As the case often is with other media outlets, the Daily Beast’s track record when it comes to attacks on Tucker Carlson is not very good.
For instance, there was the attempt earlier this year at painting Carlson as a misogynist pig for using an unflattering image of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a segment on how AOC proclaimed that the Green New Deal might have prevented the Texas blackout.
The only problem was that Daily Beast contributing editor/media reporter Justin Baragona, a Fox News hall monitor who posted the screengrab of Carlson using what Baragona called a “googly eyes” photo of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, is that it was an authentic photo. Baragona deleted the tweet, but the Internet, as they say, is forever. Flashback:
— Journalists Posting Their Ls (@JournosPostLs) February 18, 2021
Here we are four months later, and Baragona is still trying and failing to catch Carlson committing some supposedly unpardonable media/political sin. This time the “issue” was a segment where Carlson lit into partisan CNN host Don Lemon about how Lemon preaches on his program about the need for diversity in theory but doesn’t actually practice it. During his commentary, Carlson pointed out that Lemon lives in the small village of Sag Harbor, New York, which is something like 80% white.
Baragona rushed to the Twitter machine to proclaim that Carlson was a hypocrite, and insinuated that he could be putting Lemon’s life in danger by “airing a photo of Lemon’s house and naming the small town”:
There's a lot going on in this segment, such as Tucker accusing Don Lemon of having a "white supremacist QAnon cookie jar," but what stands out is Tucker telling his viewers where Lemon lives.
Remember when he lost his shit over a potential story about his Maine residence? pic.twitter.com/WKzDx1UQZz
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) June 22, 2021
“So why is The New York Times doing a story on the location of my family’s house? “Well, you know why. To hurt us, to injure my wife and kids,” Tucker said last year, targeting reporters for harassment & falsely labeling one a "political activist."
His fans doxed that reporter.
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) June 22, 2021
Anyway, the NYT never published Tucker's address or even its original story about Tucker broadcasting from Maine.
Yet, even though he Flipped out about people finding out he lived part-time in Maine, he has no problem airing a photo of Lemon's house and naming the small town. pic.twitter.com/XRrA1U9XlS
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) June 22, 2021
There a few problems with this rant. I’ll focus on the main two.
The first one is the reason that the New York Times didn’t follow through with that hit piece on Carlson was that he raised holy hell on them over the anticipated story, and as a result of the outry, they folded – as my RedState colleague Bonchie would say – “like a wash and wear suit.”
The even bigger issue with Baragona fretting over Carlson talking about the town Lemon lives complete with a photo of him sitting on his front porch is that the story was already done a year ago – via an interview about his life in Sag Harbor that Lemon himself did with “The Purist Online” magazine, with the feature photo being of Lemon sitting on the front porch of his home:
Are you kidding me with this? Don Lemon GAVE AN INTERVIEW on where he lives a year ago. Get outta here with this garbage attack. https://t.co/ZfOdjIa9eF https://t.co/b12U2Fy20w
— Sister Toldjah 😁 (@sistertoldjah) June 22, 2021
If Tucker posed for these type fluff pieces it would make sense, but…https://t.co/ZrpTWHrM0y
— Garry (@OnalaskaGarry) June 22, 2021
I agree that, like every other political commentator out there, Tucker Carlson’s comments are fair game for criticism. But if you’re looking to further elevate your profile off of someone else’s back, it might not hurt to do a little investigative digging before doing the knee-jerk thing and assuming the worst.
It’s something those of us in the cheap seats like to describe as “journalism.” Perhaps Justin Baragona’s heard of it, but I’m kinda doubting it at this point.
Related: Lori Lightfoot’s Month Goes From Bad to Worse as Tucker Carlson Just Shreds ‘America’s Worst Mayor’
Join the conversation as a VIP Member