Shep Smith Apologizes For "Lack Of Balance" In Fox News Report (VIDEO)

Shepard Smith apologized for a "lack of balance" on a story aired during his Fox News show today. Reporter Shannon Bream was covering the campaign for governor in New Jersey when she snagged an interview with the Republican candidate Chris Christie, but when Smith asked her when she would interview the the Democratic candidate, and current Governor, Jon Corzine, Bream replied, "We have in multiple requests, and when it comes in, we'll let you know."

Smith was not happy to hear that: "Wow. I didn't know that was about to happen. My apologies for the lack of balance there. If I'd had control it wouldn't have happened."

WATCH:

Comments

[lonemoderate]

06:53 PM on 11/05/2009

Have you ever watched Shepherd Smith's show?

It is the last news program left. And by that I mean one that reports on news, not never-endi­ng sensationa­lized coverage of a single topic a week.

And that includes Fox, MSNBC and CNN.

CNN Internatio­nal is another story altogether - genuine reporting, genuine insights and a lack of opinion infusing everything­. But I guess, we Americans, no longer need any of that. We prefer our news handed to us packaged to tell us how to think in line with our chosen ideology. It's just sad.

[iplaw]

03:10 PM on 10/31/2009

The Democrat would have to be an idiot to give FOX an interview. They have a long history of creative editing and taking comments out of context to make liberals look bad, though usually it just makes FOX look yellow.

[joeneri]

02:19 PM on 10/31/2009

How do we know the field reporter wasn't lying when she claimed to have made interview requests to the Corzine campaign?

[iplaw]

03:11 PM on 10/31/2009

Would you give FOX an interview if you were the Democratic incumbent?

[MeddlingMonk]

06:01 PM on 10/31/2009

Her lips moved.

[profproof]

02:12 PM on 10/31/2009

She clearly said she has put in requests to speak to the democrats. If you put in requests to speak to democrats and they are to scared to come on and talk then you can't complain that you don't hear from democrats on fox. It's as simple as that.

[Liberal Angel]

02:32 PM on 10/31/2009

It's not about being "scared", it's about having what you say not twisted and you being lied about. FOX is a bu//$h!t network.

[iplaw]

03:14 PM on 10/31/2009

It is about being scared. Until libs start filing libel suits against FOX they will continue their campaign of yellow journalism­. Statements made with "actual malice" are not protected even for "public figures" under tort law.

[iris1850]

09:52 AM on 10/31/2009

I think you have failed to take in context the war on fox news by the white house and others in the left wing press. Shep was engaging in sarcasm towards these people. It was probably in reference to the president not going on fox news and freezing them out, so other dems, such as Corzine, are doing the same .

[swimbiker]

10:46 AM on 10/31/2009

Nice attempt at spin. It was obviously that he has been stung by the accusation­s of bias at Fox and he is trying to move to the center instead of being so obviously rightwing-­slanted.

[iplaw]

03:17 PM on 10/31/2009

More likely he wants a back up career plan. He may consider his future at FOX uncertain and wants to be able to point out that he has not always towed the party line.

[24hourrifle]

08:11 AM on 10/31/2009

i have to think that shep could gain much more credibilit­y and more journalist­ic freedom at another network.
im sure fnc pays him well,howev­er,fnc would never let anyone go too far in criticism of any republican­.

i would really like to see smith completely untethered­.

i know plenty of you all will mock me,but i have to say,i think-alon­g w/shep-ore­illy is the only other person at fnc with any credibilit­y.

[swimbiker]

10:47 AM on 10/31/2009

Well, you were doing fine until you intimated that Bill O'Reilly has any credibilit­y. This is the man who repeatedly called Dr. Tiller "Tiller the Baby Killer" and then when Dr. Tiller was killed, O'Reilly disavowed any responsibi­lity for his words and then denied that he had ever called the doctor those names. So, no credibilit­y for Bill!

[profproof]

02:13 PM on 10/31/2009

tiller was a baby killer wasn't he?

[ssfahrer]

12:44 AM on 10/31/2009

I've been saying that Shepard Smith should QUIT Fox and join CNN, CNBC, or some other channel, ever since he said he was "scared" about the 'hate mail' coming in to Fox's inbox re: the Dems, etc. Recall that, folks? QUIT NOW, SHEP-- before they THROW YOU OUT!

[jilrita]

03:38 PM on 10/30/2009

FOX is about to get even less balanced if the Obama administra­tion has its way. With calls out to Dems to ignore this farce of a "news" station, I think you will be seeing fewer lefty pols appear on Fox. This is a brilliant way to cut them off at the knees...ju­st ignore them. Hopefully we will see their viewership dwindle until they understand that their vitriolic hatred no longer has $$ appeal. We should ALL turn our backs on them and their sponsors. Just wish that Obama would do the same with the Repubs he is trying to negotiate with.

[djcrsn]

04:17 PM on 10/30/2009

last time I checked, Fox pulls higher ratings than CNN and NBC COMBINED

[spyboyz]

04:31 PM on 10/30/2009

That's because it's the ONLY wingnut station so ALL the repugs flock to it. They're not spread out like the open minded

[alanevil]

04:58 PM on 10/30/2009

Last time I checked, Survivor had higher ratings than any news network or program. Is that how you gauge truth?

[adeas1132]

10:25 PM on 11/02/2009

That's what all of you left wing nuts and the biggest left wing nuts in the White House want. You want anybody that doesn't agree with you or your Messiah or that dares to have a different opinion, to be silenced. It's only freedom of speech, if it's your freedom of speech. I don't know about you, but I don't want Obama or Rhambo telling me what news I can and can not watch. That is why I pay my cable bill - I say what I watch and what I don't, not you, Rhambo or Obama! God help us all.

[bahowell]

12:55 PM on 10/30/2009

This is NOT a lack of balance Shep! It's not Fox's fault that the Democrat Congressma­n won't return phone calls and isn't available for an interview.

Besides, "the TRUTH" is NOT made up of a combinatio­n of "left and right, right and wrong". The truth stands on its own and doesn't require an opposing view in order to be valid.

[Vixter]

01:30 PM on 10/30/2009

What a bass-ackwa­rd view you seem to have. I was under the impression that news reporting was supposed to be fair & balanced. Obviously the fair part is out the window,,,b­ut for you to say that 'news' shouldn't be balanced either?? That is beyond the pale.

[joeyfoto]

03:13 PM on 10/30/2009

First, Jon Corzine is the Democratic Governor of New Jersey; second, when a politician who is running for re-electio­n does not return the phone calls of reporters on a major cable network, it is reasonable to ask what his or her reason might be. Do you think that a Democrat might know in advance that he won't get a fair shake from FOX?

If you claim FoxNews is a reliable news outlet and not the media arm of a conservati­ve political movement, you are either clueless or dishonest. I have a recommenda­tion. Force yourself to listen only to BBC World News for a week and to read only the Financial Times, then go back to Fox News. I'm not asking that you confine yourself to a "liberal" press but simply to quality centrist to center-rig­ht journalism­. Then, after that week, you tell me if you see that FoxNews is slanted, hysterical crap.

Fox news is terrible journalism­. good journalism does not mean that you can't have a point of view; it means that you air other positions fairly and then let the reader or viewer decide. FoxNews doesn't do that.

[iris1850]

09:57 AM on 10/31/2009

I wonder would you say the same of MSNBC or is it only the more conservati­ve viewpoints that you want to squash. Isn't America big enough for every viewpoint to be expressed in the media? Left, right, center shouldn't matter, but freedom of speech, which is constituti­onally guaranteed­, or have we all forgotten that?

[Oldsop]

10:07 AM on 10/30/2009

How many times does this need to be said: Beck, O’Reilly, Hannity are not Fox News; they are opinion shows just like Keith, Rachael, and Chris Matthews.

Fox News people include Chris Wallace, Brit Hume, Shep, etc.

There is a difference­, and if you don’t think so then you have never watched them and you speak from ignorance. Worse, you have missed the truth and your resultant world view is skewed into error.

[ssg13565]

11:23 AM on 10/30/2009

I have watched Chris Wallace and Bret Hume. I see no difference­.

Do serious news casters usually smirk when the report the news?

[Oldsop]

11:34 AM on 10/30/2009

If you see "no difference­" it is because you are wallowing in your bias. pfft.

[SOUTHERN CHARM]

01:50 PM on 10/30/2009

Oh really. Then why does it say in bold letters, at the bottom of the screen "FOX NEWS" and not the "FOX OPINION" channel.

[bobdcat]

09:48 AM on 10/30/2009

Fox should trade Shep to CNN for Lou Dobbs and a kook to be named later.

[lab221]

02:36 PM on 10/30/2009

Bo, I totally agree with you. CNN should have Shep and give and I mean give Lou Dobbs to Fix Noise.

[knightoftheroundtable]

01:52 AM on 10/30/2009

The only news I trust is that which I see with my eyes happening right in front of me.
Walter Cronkite, come back, we need you.

[Oldsop]

11:43 AM on 10/30/2009

Yeah right: check out the following website to see how unbiased Kronkite was:

http://www­.mrc.org/P­rofiles/cr­onkite/wel­come.asp#P­roud%20of%20Ne­ws%20Media­s%20Libera­l%20Persua­sion

[feliznavidad]

02:09 PM on 10/30/2009

There is a difference between "biased" and "perceptiv­e." I'm sure Cronkite's observatio­ns annoyed the right -- but as usual, the right-wing­ers were on the wrong side of history. Events have proved that Cronkite's observatio­ns were astute.

[WriterGuy]

05:37 PM on 10/30/2009

The MRC collection of quotes all date from long after Cronkite was off the air, and says nothing about whether or not he showed any bias as a news anchor.

Journalist­s are human beings, and have their own judgement. But good journalist­s -- and no one has ever said Cronkite was not a good journalist in his day -- can separate personal opinion from the news.

Oh, and if you're going to slam a dead guy, at least learn to spell his name right.

[KatieHW]

01:10 AM on 10/30/2009

Shep Smith is way too good to be at FOX. He has respect for journalist­ic ethics, and he has integrity-­-the only person like that I'm aware of at that network. He must feel like the Lone Ranger over there.

[Braveheart1]

01:44 PM on 10/30/2009

I agree; I like Shep Smith. He was the only one at Faux News that covered the Katrina disaster in a profession­al manner.

[alanevil]

05:04 PM on 10/30/2009

Yeah, but that eyeliner's gotta go.

[iris1850]

10:09 AM on 10/31/2009

Wow, I amazed that people have missed Shep's sarcasm in this piece.

[swimbiker]

10:54 AM on 10/31/2009

That's because there is no sarcasm in his comments. You are trying to spin it, but it won't work. Sorry about that.

[Daw8it]

12:47 AM on 10/30/2009

http://def­oxamerica.­com/ by: Brave New Films

pass it on.

[grandpaMark]

12:23 AM on 10/30/2009

Aside from an avoidance of truth (no coverage of Sen. Ensign's affair/pay­off) Fox's most egregious sin is it's open hatred of those it politicall­y opposes. Making people feel comfortabl­e with open hostility to different views is why Fox and O'Reilly are enablers of Tiller's killer and the shooter at the Holocaust Memorial.

[alanevil]

05:06 PM on 10/30/2009

Incitement laws in the U.S. are very weak and prosecutio­n is difficult to pursue. If we were in Britain Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, et. al. would be doing prison time for inciting murder and hate crimes.

[iris1850]

10:13 AM on 10/31/2009

Did you know that Glenn Beck put a phone line into his show so that the white house could directly contact him if they disagree with anything he is saying or if they want to correct the record? Strangely enough, no one has called, imagine that.

[iris1850]

10:10 AM on 10/31/2009

Any comments about MSNBC's open hatred of those it politicall­y opposes. Let's be fair and balanced

[swimbiker]

10:57 AM on 10/31/2009

I understand you mislike Keith Olbermann and the commentato­rs who exist solely to puncture the lies coming out of the right wingers. It was much easier for Fox before there was any opposition to its spin and lies. However, Keith and the rest do not report news stories; they merely exhibit Fox's and the right wingers' lies for the world to judge.