‘They Look Like Clowns’: Ex-CNN Anchor Brooke Baldwin Annihilates Fox News for Prioritizing ‘Ratings Over Truth’

BALDWIN Hi there Not ░░░░░░░░ the United States Actually ░░░░░░░░ m about to shoot ░░░░░░░░ super exciting for TV ░░░░░░░░ of the details I ░░░░░░░░ share with you just ░░░░░░░░ but that s not ░░░░░░░░ I m sitting here ░░░░░░░░ I m here today ░░░░░░░░ I ve thought so ░░░░░░░░ about this and I ░░░░░░░░ feel like it s ░░░░░░░░ duty to say something ░░░░░░░░ also realize I m ░░░░░░░░ this sort of a ░░░░░░░░ position having spent more ░░░░░░░░ a decade in the ░░░░░░░░ news machine And I ░░░░░░░░ own it sometimes being ░░░░░░░░ of the problem but ░░░░░░░░ I am out and ░░░░░░░░ am a viewer just ░░░░░░░░ you And I cannot ░░░░░░░░ thinking today despite this ░░░░░░░░ location where we re ░░░░░░░░ I cannot stop thinking ░░░░░░░░ this Peter Baker reporting ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ the piece about Fox ░░░░░░░░ and election night 2020 ░░░░░░░░ so if you have ░░░░░░░░ read the piece let ░░░░░░░░ just the quick skinny ░░░░░░░░ this So it s ░░░░░░░░ night 2020 it s ░░░░░░░░ versus Trump for the ░░░░░░░░ Fox News was first ░░░░░░░░ News was right By ░░░░░░░░ way something you really ░░░░░░░░ to be as any ░░░░░░░░ network in calling a ░░░░░░░░ for one of these ░░░░░░░░ running for president You ░░░░░░░░ they had their fancy ░░░░░░░░ million dollar updated election ░░░░░░░░ system up and running ░░░░░░░░ called the battleground state ░░░░░░░░ Arizona for Joe Biden ░░░░░░░░ they did it before ░░░░░░░░ and they were accurate ░░░░░░░░ calling it But they ░░░░░░░░ a problem because team ░░░░░░░░ was furious and also ░░░░░░░░ calling it early it ░░░░░░░░ like they lost out ░░░░░░░░ even more monster ratings ░░░░░░░░ not stringing out the ░░░░░░░░ by not telling the ░░░░░░░░ when they knew it ░░░░░░░░ they were mighty upset ░░░░░░░░ that And what s ░░░░░░░░ is how do we ░░░░░░░░ this Because The New ░░░░░░░░ Times in this Peter ░░░░░░░░ piece actually they got ░░░░░░░░ of one of these ░░░░░░░░ election Fox News Zoom ░░░░░░░░ where it included some ░░░░░░░░ these news anchors right ░░░░░░░░ Martha MacCallum and Bret ░░░░░░░░ folks that I have ░░░░░░░░ over the years who ░░░░░░░░ quite upset at the ░░░░░░░░ reactions they were getting ░░░░░░░░ only from their own ░░░░░░░░ but from the Trump ░░░░░░░░ And so there was ░░░░░░░░ quote in the piece ░░░░░░░░ I want to read ░░░░░░░░ for you this is ░░░░░░░░ one of the Fox ░░░░░░░░ executives and this is ░░░░░░░░ she said She said ░░░░░░░░ it s one of ░░░░░░░░ sad realities if we ░░░░░░░░ t called Arizona those ░░░░░░░░ or four days following ░░░░░░░░ Day our ratings would ░░░░░░░░ been bigger The mystery ░░░░░░░░ have still been hanging ░░░░░░░░ there In addition to ░░░░░░░░ Tucker Carlson s texts ░░░░░░░░ he was instructing others ░░░░░░░░ sort of reel in ░░░░░░░░ truth in favor of ░░░░░░░░ because Fox s share ░░░░░░░░ was tanking A clear ░░░░░░░░ of propagandist economics over ░░░░░░░░ And Peter Baker this ░░░░░░░░ York Times Reporter doing ░░░░░░░░ any good journalist does ░░░░░░░░ reached out to CNN ░░░░░░░░ say hey CNN did ░░░░░░░░ prolong your election night ░░░░░░░░ of the calls for ░░░░░░░░ And their response from ░░░░░░░░ PR person was no ░░░░░░░░ disclosure like I wasn ░░░░░░░░ in any of those ░░░░░░░░ among CNN brass on ░░░░░░░░ night 2020 making those ░░░░░░░░ but there is zero ░░░░░░░░ of CNN doing so ░░░░░░░░ s so much more ░░░░░░░░ this piece I really ░░░░░░░░ you to check it ░░░░░░░░ but my takeaway is ░░░░░░░░ That Fox wanted the ░░░░░░░░ instead of the truth ░░░░░░░░ fact they tripped over ░░░░░░░░ to choose ratings over ░░░░░░░░ Honestly they look like ░░░░░░░░ And not even like ░░░░░░░░ masquerading as journalists just ░░░░░░░░ And this is all ░░░░░░░░ freaking important because the ░░░░░░░░ to 2024 is already ░░░░░░░░ And we the viewer ░░░░░░░░ to know if we ░░░░░░░░ being strung along or ░░░░░░░░ the truth about one ░░░░░░░░ the biggest decisions that ░░░░░░░░ every few years in ░░░░░░░░ country This is our ░░░░░░░░ at stake And this ░░░░░░░░ also personal for me ░░░░░░░░ love journalism My mom ░░░░░░░░ I was growing up ░░░░░░░░ a little girl my ░░░░░░░░ always told me I ░░░░░░░░ fair I was trustworthy ░░░░░░░░ was like Brooke you ░░░░░░░░ go be a judge ░░░░░░░░ I said no I ░░░░░░░░ going to do something ░░░░░░░░ similar I want to ░░░░░░░░ a journalist I ve ░░░░░░░░ with the pioneers of ░░░░░░░░ who once said the ░░░░░░░░ should be the star ░░░░░░░░ said the last couple ░░░░░░░░ years I was hosting ░░░░░░░░ show how we covered ░░░░░░░░ fundamentally changed and part ░░░░░░░░ that was because of ░░░░░░░░ then newly elected president ░░░░░░░░ 2016 and his sudden ░░░░░░░░ disregard for civility and ░░░░░░░░ and truth And part ░░░░░░░░ it was the way ░░░░░░░░ covered the last president ░░░░░░░░ how we covered the ░░░░░░░░ president It felt like ░░░░░░░░ personal feud was playing ░░░░░░░░ every day on our ░░░░░░░░ devouring what I thought ░░░░░░░░ a disproportionate amount of ░░░░░░░░ time at the expense ░░░░░░░░ other news And if ░░░░░░░░ started pushing back you ░░░░░░░░ sidelined As for all ░░░░░░░░ opinions and opinion overload ░░░░░░░░ know I was part ░░░░░░░░ it My colleagues at ░░░░░░░░ especially we re a ░░░░░░░░ of it and people ░░░░░░░░ turn on CNN you ░░░░░░░░ you come for the ░░░░░░░░ but you perhaps stayed ░░░░░░░░ the opinion Same with ░░░░░░░░ of the other cable ░░░░░░░░ networks You just you ░░░░░░░░ you flip the channel ░░░░░░░░ you find the host ░░░░░░░░ you most agree with ░░░░░░░░ then you stay there ░░░░░░░░ in hopes of learning ░░░░░░░░ a scoop or greater ░░░░░░░░ on any given story ░░░░░░░░ really if you are ░░░░░░░░ changing the channel to ░░░░░░░░ the counterview then cable ░░░░░░░░ has become a confirmation ░░░░░░░░ echo chamber Full stop ░░░░░░░░ perspective that was then ░░░░░░░░ is under new leadership ░░░░░░░░ I m fully rooting ░░░░░░░░ them I really am ░░░░░░░░ I m out so ░░░░░░░░ can t speak to ░░░░░░░░ editorial decisions being made ░░░░░░░░ internally But my bottom ░░░░░░░░ why I m sitting ░░░░░░░░ today I am worried ░░░░░░░░ top of getting informed ░░░░░░░░ the state of our ░░░░░░░░ I ve been reading ░░░░░░░░ all these studies that ░░░░░░░░ showing how we re ░░░░░░░░ suffering mentally physically just ░░░░░░░░ watching the news And ░░░░░░░░ m going share something ░░░░░░░░ have yet to share ░░░░░░░░ My closest friends know ░░░░░░░░ and by the way ░░░░░░░░ am so proud of ░░░░░░░░ 20 year broadcast journalism ░░░░░░░░ and so proud of ░░░░░░░░ incredible warriors I got ░░░░░░░░ work with through the ░░░░░░░░ But today unless there ░░░░░░░░ a major breaking news ░░░░░░░░ I don t turn ░░░░░░░░ the TV anymore How ░░░░░░░░ I get my news ░░░░░░░░ ask me this all ░░░░░░░░ time I read I ░░░░░░░░ morning newsletters I read ░░░░░░░░ variety of newspapers magazines ░░░░░░░░ are craving the truth ░░░░░░░░ we need it But ░░░░░░░░ now and next election ░░░░░░░░ will become victims and ░░░░░░░░ of an all out ░░░░░░░░ war There are some ░░░░░░░░ organizations out there trying ░░░░░░░░ do something about all ░░░░░░░░ this and I m ░░░░░░░░ my hand like we ░░░░░░░░ need to do something ░░░░░░░░ it because right now ░░░░░░░░ truth is the news ░░░░░░░░ broken.”