NBC News is moving ahead with Megyn Kelly‘s interview with Alex Jones, during what will be the third installment of Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly. The New York Times’ Jim Rutenberg caught with Kelly following out chat with her Tuesday, which came hours after she was dropped as host of a fundraiser for Sandy Hook Promise, due to Jones’ claims that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax.
“What we do as journalists is we shine a light on those with power, those with influence, those who have become culturally relevant,” Kelly told Rutenberg. “Of course, it’s upsetting to know that doing that causes any upset to the Newtown families, many of whom I know well. But I have to do my job. As journalists, we don’t get to interview only the good guys — that’s not journalism. It’s going to be very difficult for us to keep an eye on the more controversial figures of our time if we never talk to them.” Rutenberg writes about his own experience, and those of other media outlets, who’ve interview Jones.
I talked to Mr. Jones myself for a column in February. I didn’t receive the same amount of grief Ms. Kelly has, which she pointed out to me. While television is a different ballgame — giving interview subjects more room to have their say in front of more people than the average news site — Ms. Kelly noted the reaction was similarly low-key for Piers Morgan of CNN and “Nightline” on ABC when they featured interviews and segments on Mr. Jones in early 2013; there were no advertiser pullouts or major Twitter campaigns against them.
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The Sandy Hook Promise Gala went ahead last night without Kelly as host. On a day that saw their congressional colleagues fired upon by a rifle-wielding madman, Senators Susan Collins, Joe Manchin, Richard Blumenthal, Pat Toomey, Chris Murphy and Rep. Tim Ryan were honored for their work in Congress to curb gun violence.
Senator Susan Collins at the @sandyhook gala accepting the Sandy Hook Promise Champion award. pic.twitter.com/Weq5uSiAw2
— Paula Fynboh (@PaulaFynboh) June 15, 2017