Russian President Vladimir Putin had not been interviewed by an American journalist in almost three years, but this week he granted an interview to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. That means, of course, that Putin still hasn’t been interviewed by an American journalist in three years. He was interviewed by a former Fox News entertainer. The questions we should be asking are, why did Putin give an interview to Carlson — and why did he choose to do so now?
Why did Putin give an interview to Carlson — and why did he choose to do so now?
To be clear, my issue isn’t that an American interviewed Putin. That’s what real journalists should do. But, to repeat, Carlson isn’t a real journalist. Fox News, which fired him in April, made that clear when it successfully defended Carlson against a slander accusation filed against him in 2019. In writing her opinion, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil restated Fox’s defense: “The “‘general tenor’ of the show should then inform a viewer that he [Carlson] is not ‘stating actual facts’ about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in ‘exaggeration’ and ‘non-literal commentary.’ “
Carlson wasn’t even stating actual facts when he wrongly claimed that Western journalists haven’t pursued a Putin interview. Why, then, did Putin choose Carlson after denying other interview requests from Americans? The answer, in part, lies in Putin’s keen awareness that Carlson isn’t a journalist. Real journalists ask hard questions of powerful people. They push back when misleading or false information is proffered. Putin wanted none of that. That’s essentially what Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. Other Western news outlets have tried to interview Putin. The Kremlin chose Carlson because “he has a position that differs from the rest.”
Putin is a former KGB officer. That means he’s a master at manipulating and exploiting events for desired outcomes. What Putin wanted was a sturdy…
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