Fox News media commentator Howard Kurtz expressed his belief that the controversial chyron involving President Joe Biden crossed a line as the repercussions from the incident continued to unfold.
During the Tuesday night broadcast, an attention-grabbing banner appeared on Fox News screens after the 8 p.m. hour.
The split screen displayed speeches by both Biden and former President Donald J. Trump. Earlier that day, Trump had been arraigned in Miami on charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
According to Howard Kurtz, a media commentator, Fox News displayed a banner that crossed a line on the day of Donald Trump’s arraignment, referring to President Biden.
The chyron in question paraphrased, “Wannabe dictator President Joe Biden speaks at the White House after having his principle political rival former President Donald Trump arrested,” causing a stir at the network and leading to the removal of the responsible producer.
Kurtz mentioned that Fox News acknowledged the issue and promptly took down the chyron, addressing the matter in a statement.
The chyron sparked strong reactions from critics who vehemently opposed the suggestion that their president could be considered a dictator.
They expressed outrage even though his main political rival had been arrested and might face a lengthy prison sentence if the Justice Department had its say.
During a daily press briefing last week, White House Press Secretary Karine-Jean Pierre, who had previously emphasized her historic role, strongly criticized the “dictator” chyron when questioned about it by a reporter.
According to Howard Kurtz, there was a sense of panic among the women in charge at Fox News following the incident.
They initially reprimanded the producer responsible for the controversial banner displayed on the screen. Within less than 24 hours, the producer chose to resign from his position.
The producer, Alex McCaskill, had been a part of the Fox network for over a decade and was widely regarded as one of the most capable individuals within the organization.
Although he offered to adhere to the customary two-week notice period, Fox instructed him to clean out his desk and leave immediately.
Confirming his departure, McCaskill took to social media and shared a picture of himself with his belongings packed in a cardboard box outside the building.
During the latest episode of “MediaBuzz” on Sunday, Kurtz addressed the problematic chyron following an update on the retirement of long-standing “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak.
