Fox News host Laura Ingraham called Media Matters researchers “journo-terrorists” Thursday night, saying that they are out to “intimidate conservatives” and “keep them from ever entering the public sphere.”
Ingraham calls Media Matters researchers “journo-terrorists” pic.twitter.com/AX4nVBDeHT
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) March 22, 2019
Media Matters is a progressive nonprofit group that specializes in finding and circulating damaging video and audio of right-wing figures.
This particular tirade was sparked by New York University’s hiring of Talia Lavin, a former Media Matters employee, as an adjunct professor. Levin recently lost her job at the New Yorker after mistakingly accusing an ICE official of having a Nazi tattoo.
Lavin responded on Twitter:
Here’s Laura Ingraham displaying my face to 2.5 million viewers and calling me a “little journo-terrorist.”
I am 29.
I have no full-time job.
I am teaching a single course, for $7k, as an adjunct.This is insane. And irresponsible. It is incitement. It is not okay. pic.twitter.com/4tyj9Bktr2
— Talia Lavin, партизанка (@chick_in_kiev) March 22, 2019
“Laura Ingraham personally attacking and fearmongering about NYU’s decision to hire Talia to teach a course about how to report on the far-right — while showing her picture on screen — is an unfathomably irresponsible and dangerous escalation,” said Laura Keiter, communications director at Media Matters. “Frankly, Laura Ingraham could benefit from taking Talia’s class which among other things will teach aspiring reporters about the psychological and physical safety issues that can come from covering the far right.”