The New York Times is defending reporter Taylor Lorenz after Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson mocked her during a lengthy segment in a Tuesday night broadcast.
Carlson said Lorenz, a tech and internet culture reporter, was “at the top of journalism’s repulsive little food chain” and that she is “far younger” and “much less talented” than other prominent New York Times reporters in a segment discussing “powerful people claiming to be powerless.”
“You’d think Taylor Lorenz would be grateful for the remarkable good luck that she’s had. But no, she’s not,” Carlson said. He then read a tweet from Lorenz, posted on International Women’s Day, saying how online harassment and smear campaigns have destroyed her life
For international women’s day please consider supporting women enduring online harassment. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the harassment and smear campaign I’ve had to endure over the past year has destroyed my life. No one should have to go through this.
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) March 9, 2021
“Destroyed her life, really? By most people’s standards, Taylor Lorenz would seem to have a pretty good life, one of the best lives in the country, in fact. Lots of people are suffering right now, but no one is suffering quite as much as Taylor Lorenz is suffering,” he continued.
On Wednesday, the New York Times released a statement defending Lorenz and calling Carlson’s comments “calculated and cruel.”
“In a now familiar move, Tucker Carlson opened his show last night by attacking a journalist. It was a calculated and cruel tactic, which he regularly deploys to unleash a wave of harassment and vitriol at his intended target,” the New York Times PR tweeted in a statement. “Taylor Lorenz is a talented New York Times journalist doing timely and essential reporting. Journalists should be able to do their jobs without facing harassment.”
Our response to Tuesday night's "Tucker Carlson Tonight" broadcast. pic.twitter/LkvaLjcRl5
— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) March 10, 2021
Lorenz also spoke out on Twitter, saying that Carlson’s repetition of her name served to encourage his viewers to harass her.
People being like “they’re making you famous.” It’s not fame. They want their armies of followers to memorize your name and harass you wherever you go. pic.twitter/NQ0UQUbGBu
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) March 10, 2021
“No public figure or journalist is immune to legitimate criticism of their reporting, claims or journalistic tactics,” said Fox News is a statement.
This isn’t the first time a news outlet has pushed back against Carlson’s inflammatory comments about reporters. In October 2020, NBC News said Carlson “encouraged harassment” against reporter Brandy Zadrozny after she investigated the extremist plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, QAnon members and election misinformation.
