BREAKING: Tucker Carlson And Don Lemon Are Gone
The world of mainstream media was rocked today as both Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon announced their departure from their respective news networks, Fox News and CNN. While Fox News nor Carlson has officially cited the ongoing legal battles with Dominion and Smartmatic as the reason for his departure, it is difficult to dismiss the possibility that this played a role in the decision. Carlson himself seemed to be unaware of his impending departure, having ended his last show with his signature sign off, "we'll be back." Recently, Fox News reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems for a whopping $787.5 million due to the network's involvement in spreading lies, in which Carlson himself was also implicated.
The departure of Don Lemon, on the other hand, came as perhaps an even greater shock. Lemon himself expressed his surprise in a statement, which read, “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned.”
Lemon has faced considerable criticism in recent months, particularly for his controversial comments about Nikki Haley, whom he suggested was past her prime at 51 years old. He went on to argue that "women are considered to be in their prime in the 20s and 30s and maybe 40s." Additionally, he has been accused of sending threatening text messages to a colleague, a claim which he has strongly denied.
It's not uncommon for news networks to shake things up every so often, and this could also factor into the decisions to let go of both Carlson and Lemon. However, this moment presents an opportunity to reflect on the state of American media.
We need a remaking of American media. This goes for both sides, the right and the left. Click-bait or view-bait seems to trump facts in the current state of the media. We need less commentary and more reporting on the facts only. Outrage should not drive the media cycle. Facts should.
Honesty matters. Truth matters. Integrity matters. These values should guide our media and journalism, rather than sensationalism and partisanship.
As Carlson moves on, I hope that Fox News makes moves that push them closer to the facts rather than further away. But time will tell. The next few days will certainly be interesting. Ultimately, the departure of Carlson and Lemon should prompt us to ask larger questions about the state of American media and how we can improve it.
