For regular followers of Media Matters for America, it’s old news that the George Soros-funded liberal attack group sees the Fox News Channel as the root of all evil. But Media Matters also apparently believes everyone Fox News employs — even a career journalist known for his fairness — is fair game for character assassination. (Did Howard Kurtz take a veiled shot at Dick Morris?)
A June 20 post by Media Matters’ Oliver Willis seemed to suggest as much. In the piece, Willis went all the way back to 2005 to argue that recent Fox News hire Ed Henry, formerly of CNN, has always been on the side of conservatives with his reporting. The post drew the ire of CNN “Reliable Sources” host Howard Kurtz.
“Here’s what I didn’t like: CNN’s Ed Henry, one of the fairest journalists I know, is moving to Fox News as chief White House correspondent, something of a coup for Fox,” Kurtz said on his Sunday show. “But that prompted the liberal advocacy group Media Matters to take a few swipes at Henry. Six years ago he described a Democratic proposal to withdraw from Iraq this way, quote: ‘Some have referred to this as the cut-and-run provision.’ Was that a Republican talking point? He made clear it was one faction’s description. Plus, as a member of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Henry defended Fox’ right to inherit a front-row briefing room seat.”
Kurtz concluded the criticism was unfair.
“Come on, just by taking a job at Fox, Ed Henry didn’t automatically become an unfair and unbalanced guy,” Kurtz said.