CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson is reportedly “in talks to leave CBS ahead” of her contract in the midst of disagreements with executives over her “wading dangerously close to advocacy” on Benghazi. Attkisson, who has a history of producing shoddy reporting, is getting support from Fox News personalities, with one calling for the conservative network to hire her as an investigative reporter.
The Washington Post noted this week that Attkisson, like Fox News, has been a “persistent voice of news-media skepticism about the government's story” on Benghazi. The Post added:
Conservatives see a crusader and truth-teller. Tim Graham of the conservative Media Research Center calls Attkisson “an outlier” among TV reporters -- a hard-nosed investigator of “how our public officials behave and misbehave.” Liberals see a partisan tool. “I think Attkisson has completely given herself over to the right and is very happy to be their champion,” says Eric Boehlert, a senior fellow at the liberal Media Matters for America organization.
Politico reported that CBS News “has grown increasingly frustrated with Attkisson's Benghazi campaign” and executives “see Attkisson wading dangerously close to advocacy on the issue, network sources have told POLITICO. Attkisson can't get some of her stories on the air, and is thus left feeling marginalized and underutilized. That, in part, is why Attkisson is in talks to leave CBS ahead of contract." (The Post wrote of the contract situation: “Despite reports of internal conflicts with her superiors, Attkisson says she has no immediate plans to leave CBS. 'I am currently under contract,' she says flatly, declining to say when her agreement lapses or what might follow.”)
Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich tweeted today: “Fox News should launch a new investigative unit featuring: @sharylattkisson, @jamesrosenfnc, @JenGriffinFNCand Catherine Herridge." All the reporters referenced except for Attkisson currently work for Fox News. Fox News contributor Jonah Goldberg replied: “Fox Untouchables.” Reporter James Rosen retweeted Pavlich.
Several other Fox News personalities have praised Attkisson for her work on Benghazi.
Fox News host Sean Hannity praised Attkisson as among the “few mainstream media reporters who are actually gutsy enough to do real and tough reporting on this story, now they are being undermined by their news organizations.”
Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume -- who helped recruit Megyn Kelly to Fox -- singled out Attkisson for praise on the May 6 edition Special Report with Bret Baier: “I note particularly reporting done on CBS News by Sharyl Attkisson who's a fine reporter as you and I both know. Over the weekend, she was out with a number of different reports. She had another report out today.” Hume also praised Attkisson's “very good reporting” on Benghazi on The O'Reilly Factor later that night.
Fox News contributor Stephen Hayes tweeted on May 8: “Much-deserved praise for @SharylAttkisson and her dogged coverage of #Benghazi. Must-follow. http://wapo.st/10pBFBq." A January 28 post on the Fox Nation website has the headline: “Stonewalled CBS Reporter Embarrasses Obama on Twitter”
If Attkisson does land at Fox News, she'd join several other on-air figures who conservatives believed were mistreated by the media. In recent years, Fox News has hired reporter Doug McKelway, Lou Dobbs, Don Imus, and Judy Miller.