The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Fox News has given a reporting gig to Doug McKelway, a former ABC anchor for the network's D.C. affiliate.
McKelway took heat from higher-ups after accurately reporting on President Obama's ties to oil giant BP and on the inevitable effects of the president's proposed energy policies (higher electricity rates). McKelway was fired after a confrontation with the ABC affiliate's news director Bill Lord.
As the Post reported it:
WJLA fired McKelway after a verbal confrontation this summer with the station's news director, Bill Lord. The run-in followed McKelway's coverage of a Capitol Hill protest by environmental and religious groups that were protesting oil-industry contributions to elected officials.
McKelway focused his coverage on Democrats, reporting that the protest "may be a risky strategy because the one man who has more campaign contributions from BP than anybody else in history is now sitting in the Oval Office, President Barack Obama."
Lord questioned McKelway's reporting and asked to meet with him. A shouting match between the men ensued, leading to McKelway's suspension. He was eventually terminated for what the station called insubordination and misconduct.
McKelway has been critical of what he views as liberal favoritism in TV news reporting. When he left WRC/Channel 4 after nine years to join WJLA in 2001, he said in a newspaper article that the station's reporting often lacked "balance."
And the station went right ahead and proved him right by reprimanding him for reporting the truth. McKelway's comments about BP's contributions to Obama's campaign were right on, and Obama himself had admitted that under his cap and trade plan, "electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket."
Hopefully Fox lets McKelway report facts like these without reservation.
