Is it ethical for one network to try to scare off a competitor's sponsors? The question arises because MSNBC's Joe Scarborough sought today to scare off Fox News sponsors. At the beginning of today's Morning Joe, Scarborough, speaking of Fox News, said:
"We’ll worry about our channel and let them worry about their channel."
But Scarborough soon went back on his word. Just moments later, he actively tried to warn sponsors away from Fox News, saying:
"Fox News had someone I know, a former leader of the Republican Party, saying that Democrats wanted—and I’m using his words here—Democrats wanted to, quote, exterminate, exterminate all Republicans.
"Let me say that again for Fox News sponsors. To let you know. For Fox News sponsors, to let you know what’s happening now on Fox News. That they're getting people who are Fox News contributors, who are saying that Democrats, Joe Biden and Democrats, want to, quote, exterminate all Republicans."
Although Scarborough never named the Fox News contributor in question, he was alluding to Newt Gingrich, who said on last night's Hannity:
"I think you're seeing the hysteria of the Biden system. Because it’s not really about Biden himself. It’s his entire team around him who are radicals, who believe that they could exterminate the Republicans. That would be one way to get to 'unity.'
"As a New York Times columnist wrote this morning, if Biden really wanted unity, he could start by lynching Vice-president Pence. This gives you a sense of the ferocity, and the anger, and the hatred that underlies the modern left."
The New York Times contributor in question was Will Wilkinson, who had indeed tweeted, "If Biden really wanted unity, he'd lynch Mike Pence." Wilkinson later apologized, claiming he had been joking.
The Niskanen Center think tank where Wilkinson had been a vice-president subsequently announced that it had cut ties with him. But as of this morning, Wilkinson's column archive is still up at the New York Times.
If Scarborough wants to attack a media outlet, perhaps he should turn his attention to the New York Times, which apparently continues to harbor Wilkinson, rather than to Fox News, where Gingrich quoted Wilkinson accurately.
Finally, is there anything more tiresome than MSNBC or CNN complaining about Fox News? Who can take that seriously? It's like Pepsi putting out a report on Coke and expecting to be taken seriously. You're competitors! We know why CNN and MSNBC are jealous of Fox.
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough trying to scare off Fox News sponsors was sponsored in part by GoDaddy, Lexus, and Johnson & Johnson, maker of Neutrogena
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Morning Joe
1/22/21
6:15 am ETJOE SCARBOROUGH: There have been things said on Fox News the last couple days that are shocking. I’m absolutely flabbergasted that anybody running Fox News would allow some of those statements to be said. Seeming to inspire an insurrection against the United States. But we’ll worry about our channel and let them worry about their channel.
. . .
I talked briefly before, and I don't want to get into because I don't want to give people the attention that they probably want. But I will say, Fox News had someone I know, a former leader of the Republican party, saying that Democrats wanted—and I’m using his words here—Democrats wanted to, quote, exterminate, exterminate all Republicans.
Let me say that again for Fox News sponsors. To let you know. For Fox News sponsors, to let you know what’s happening now on Fox News. That they're getting people who are Fox News contributors, who are saying that Democrats, Joe Biden and Democrats, want to, quote, exterminate all Republicans.
