A report claims that Fox News’ management has forbidden network hosts to use the name of the alleged whistleblower at the center of the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, reports The Epoch Times.
On Oct. 31, an unnamed executive emailed Fox News staff that the network hasn’t “independently confirmed [the] name or identification of the anonymous whistleblower” and called on staffers to “NOT fulfill any video or graphic requests” in relation to the identity of the anonymous person’s identity, CNN reported.
Jeanine Pirro, the host of “Justice with Judge Jeanine,” suggested on Nov. 1 that hosts were going to follow such guidelines, saying that she and other hosts “apparently can’t say” the person’s name.
Fox News’ Sean Hannity also said on Monday that he “confirmed independently” the name of the person. “You know what, I will play the game for a little bit,” he told viewers. “I will take the lawyers’ threats that they’re going to sue me; it wouldn’t go anywhere.”
There have been reports that identified the whistleblower, who apparently worked for the CIA.
Meanwhile The NY Times is reporting Facebook has taken down articles posted by Breitbart that purported to identify the whistle-blower who triggered the impeachment inquiry of President Trump, just two weeks after including the site in the lineup of publishers whose work would be featured in a new news product.
The president and his supporters have argued that the whistle-blower should be identified because, they say, his revelations about a phone call between Mr. Trump and the president of Ukraine were politically motivated. But others have urged the protection of his anonymity, citing his safety and deference to whistle-blower statutes, which are designed to encourage people to bring information to light in the public interest.
In an article on Friday, Breitbart said its posts naming the person were taken down on Wednesday. Facebook said it was taking down any mention of the name throughout the platform, regardless of the source.
“Any mention of the potential whistle-blower’s name violates our coordinating harm policy, which prohibits content ‘outing of witness, informant or activist,’” a Facebook spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. “We are removing any and all mentions of the potential whistle-blower’s name and will revisit this decision should their name be widely published in the media or used by public figures in debate.”
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