“Fox & Friends” mocked former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill on Tuesday as being an “unemployed” “activist” who didn’t deserve the Journalist of the Year award she recently received from the National Association of Black Journalists.
“The bottom line is that she is unemployed from hosting her own TV show. This is not something we should be promoting,” said Campus Reform’s Lawrence Jones. “Now she’s unemployed. The National Black Associations of Journalists is literally saying now we’re going to applaud unemployment and that’s not something I stand for.”
“Fox & Friends” co-host Steve Doocy took a moment to recall that when he was in journalism school, reporters weren’t activists.
“When I was in journalism school it was all about just the facts,” he said. “But now apparently journalism looks a lot like activism and sometimes you watch the briefing at the White House, there’s a lot of activists in there.”
Last September, Hill was heavily criticized by “Fox & Friends” for her declaration on Twitter that Donald Trump was a “white supremacist.”
“Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists,” she said.
Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 11, 2017
That and several other incidents led to Hill’s departure from her gig at ESPN’s SportsCenter a few months later. She was not, however, dropped entirely as Jones suggested and was instead reshuffled internally, ending up as the chief correspondent and senior columnist for the ESPN vertical, The Undefeated.
“Jemele Hill is a gem. She exhibits strength, grace, and doggedness,” NABJ President Sarah Glover said in a press release praising Hill. “NABJ appreciates the courage and steadfastness Jemele has demonstrated as a journalist and commentator speaking truth to power.”
“Fox & Friends” issued a correction to the “unemployed” talking point several hours after the show wrapped.
On the show this morning a guest stated Jemele Hill was unemployed. Correction: Hill is currently employed by ESPN.
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) May 22, 2018