On Thursday, Germany’s largest newspaper, Der Spiegel suffered a massive embarrassment when it was discovered that one of their more prominent reporters, Claas Relotius, made-up many of his stories. To make the discovery even funnier, CNN had once given him their “Journalist of the Year” commendation. It was an opportunity Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson couldn’t pass up, especially considering the efforts by the CNN Media Team to bolster the left-wing ad boycott of his show.
“CNN just hates it when you call them ‘fake news.’ The governor's brother gets all upset. But, occasionally it fits. They promote it,” Carlson mocked while taking an extra jab at Prime Time host Chris Cuomo. “A couple years ago, CNN honored him as 'journalist of the year.' Now he's being canned.”
Carlson explaining what Relotius faked in one story and it was hard to believe anyone would fall for what he was claiming:
He was caught inventing many of his stories. And it's probably not surprising, they were absurd stories. One example was his profile of a Minnesota town called Fergus Falls, it had a number of Trump supporters. So, he went and stayed for a number of weeks to mock them. The article he wrote had a number of absurd claims intended to make the residents sound ridiculous. At one point, he said the movie American Sniper was still playing to sold-out crowds two years after its release. That’s how dumb they were in the Trump town.
“Well, it took years for him to be caught and one of the main reasons is that he wrote exactly what his audience wanted to hear. And of course, CNN never noticed, they wanted to hear it too,” Carlson continued.
He then brought on columnist and Rush Limbaugh fill-in host Mark Steyn, who unloaded on the elitists in the liberal media who saw what Relotius fabricated as truth. “Yeah, this is a very traditional kind of story that Europeans and people of what one might call a ‘Euro-centric bent’ such as CNN enjoy,” he began before turning up the humor:
They like to send their reporters out into the great wastelands of the American interior and report back that all the people there are inbred, stump-truth, snake handling crazies who like nothing better than a jigger of moonshine and to bunk up with their sister before they go down to have their church renamed after Trump and do a couple of scripture readings from The Art of the Deal.
“You laugh, Tucker, but that is actually what these newspapers and magazines want and they’re prepared to give you awards for it like this guy got journalist of the year,” Steyn went on. He also recalled how one Guardian reporter tied to pass off his visit to an American Olive Garden as some sort of deep insight.
After reiterating “[t]hat's how they think of the interior of America,” Steyn pointed out how Relotius “said the town manager was a virgin who had never been to the ocean. And these guys in Fergus Falls post a photograph of the town manager standing on the ocean shore with the woman that he lives with.”
As they were wrapping up the segment, Carlson had one last question for Steyn: “Do you think journalists are getting dumber or is it just my imagination?”
“Oh no, I think the herd mentality of all like sitting around in the Washington bureau, or whatever, and the idea of [them] actually all agreeing -- I think the groupthink, the herd mentality is far worse than it was 20 or 40 years ago,” Steyn concluded.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson Tonight
December 20, 2018
8:55:44 p.m. EasternTUCKER CARLSON: CNN just hates it when you call them “fake news”. The governor's brother gets all upset. But, occasionally it fits. They promote it. Here’s one case: a guy called Claas Relotius was an investigative journalist Der Spiegel, that’s the biggest paper in Germany. A couple years ago, CNN honored him as journalist of the year. Now he's being canned.
He was caught inventing many of his stories. And it's probably not surprising, they were absurd stories. One example was his profile of a Minnesota town called Fergus Falls, it had a number of Trump supporters. So, he went and stayed for a number of weeks to mock them. The article he wrote had a number of absurd claims intended to make the residents sound ridiculous. At one point, he said the movie American Sniper was still playing to sold-out crowds two years after its release. That’s how dumb they were in the Trump town.
Well, it took years for him to be caught and one of the main reasons is that he wrote exactly what his audience wanted to hear. And of course, CNN never noticed, they wanted to hear it too.
Author and columnist Mark Steyn joins us tonight. A longtime fan of Der Spiegel. This guy was kind of hiding in plain sight.
MARK STEYN: Yeah, this is a very traditional kind of story that Europeans and people of what one might call a “Euro-centric bent” such as CNN enjoy. They like to send their reporters out into the great wastelands of the American interior and report back that all the people there are inbred, stump-truth, snake handling crazies who like nothing better than a jigger of moonshine and to bunk up with their sister before they go down to have their church renamed after Trump and do a couple of scripture readings from The Art of the Deal.
[Carlson laughing]
So basically this guy -- you laugh, Tucker, but that is actually what these newspapers and magazines want and they’re prepared to give you awards for it like this guy got journalist of the year. I guy called Matthew Engel, at The Guardian his editors told him to go out to the most backward parts of America and find the most inbred crazies to write about. And his heart wasn't really in it so he went to a suburban Olive Garden restaurant and wrote it up as if he was Stanley in Africa, discovering Livingston.
That's how they think of the interior of America. This guy was completely ridiculous. He said the town manager was a virgin who had never been to the ocean. And these guys in Fergus Falls post a photograph of the town manager standing on the ocean shore with the woman that he lives with. I mean this guy got there, discovered the story wasn't there but decided to write it for his readers anyway and that is a lot of what news is about.
CARLSON: Can I ask you super quick, I first met you when you were writing for about five different English newspapers. You’ve been a newspaperman and journalist for many years, so you know that answer. Do you think journalists are getting dumber or is it just my imagination?
STEYN: Oh no, I think the herd mentality of all like sitting around in the Washington bureau, or whatever, and the idea of [them] actually all agreeing -- I think the groupthink, the herd mentality is far worse than it was 20 or 40 years ago.
CARLSON: Yes. Good. I needed a reality check.
