CNN Host Goes After Fox News' Sean Hannity For 'Not Recognizing Journalism' In Interview W/ Monica

CNN Host Goes After Fox News' Sean Hannity For 'Not Recognizing Journalism' In Interview W/ Monica

CNN's Brian Stelter slammed Sean Hannity on Sunday for "some pretty striking sins of omission,” saying the Fox News Host does not recognize "real journalism." The “Reliable Sources” host blasted Hannity for an interview last week with Monica Crowley. “What Crowley called a campaign, a hit job [is] what most of us call journalism. Hannity does not recognize real journalism. Rather than asking why she plagiarized, he did the opposite,” Stelter said. Hannity landed the first interview with Crowley after she withdrew from consideration for a White House position two months ago amid a plagiarism scandal. Hannity sympathized with Crowley, saying she was "viciously attacked,” and suggesting that those who question her “can go straight to hell.”

Crowley denied any wrongdoing, saying on Hannity's show she was the victim of a “straight-up political hit job.” Stelter, however, fired back on Sunday, saying “there’s no doubt she plagiarized.” “By trying to rehab his friend's reputation on TV without honestly addressing what went wrong, he's allowing for really low standards,” Stelter said. “He should be encouraging high standards for conservative commentators. High ethical and moral standards to win the battle of ideas, but no.” Stelter also accused Hannity of feeding conspiracy theories. “He's so anti-journalism he's been fanning this conspiracy theory that suggests Americans conducted cyberattacks and made it look like Russia's fault,” Stelter added.

Then-President-elect Donald Trump tapped Crowley to serve as his national security spokeswoman, but she withdrew from consideration in January following reports of plagiarism in her books and her Ph.D. dissertation in 2000. CNN’s Brian Stelter argued this morning that Fox’s Sean Hannity harbors a disdain for journalism that does a disservice to his viewers. For months now, Hannity has been decrying the media as “alt-left radical propaganda,” mainly citing WikiLeaks’ revelations about people in certain news organizations as the reason why the press simply cannot be trusted. Hannity’s been critical of CNN in particular, and he and Stelter have feuded in the past. Stelter argued this morning that Hannity is doing a disservice to his viewers. He cited the interview he did with Monica Crowley last week where she decried the “despicable straight-up political hit job” that tanked her appointment to a White House position. Reports found that Crowley had plagiarized a number of times, and Stelter said Hannity avoided that issue in a serious “sin of omission.” “Hannity does not recognize real journalism,” he said. “He actively opposes real journalism.” He also slammed Hannity for pushing a conspiracy theory about the CIA and Russia, saying “it’s too bad Hannity didn’t interview one of those real reporters, maybe he would have learned something.” BRIAN STELTER (HOST): What [Monica] Crowley called a campaign, a hit job, is what most of us call journalism. But Hannity does not recognize real journalism. He actively opposes real journalism. So rather than asking Crowley about why she plagiarized, he did the opposite. Hannity never used the p-word at all. He never explained why Crowley really lost her job. Instead he said that a mutual friend debunked those unspoken charges, and that wasn't true either. This kind of stuff hurts Hannity's viewers. By trying to rehab his friend's reputation on TV, by bringing her back on the set without honestly addressing what went wrong, Hannity is allowing for really low standards. He should be encouraging high standards for conservative commentators, high ethical and moral standards to win the battle of ideas, but no. Let me show you another example. Hannity is so anti-journalism that he's been fanning this conspiracy theory that suggests Americans conducted cyber attacks and made it look like Russia's fault. All part of a plot to make Trump look bad.

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