Media Mattters Pres.: No Other Network Would Let Personalities Do ‘Reckless Things’ Hannity Does

STELTER Sean that s ░░░░░░░░ huge story You re ░░░░░░░░ surveillance By who the ░░░░░░░░ administration You know kooky ░░░░░░░░ bites like that would ░░░░░░░░ go unnoticed if not ░░░░░░░░ Media Matters Media Matters ░░░░░░░░ a left wing group ░░░░░░░░ monitors right wing media ░░░░░░░░ group flagged that video ░░░░░░░░ and many many more ░░░░░░░░ part of an ongoing ░░░░░░░░ Hannity campaign Right now ░░░░░░░░ s promoting an ad ░░░░░░░░ It says Sign up ░░░░░░░░ join the effort to ░░░░░░░░ Hannity s advertisers to ░░░░░░░░ financially supporting his propaganda ░░░░░░░░ s talk about that ░░░░░░░░ the group s president ░░░░░░░░ Carusone He joins me ░░░░░░░░ here in New York ░░░░░░░░ what s the status ░░░░░░░░ this ad boycott You ░░░░░░░░ it several months ago ░░░░░░░░ you succeeded in peeling ░░░░░░░░ any advertisers CARUSONE Yes ░░░░░░░░ I mean we have ░░░░░░░░ from 30 companies that ░░░░░░░░ committed that they re ░░░░░░░░ going to advertise on ░░░░░░░░ Hannity s program STELTER ░░░░░░░░ were they advertising to ░░░░░░░░ with CARUSONE All of ░░░░░░░░ companies were actually advertising ░░░░░░░░ begin with And then ░░░░░░░░ are many more companies ░░░░░░░░ never started in the ░░░░░░░░ place because they say ░░░░░░░░ is too volatile there ░░░░░░░░ too much potential controversy ░░░░░░░░ with it And I ░░░░░░░░ we ve already seen ░░░░░░░░ financial effects In September ░░░░░░░░ even before the latest ░░░░░░░░ up FOX News s ░░░░░░░░ revenue was down 17 ░░░░░░░░ which is rather atypical ░░░░░░░░ the market as a ░░░░░░░░ And it very much ░░░░░░░░ with the massive exodus ░░░░░░░░ advertisers in the first ░░░░░░░░ in August STELTER Hannity ░░░░░░░░ he s against any ░░░░░░░░ boycott Why do you ░░░░░░░░ it s appropriate to ░░░░░░░░ to take away any ░░░░░░░░ s advertisers CARUSONE I ░░░░░░░░ t I don t ░░░░░░░░ it at all Laughter ░░░░░░░░ Then why are you ░░░░░░░░ it CARUSONE Well because ░░░░░░░░ think at some point ░░░░░░░░ are forced to do ░░░░░░░░ right because I think ░░░░░░░░ most commentators work for ░░░░░░░░ company And those companies ░░░░░░░░ guidelines and policies and ░░░░░░░░ that they force and ░░░░░░░░ and police themselves They ░░░░░░░░ their own commentators adhere ░░░░░░░░ a standard No other ░░░░░░░░ would let their personalities ░░░░░░░░ out there and do ░░░░░░░░ kinds of destructive and ░░░░░░░░ things that Sean Hannity ░░░░░░░░ But when you re ░░░░░░░░ with an entity that ░░░░░░░░ t have any accountability ░░░░░░░░ have two choices do ░░░░░░░░ and continue to endure ░░░░░░░░ destructive consequences of it ░░░░░░░░ appeal to a higher ░░░░░░░░ In this case it ░░░░░░░░ the advertisers And I ░░░░░░░░ remind everybody that that ░░░░░░░░ required in the case ░░░░░░░░ Bill O Reilly that ░░░░░░░░ News had re signed ░░░░░░░░ contract and had no ░░░░░░░░ even knowing all the ░░░░░░░░ that he had done ░░░░░░░░ forcing him off the ░░░░░░░░ It needed to be ░░░░░░░░ And I think Crosstalk ░░░░░░░░ Well they say they ░░░░░░░░ some but not all ░░░░░░░░ with Bill O Reilly ░░░░░░░░ saw an immediate advertiser ░░░░░░░░ CARUSONE Yes STELTER to ░░░░░░░░ point where there weren ░░░░░░░░ enough ads to put ░░░░░░░░ the time slot We ░░░░░░░░ not seeing that with ░░░░░░░░ So how successful is ░░░░░░░░ really CARUSONE I think ░░░░░░░░ for me it s ░░░░░░░░ been a long game ░░░░░░░░ know I m not ░░░░░░░░ in sort of a ░░░░░░░░ burst flare up It ░░░░░░░░ obviously enormously effective That ░░░░░░░░ why Sean Hannity is ░░░░░░░░ about it I think ░░░░░░░░ s reflected in their ░░░░░░░░ line numbers I think ░░░░░░░░ s more comparable to ░░░░░░░░ Glenn Beck left FOX ░░░░░░░░ that you sort of ░░░░░░░░ a critical mass of ░░░░░░░░ that don t want ░░░░░░░░ be associated with the ░░░░░░░░ anymore And as a ░░░░░░░░ of that the ad ░░░░░░░░ start to decline The ░░░░░░░░ of the advertisers willing ░░░░░░░░ advertise on that program ░░░░░░░░ down And it no ░░░░░░░░ becomes commercially sustainable or ░░░░░░░░ And I feel like ░░░░░░░░ re at a very ░░░░░░░░ point there with Hannity ░░░░░░░░ about reaching that place ░░░░░░░░ You re a liberal ░░░░░░░░ Do you fear that ░░░░░░░░ this works Rachel Maddow ░░░░░░░░ show and other liberal ░░░░░░░░ will be targeted CARUSONE ░░░░░░░░ think that would be ░░░░░░░░ unfair right because it ░░░░░░░░ t about his perspective ░░░░░░░░ ideology I think that ░░░░░░░░ Carlson is gross I ░░░░░░░░ his content odious But ░░░░░░░░ re not leading an ░░░░░░░░ campaign against him because ░░░░░░░░ think part of this ░░░░░░░░ that and I would ░░░░░░░░ everybody that Media Matters ░░░░░░░░ t out there smashing ░░░░░░░░ And we re not ░░░░░░░░ for boycotts of these ░░░░░░░░ mostly because it s ░░░░░░░░ necessary A lot of ░░░░░░░░ all we have to ░░░░░░░░ is talk to them ░░░░░░░░ show them what it ░░░░░░░░ that their advertisements are ░░░░░░░░ alongside of And they ░░░░░░░░ making a business decision ░░░░░░░░ that business decision is ░░░░░░░░ avoid Sean Hannity s ░░░░░░░░ And that was reflected ░░░░░░░░ this weekend They just ░░░░░░░░ t want it I ░░░░░░░░ there are advertisers that ░░░░░░░░ in in August that ░░░░░░░░ the and when the ░░░░░░░░ thing flared up came ░░░░░░░░ to me and said ░░░░░░░░ were right STELTER Here ░░░░░░░░ what FOX told me ░░░░░░░░ a statement for this ░░░░░░░░ They said This intimidation ░░░░░░░░ is nothing more than ░░░░░░░░ opportunism based on deceit ░░░░░░░░ Hannity hosts the number ░░░░░░░░ program on cable news ░░░░░░░░ millions of Americans make ░░░░░░░░ decision to join him ░░░░░░░░ night And the audience ░░░░░░░░ is stronger than ever ░░░░░░░░ I think Angelo what ░░░░░░░░ re saying there is ░░░░░░░░ is not a repeat ░░░░░░░░ O Reilly We re ░░░░░░░░ going to drop O ░░░░░░░░ We know the audience ░░░░░░░░ Hannity CARUSONE Well they ░░░░░░░░ not saying anything about ░░░░░░░░ advertisers in that statement ░░░░░░░░ That s true CARUSONE ░░░░░░░░ s right STELTER I ░░░░░░░░ asked repeatedly if advertisers ░░░░░░░░ withdrawn And there s ░░░░░░░░ comment from FOX CARUSONE ░░░░░░░░ that s because publicly ░░░░░░░░ know that they re ░░░░░░░░ And I find I ░░░░░░░░ it interesting that FOX ░░░░░░░░ thinks that I m ░░░░░░░░ one that is intimidating ░░░░░░░░ based off of deceit ░░░░░░░░ that seems to be ░░░░░░░░ it is that they ░░░░░░░░ in the information landscape ░░░░░░░░ Well let s take ░░░░░░░░ look at how Hannity ░░░░░░░░ been talking about you ░░░░░░░░ I know this is ░░░░░░░░ even to put on ░░░░░░░░ CARUSONE Sure STELTER Let ░░░░░░░░ show part of what ░░░░░░░░ had on the air ░░░░░░░░ week He continues to ░░░░░░░░ you racist anti gay ░░░░░░░░ some point I think ░░░░░░░░ has brought up anti ░░░░░░░░ issues implying that you ░░░░░░░░ anti Semitic CARUSONE Yes ░░░░░░░░ How does it feel ░░░░░░░░ see this on television ░░░░░░░░ Well this in particular ░░░░░░░░ rather hurtful because I ░░░░░░░░ gay And I have ░░░░░░░░ boyfriend and now husband ░░░░░░░░ a while we weren ░░░░░░░░ allowed to get married ░░░░░░░░ 14 years is Jewish ░░░░░░░░ so right on face ░░░░░░░░ s sort of a ░░░░░░░░ sort of jab to ░░░░░░░░ of come at me ░░░░░░░░ obviously on the most ░░░░░░░░ way And we see ░░░░░░░░ reflected all the time ░░░░░░░░ not just Sean Hannity ░░░░░░░░ the right wing as ░░░░░░░░ whole They always go ░░░░░░░░ people s strengths or ░░░░░░░░ So that is they ░░░░░░░░ a sore spot I ░░░░░░░░ it to be a ░░░░░░░░ of who they are ░░░░░░░░ how they think that ░░░░░░░░ I don t see ░░░░░░░░ to be a valid ░░░░░░░░ at all Obviously I ░░░░░░░░ not homophobic And I ░░░░░░░░ not Crosstalk STELTER He ░░░░░░░░ screaming at you on ░░░░░░░░ this morning I wonder ░░░░░░░░ he ever tried to ░░░░░░░░ you on Hannity CARUSONE ░░░░░░░░ he hasn t And ░░░░░░░░ Because I would love ░░░░░░░░ watch that I really ░░░░░░░░ CARUSONE I don t ░░░░░░░░ he would do it ░░░░░░░░ if he would do ░░░░░░░░ and like like FOX ░░░░░░░░ has had in the ░░░░░░░░ every time they have ░░░░░░░░ to book anyone from ░░░░░░░░ they have never allowed ░░░░░░░░ to be a live ░░░░░░░░ STELTER Hmm CARUSONE And ░░░░░░░░ think that reflects a ░░░░░░░░ about the way and ░░░░░░░░ FOX News intentions So ░░░░░░░░ he hasn t tried ░░░░░░░░ do it He will ░░░░░░░░ on Roy Moore He ░░░░░░░░ have on Bill O ░░░░░░░░ even after he s ░░░░░░░░ from FOX News I ░░░░░░░░ at this point though ░░░░░░░░ have crossed that threshold ░░░░░░░░ Hmm CARUSONE I wouldn ░░░░░░░░ want to appear on ░░░░░░░░ program I m telling ░░░░░░░░ not to associate with ░░░░░░░░ Hannity because of his ░░░░░░░░ his recklessness his ability ░░░░░░░░ willingness to go out ░░░░░░░░ and undermine attack women ░░░░░░░░ speak out in this ░░░░░░░░ of all times So ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t want to ░░░░░░░░ elevate that show by ░░░░░░░░ on it But in ░░░░░░░░ past maybe it would ░░░░░░░░ been an appropriate way ░░░░░░░░ engage STELTER Angelo thanks ░░░░░░░░ being here CARUSONE Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for having ░░░░░░░░ STELTER Good to see ░░░░░░░░ CARUSONE: “Thank you.”