It all started last week when “The Colbert Report’s” Stephen Colbert took a shot at Fox News host Howard Kurtz over a column he wrote for Fox regarding the protests in Ferguson, Mo.
As Newsbusters reports, Colbert introduced a clip from Fox joking, “What we do know is the shooting of an unarmed young black man is a story we’ve heard far too many times before. And the only way to assure we never hear it again is for the press to stop reporting it.”
Kurtz’ argument, in context: “I wrote a column for Fox this week saying, just theoretically floating the idea, what if all the journalists in this town packed up the equipment and left? Would that have had an impact on the violence? A lot of people responded and said yes.”
Colbert concluded, “Yes, I respond. It’s true. The presence of a camera clearly makes people behave recklessly. Because I don’t believe for a minute that Howie Kurtz would have floated the idea that journalists are to blame for the Ferguson violence if a camera wasn’t pointed at him. For his own safety, get this man off of television!”
As Newsbusters’ Tim Graham writes, as if it needed to be clarified, “[Brent] Bozell and [Matt] Lewis and Kurtz weren’t saying they wanted the press to ignore Ferguson. They were saying the media feeding frenzy wasn’t helping calm the situation down.”
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Kurtz took aim at Colbert Sunday on Fox News’ “MediaBuzz” and found quite a few supporters.
https://twitter.com/DebrainAustin/status/506057381587845121
@HowardKurtz Howard, don't pay any attention to that bozo. He is an egomaniac of the first order! He can't hold a candle to your reporting!
— William Leemont (@leemont70) August 31, 2014
@davidfolkenflik Sometimes when Colbert plays an idiot, he's actually an idiot playing an idiot. #ferguson
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) August 31, 2014
@davidfolkenflik Who on Earth would argue that Michael Brown's shooting wouldn't have happened if the media didn't report it?
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) August 31, 2014
https://twitter.com/PaulLibman/status/506062744312107008
@davidfolkenflik @tomtomorrow @HowardKurtz Colbert brings out Howards' inner Colonel Kurtz.
— Tom Dossett (@t0m4r53) August 31, 2014
https://twitter.com/VacaChic1/status/506106867651969027
Some backed up Colbert with the Jon Stewart-proven clown nose defense.
@HowardKurtz wow. You are gonna rebut a comedy show. You are both terrible and stupid.
— Dennis Yedwab (@dennisyedwab) August 31, 2014
@HowardKurtz Stay classy, Howard. Ever notice how much airtime and ink conservatives waste punching down at comedians?
— Burton. James Burton. (@JWBur10) August 31, 2014
@davidfolkenflik @HowardKurtz @tomtomorrow Watching dullards retaliate against satire is one of life's little pleasures.
— Irony MAntifa (@met2art) August 31, 2014
@HowardKurtz He's a COMEDIAN…says a lot about you.
— Franco (@franco91hou) August 31, 2014
Comedian? Haven’t you heard? “The Daily Show and The Colbert Report is the only legitimate news you can find.”
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