NBC News anchor Lester Holt declared that media “fairness is overrated” Tuesday night while accepting the Edward R. Murrow Award.
“I think it’s become clearer that fairness is overrated,” Holt said at the 45th Murrow Symposium before offering to “explain a bit” before people “run off and tweet that headline.”
WATCH:
Nightly News anchor @LesterHoltNBC accepts Edward R. Murrow Award and proclaims “fairness is overrated,” insists it’s not necessary to “always give two sides equal weight and merit” pic.twitter.com/IwI6yA7DAF
— Kyle Drennen (@kjdrennen) March 31, 2021
“The idea that we should all give two sides equal weight and merit does not reflect the world we find ourselves in,” he said. “That the sun sets in the West is a fact. Any contrary view does not deserve our time or attention.”
Instead of being specific, the NBC anchor referred to “more current and relevant examples, if you get my point.”
“Decisions to not give unsupported arguments equal time are not a dereliction of journalistic responsibility or some kind of agenda, in fact, it’s just the opposite,” Holt continued. “Providing an open platform for misinformation, for anyone to come say whatever they want, especially when issues of public health and safety are at stake, can be quite dangerous.”
Holt called on media to be “fair to the truth” and “hear our leaders’ views, their policies and reasoning,” but also to “stand ready to push back and call out falsehoods.” (RELATED: Bill Maher Says America Is Becoming Segregated Again, And Leftists Are To Blame)
A September 2020 poll from Gallup/Knight Foundation found an overwhelming majority of Americans, 86%, think the media is biased.