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Fox News hosts and CNN's Jim Acosta squabble over book sales and political bias in quintessential cable news feud

David Choi   

Fox News hosts and CNN's Jim Acosta squabble over book sales and political bias in quintessential cable news feud
Politics3 min read

tucker

Fox News Channel

Fox News opinion host Tucker Carlson.

  • Fox News opinion hosts mocked CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta following the release of his book, "The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America," this week.
  • In the book, Acosta gives an account of his tumultuous tenure reporting on the Trump presidency, which includes his interactions with colleagues from different networks and numerous White House staffers.
  • In an article written by "Hannity Staff" on Fox News host Sean Hannity's website on Friday, Acosta was scrutinized for posting excerpts of his book on his Twitter account.
  • Hannity's website suggested Acosta published the excerpts because he was in dire need of readers: "NOT A GOOD SIGN: Jim Acosta Posts Free Sections of His Book Online After Disastrous Bookstore Appearance," the article's headline reads.
  • Journalists and authors often post excerpts of written works on Twitter, whether it is through an image or a copy of the writing.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Fox News opinion hosts mocked CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta following the release of his book, "The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America," this week.

In the book, Acosta gives an account of his tumultuous tenure reporting on the Trump presidency, which includes his interactions with colleagues from different networks and numerous White House staffers.

Conservative-leaning Fox News hosts frequently accuse Acosta and his network of political bias by characterizing them as the "Hate-Trump media." With the release of Acosta's book, the hosts renewed their attacks against the correspondent and CNN.

In an article written by "Hannity Staff" on Fox News host Sean Hannity's website on Friday, Acosta was scrutinized for posting excerpts of his book on his Twitter account. One of Acosta's excerpts included an encounter he had with Hannity and Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Read more: 'Dear Diary...': Trump mocks Jim Acosta's border wall video by retweeting him

jim acosta

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

CNN chief White House correspondent attempts to ask President Donald Trump a question during a news conference.

In his book, Acosta described the hosts as "Trump's chief propagandists at Fox" and went on disparage the two for not confronting him in person "after all their attacks on me during their prime-time 'state TV' programs."

"... You'd think they would have had something to say to my face, but their fauxmacho man bull----, as it turns out, seems to stop at the doors to the Fox News headquarters," Acosta said in his book.

Hannity's website suggested Acosta published the excerpts because he was in dire need of readers: "NOT A GOOD SIGN: Jim Acosta Posts Free Sections of His Book Online After Disastrous Bookstore Appearance," the article's headline reads.

Journalists and authors often post excerpts of written works on Twitter, whether it is through an image or a copy of the writing. Book excerpts are also often published in news outlets.

In a separate article that poked fun of his surprise book signing at a bookstore in Arlington, Virginia, Hannity's website made light of Acosta's appearance at "a near-empty store."

"ALL BY HIMSELF: Jim Acosta Makes 'Surprise' Bookstore Appearance, No One Shows Up," the headline said.

Carlson also took a few jabs at Acosta on his program on Friday. The host played a clip of Acosta and CNN host Don Lemon discussing the book and his motivations for writing it.

"No one's ever accused Jim Acosta of being a genius," Carlson said as he laughed. "But even by our estimate, it's pretty shocking that he is so proud of himself."

The correspondent often bears the brunt of the Trump administrations ire and frequently engages in tense arguments not only with White House staffers, but President Donald Trump as well.

Acosta's press pass was briefly suspended after a tense standoff with Trump during a press conference in November. During the press conference, Trump refused to answer Acosta's questions when a White House intern walked up to take his microphone away. Despite the intern's efforts, Acosta held on to the microphone.

CNN filed a federal lawsuit to reinstate Acosta's hard pass by arguing his First Amendment right of freedom of the press and his Fifth Amendment right to due process had been violated. The judge sided with CNN and Acosta's pass was reinstated.

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