedy to discuss the perceived financial or political benefits of terrorism: now that's what I call indecent.