Fox 26 Houston reporter Ivory Hecker accused Fox Corp. of “muzzling” her reporting during a live broadcast on Monday, informing viewers that she’s working with Project Veritas to expose “what goes on behind the scenes.”
Before getting into a report about the heat wave across Texas, Hecker said: “I want to let you, the viewers, know that Fox Corp. has been muzzling me to keep certain information from you, the viewers. And from what I’m gathering, I am not the only reporter being subjected to this. I am going to be releasing some recordings about what goes on behind the scenes at Fox because it applies to you, the viewers. I found a nonprofit journalism group called Project Veritas that’s gonna help put that out tomorrow, so tune into them. But as for this heat wave across Texas, you can see what it’s doing to AC units.”
You have to watch this.
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 15, 2021
Fox 26 Houston reporter, @IvoryHecker, just savaged her network bosses ON LIVE TV— saying she will expose them by releasing damning secret recordings to Project Veritas for “muzzling” her reporting
pic.twitter.com/JmawnooxqD
Newsweek offered context to the reporter's claim:
In a statement to Newsweek for a previous story, Hecker claimed that after she interviewed an unspecified person in August 2020, her relationship with Fox took a "dark turn."
"They decided they didn't like what the interview subject had said, and they went on to internally harass and defame me," Hecker said.
"I knew I was not working for a journalistic organization when I was called into an HR meeting in December and was told to keep my support for free speech and opposition to censorship to myself—that those were not matters to be publicly spoken about." (Newsweek)
Project Veritas has confirmed to multiple media outlets that there will be a story coming out Tuesday night with the recordings Hecker claimed to possess.
Hecker's surprise announcement went viral and has been viewed more than 2 million times.
Update: She has been suspended from the network.