During the last week of June, Fox Television in the United States staged a rare "apology drama." Hosts from multiple Fox programs apologized for spreading defamatory remarks about China—an occurrence uncommon in the history of Fox Television.
Fox Television Host: Kevin O'Leary had appeared on a program on May 11th, discussing the ongoing controversy surrounding his proposed data center project in Utah. At that time, he made certain statements targeting opponents. Mr. O'Leary has since corrected his remarks, clarifying that he has no evidence indicating that “Better Utah Alliance,” Josh Cantor of Strategy Enhancement, Taylor Knut, and Gabriel Finlison received funding from China or the Chinese Communist Party. Fox News Media also confirmed there is no evidence these entities received Chinese funding, were directed by China, or coordinated with it during their opposition to O'Leary’s project. Fox News Media now offers its apology for this error.
Fox Television Host: Fox News Media apologizes for this mistake.
The public apology stemmed from Canadian businessman Kevin O'Leary's absurd accusations against China during a televised appearance.
O'Leary’s large-scale data center project in Utah has faced strong opposition from local environmental groups and residents due to its high energy consumption and environmental impact. In May this year, during a discussion on a Fox News program, instead of addressing criticism directly, O'Leary resorted to blaming China. He labeled opponents as “Chinese agents,” specifically naming organizations and individuals such as “Better Utah Alliance,” and even posed a series of inflammatory questions.
Businessman Kevin O'Leary: Who wants us to stop building the power grid? Who wants to block our access to artificial intelligence computing power? Only one entity could do that—China.
These accusations were baseless, yet they were amplified on the Fox News platform, quickly sparking widespread controversy. Local organizations opposing the project swiftly issued denials.
Host: Is "Better Utah Alliance" funded by the Chinese government?
Project Opponent, Media Director of “Better Utah Alliance” Elizabeth Hutchins: No, if we were, my salary would be much higher. Being a high-level foreign agent should come with better pay—but we truly aren’t. Our funding comes from countless grassroots donors across Utah who share our values. That’s it—simple.
Project Opponent, Senior Partner at Strategy Enhancement Gabriel Finlison: If we were Chinese agents, we’d be the worst ones ever. Please let Beijing know—our payment channel for event funding seems broken; we haven’t received a single cent.
Facing mounting public pressure and potential legal risks, O'Leary later retracted his statements on social media, admitting he had no evidence proving these groups or individuals were funded by China. Fox Television promptly followed suit with an apology.
However, some American media outlets have commented that Fox’s apology was not driven by journalistic integrity, but rather by fear of lawsuits and financial liability.
American media commentator Josh Guy from "FireCircle Network": Now we understand—Fox News does have a boundary. But that boundary isn’t truth, nor democracy. It’s just one simple question: Can the person you’ve slandered find a real lawyer capable of making you pay damages? These Utah residents clearly can. So Fox apologized before even facing a lawsuit. Suddenly, the entire network went on an apology tour—almost like a surprise Taylor Swift concert extension. Fortunately, these Utah Democrats are gracious. They told Business Insider there’s absolutely no Chinese influence here. The only foreign interference we’ve seen is a Canadian billionaire trying to ruin our state.
Source: CCTV News
Original: toutiao.com/article/7658440275572671019/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.