NBC News slammed Tucker Carlson and Fox News for targeting NBC reporter Brandy Zadrozny during a segment on Carlson’s show on Wednesday night.
“Fox News has chosen to smear Brandy. In so doing they have shamefully encouraged harassment and worse. Fortunately, any effort to intimidate Brandy is doomed to failure. NBC News couldn’t be prouder of Brandy, and we will continue to vigorously support her work,” the network said in a statement on Thursday.
During his show on Wednesday, Carlson devoted a segment to Zadrozny — an investigative reporter who has covered disinformation, QAnon, extremism and other conspiracy theories online — and accused the reporter of “seeking out personally identifying information about anonymous Trump supporters online.”
Carlson also brought on Darren Beattie — a former Trump speechwriter who has given speeches at conferences attended by prominent white nationalists and has since left the White House — as his guest for the segment, who accused Zadrozny of being a “neo-Stasi” who was trying to “crush the rebellion of the American people against their corrupt ruling class associated with the victory of Donald Trump.”
“Over the past several years, journalists from news organizations around the world have put themselves at risk in order to shine a light in the dark corners of society and the Internet — specifically in the realm of conspiracy theories and online extremism,” NBC News also said in its statement. “Tucker Carlson dangerously and dishonestly targeted one of those journalists — Brandy Zadrozny. Brandy represents the best of investigative journalism and of NBC News.”
“She is relentlessly well-researched and sophisticated in her understanding of disinformation and conspiracy theories on the Internet and within some social media communities,” the network continued in its statement. “Her work is widely respected and has contributed greatly to the public’s awareness and understanding of the dangers of this alt-universe that breeds online but has very tangible real-world impacts.”
A Fox News spokesperson did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.