Despite video evidence, Fox News covers for Minnesota police who arrested a Black CNN reporter on-air

On May 29, CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his camera crew were arrested by Minnesota State Police on live television and were later released without charges. While covering the arrest on America’s Newsroom, Fox News credibly repeated the police claim that “the crew was asked to move and they refused,” even though Jimenez was clearly heard on live television telling officers, “We can move back to where you’d like. … Just put us back where you want us. We’re getting out of your way. So, just let us know. Wherever you’d want us, we will go.”

Instead of stating the unambiguous facts of the situation, the Fox “straight news” anchor presented the unjust arrest of a journalist as a “he said, she said” between CNN, which is commonly demonized in conservative media, and the police, who are regularly lionized in the same media sphere.

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Citation

From the May 29, 2020, edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom

SANDRA SMITH (CO-ANCHOR): Police in Minneapolis arresting a CNN reporter and his crew as the reporter, Omar Jimenez, was covering the protests there earlier this morning. They were all released a couple of hours later and are back on the air. Police saying the crew was asked to move and they refused. CNN is denying that. The governor of Minnesota has issued an apology calling the arrest, quote, “unacceptable,” and we will hear from the governor at top of the next hour.