Shame On Fox

The arrogance of success was revealed in Fox News' coverage of the London bombing. A series of insensitive and just plain stupid comments is drawing criticism in England. Media Guardian lists the foibles:

Speaking about the reaction of the financial markets, Brit Hume, the channel's Washington managing editor, said: "Just on a personal basis ... I saw the futures this morning, which were really in the tank, I thought 'hmm, time to buy'."

The host of a Fox News programme, Brian Kilmeade, said the attacks had the effect of putting terrorism back on the top of the G8's agenda, in place of global warming and African aid. "I think that works to our advantage, in the western world's advantage, for people to experience something like this together, just 500 miles from where the attacks have happened."

Another Fox News host, John Gibson, said before the blasts that the International Olympic Committee "missed a golden opportunity" by not awarding the 2012 games to France. "If they had picked France instead of London to hold the Olympics, it would have been the one time we could look forward to where we didn't worry about terrorism. They'd blow up Paris, and who cares?" He added: "This is why I thought the Brits should let the French have the Olympics - let somebody else be worried about guys with backpack bombs for a while."

Of the three, Kilmeade should escape a drubbing. He rightly pointed out that G8 leaders cannot afford to become complacent about terrorism, and their agenda indicated that they were doing just that.

But Hume and Gibson owe England an apology.

h/t Media Bistro