Lawyers for Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation sent a sternly worded letter to media watchdog organization Media Matters for America on Friday, demanding it stop drip-feeding embarrassing behind-the-scenes videos of Tucker Carlson.
The leaked clips have, among other things, shown Carlson asking Piers Morgan about sexual techniques, trashing Fox’s own streaming service, and making creepy comments about “premenopausal” fans and women having pillow fights.
“The unaired footage is FOX’s confidential intellectual property,” the company’s lawyers wrote to Media Matters. “FOX did not consent to its distribution or publication; and FOX does not consent to its further distribution or publication. This proprietary material was given to you without FOX’s authorization.
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“FOX demands that Media Matters cease and desist from distribution, publication, and misuse of Fox’s misappropriated proprietary footage, which you are now on notice was unlawfully obtained.”
In a statement to The Daily Beast, Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone said it was “absurd” for Fox to suggest that leaked materials are off-limits for reporters.
“Reporting on newsworthy leaked material is a cornerstone of journalism. For Fox to argue otherwise is absurd and further dispels any pretense that they’re a news operation,” he said.
“Perhaps if I tell them that the footage came from a combination of WikiLeaks and Hunter Biden’s laptop, it will alleviate their concerns.”
Media Matters’ “FOXLEAKS” series is just the latest black eye for Fox after its $787 million defamation settlement and the subsequent ouster of its highest-rated host.
Since Carlson’s firing, the floodgates have opened, with texts, videos, and court documents showing some of the misogynistic and bigoted behavior that reportedly contributed to his departure.
As The Daily Beast reported, his frequent use of the vulgar and misogynistic “c-word” to deride female colleagues was a key factor in his demise.
Read it at The Hill
