Media Matters has confirmed that noted propagandist Andrew Breitbart will provide analysis for ABC News during their election night coverage.
After Breitbart's BigJournalism.com website reported that Breitbart would “be bringing analysis live from Arizona” for ABC, Media Matters confirmed his participation in a town hall meeting anchored by ABC's David Muir and Facebook's Randi Zuckerberg that will be featured in the network's coverage.
Asked about Breitbart's history of unethical behavior and misinformation, ABC News' David Ford told Media Matters: “He will be one of many voices on our air, including Bill Adair of Politifact. If Andrew Breitbart says something that is incorrect, we have other voices to call him on it.”
Media figures and outlets from across the board rejected Breitbart's race-baiting lies after he smeared former USDA official Shirley Sherrod as a “racist,” using as “proof” a heavily edited video of comments she made during a March NAACP event that he posted on his site BigGovernment.com.
ABC's Terry Moran subsequently reported that “Breitbart had released only a clip of her speech, which distorted her real meaning, that she was wrong and had learned from her error,” while Donna Brazile said that Breitbart “should apologize” to Sherrod. Both Brazile and Moran will also be featured during ABC's election night coverage.
Breitbart has repeatedly appeared on ABC to explain his false smears. In a July appearance on Good Morning Ameria, George Stephanopoulos called out Breitbart for pushing claims about Sherrod that are “clearly not true.” During Breitbart's joint interview with James O'Keefe on the June 1 edition of Good Morning America, Stephanopoulos revealed a clip that had been excluded from an O'Keefe video posted on Breitbart's website of New Jersey census supervisors that undermined O'Keefe's contention.
Other highlights of Andrew Breitbart's recent career of authoring and promoting falsehood-laden journalism include:
“Nationwide ACORN child prostitution investigation”
Platform for anti-gay Jennings smears
Breitbart-promoted video falsely accuses Democrats of reconciliation hypocrisy
Wild accusations over Gladney case
Breitbart's websites make baseless claim that NEA engaged in lawbreaking
Bertha Lewis' nonexistent White House visit
Media Matters' Joe Strupp provided reporting for this post.