In a CNN interview on Sunday, New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, imagined a world without Fox News.
“If you ask New York City’s Mayor what lies behind a lot of the negativity and the divisiveness gripping this nation, he’s got a simple answer for you: He says it's the media empire of Rupert Murdoch that’s at fault,” CNN media reporter and host of CNN’s Reliable Sources Brian Stelter prefaced, as de Blasio appeared on Stelter’s show on Sunday.
Stelter went on to ask him what his critique would be of the conservative News Corp.
“We would be a more unified country... There would be less overt hate…There would be less appeal to racial division, I guarantee it. Because what Murdoch did through Fox News and the New York Post, among others, is to create a dynamic where that stuff could come out in the open,” responded de Blasio.
De Blasio accused Fox of pushing a political agenda and accused the outlet of doing nothing but deepening the country’s political divide. Stelter argued, that de Blasio was sounding like President Trump.
“The smears of racism aside, what he’s really talking about is allowing only liberal outlets to exist” reported Newsbusters.
"So you would rather not have the New York Post or Fox News exist?” Stelter asked.
“Look, it's a free country. I’m saying, because they exist we've been changed for the worst,” responded de Blasio.
Stelter continued to press de Blasio, "But isn’t that like saying their fake news or they’re an enemy of the people?”
“No, because I think what the President has tried to do is create a dynamic that's anti-media, anti-free speech, undermining democratic norms,” said de Blasio. The mayor went on to assert that without Fox News there would be no President Trump.
Following the interview, de Blasio took to Twitter, to follow-up on his interview.
Tragically @BrianStelter, NewsCorp fostered the hatred that threatens journalists and public servants alike. That wasn't created by the Left
— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) August 12, 2018
And @BrianStelter, the lives of millions of Americans have been made more painful because of NewsCorp's agenda. We need to acknowledge that
— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) August 12, 2018