Shep Smith: I Regret "Lack Of Balance" Apology

Shep Smith made headlines when he apologized for a "lack of balance" in Fox News' reporting shortly after Shannon Bream snagged an interview with NJ Republican Chris Christie, but did not attempt to interview his opponent, incumbent Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine.

"Wow. I didn't know that was about to happen," Smith said at the time. "My apologies for the lack of balance there. If I'd had control it wouldn't have happened."

Now, the anchor largely seen as the face of Fox News' objective reporting, says he regrets that apology.

"I came off looking condescending," he told the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz. "I handled it poorly."

Smith told Kurtz that he didn't know Bream had unexpectedly gained the interview with Christie.

The host of "Studio B" and "Fox Report" also said that, while he often calls out the conservative opinion-makers on his network, he is grateful that they are on his team as they add to the bottom line.

"Our newscast is better because our opinion programs are successful," he told Kurtz.

Watch Smith's apology below, or read the full article in the Washington Post here.

Shep Smith Apologizes For "Lack Of Balance" In Fox News Re - The funniest movie is here. Find it

Comments

[UsofA]

A brief moment of lucidity and integrity felt foreign to you, eh Shep?

[Sons]

Fox "News" is the biggest joke in the American news business ever.

[ninthraphael]

let's not be coy about it...everyone has a price!

[canadiansoccermom]

Keep in line. Don't stray.

[jsgaetano]

I regret thinking Shep had integrity.

[KindOne]

Yeah, what were you thinking?

[aseasonforreason]

Here's just one bit of objective sampling for you, Shep. Straight from the Pew Research Center.

http://people-press.org/report/559/

[dzent1]

I regret Mr. Smith's regrets.

[protagonia]

fox is eviI.

[Rangergirl]

Murdock got to him.....Shape up or ship out...He is the only guy on that station with a brain...

[Sons]

Make that, "Shape up, or Shep out".

[lafayette2009]

I apologize for an error I really didn't make but the guys who sign my checks - like that Aussie and the rightie Ailes - told me to do a Sarah Palin and just - well - lie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Itdoesnotmatter]

I love this clip; It keeps me balance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTN3s2iVKKI

[lafayette2009]

Great Movie and very true rant. Maybe Murdoch & Ailes got their ideas from that movie.

[lafayette2009]

Who cares?

If you want to watch news as it should be broadcast, watch BBC World News in the morning or BBC America World News in the evening.

[MarionWatts]

Really? You like an anti-American slant then, with everything American given a pejorative view? I must admit, I live in the UK, and it's a fallacy to give too many kudos to the Beeb, considering that they're not so clean, objectively, and even leaked a memo saying their US team had been instructed to present more negatives than positives about the States. It's why Justin Webb was removed as their US correspondent. They've also been caught out in more than a few competition scams in the UK.

I'm an American expat, who's married to a Brit. We play close to the equivalent of $300 annually just for the privilege of having a television in the house. Where does the money go? Right in the deep pockets of the BBC. Think about it. You can go to jail here for not paying the BBC's way. Truly.

http://emiliawahoo76.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/virginiadem

[lafayette2009]

I am originally from the UK so know all about the licensing fees and was actually part of a lobbying group many years ago that tried to have them expunged.

BBC World News America is broadcast from here and is not pejorative and covers a lot more in one hour than any US News Program, which can be very biased and, in some cases, very disrespectful to the US Government.

Since the US News Media give a pejorative view about other Countries, there is no real balance. Two wrongs never make a right so to get a balance, I have CNN on in my office, except when Shepard Smith is on Fox News (twice), BBC World News when I close the office and either NBC or ABC during dinner.

In which part of the UK are you?

[fifteen pounds]

If Americans would just turn off the tv and hate radio for a week, our national psyche would improve beyond measure. The world is not as bad as they like to make it....turn off the tv....it is a waste and you are being used to sell crap to.

[allalone]

I agree fifteen pounds. I pick and choose how much of that noise all of those highly paid pundits bombard us with both the true and the false news. Where I/we get a job that pays like that? I've got opinions and with the staff to do the research and my own I could come up with good tv arguments to spout to the masses too.
Kidding. One has to admit that those are some $$$$ making gigs for sure. Ho Hum!

[lafayette2009]

If you want to watch news as it should be broadcast, watch BBC World News in the morning or BBC America World News in the evening.

[Itdoesnotmatter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTN3s2iVKKI

[devadasi]

You're so right l5 pounds....I got rid of my tee vee over two years ago.....yet I'm still jonsin over the loss....what an addiction. But people would be so much better off watching less teevee......it's an unhealthy and isolating experience. I applaud the Obama's for limiting the amount of teevee their daughters watch.

[cimbri]

Cavuto and others called him out because they had asked Corzine for interviews and he kept refusing. It would have been obviously unfair to not interview Christie just because the liberal Corzine wanted to play the little FNC embargo game. Wake up, Shep.

[SkreetGil1]

Did he get slapped on the hand or what!? You can't be a man and work for Faux at the same time!

[kiwieagle]

He's not apologizing for what he said but how he said it.

[TanzaniteDiamonds]

Good point. But even then, he didn't have to apologize, because he did NOT sound "condescending".

Bottom line: There wasn't any reason to apologize.