When Tucker Carlson was suddenly let go by Fox News for no apparent reason, fans watched eagerly to see where he would land.
Amid rumors that Carlson would have to fight Fox to be released from his contract even though he was taken off the air, speculation that the act was an effort to silence the journalist abounded.
Carlson has made a name for himself breaking stories and uncovering facts that are glossed over by other media, and his ratings speak for him as he has consistently been on or near the top of the ratings in cable news for quite some time.
Rumors that Carlson and Elon Musk have been in conversations have now been affirmed, as Carlson has turned to the Musk-0wned Twitter platform dedicated to free speech to make himself heard.
In a newly released video this week, Carlson conversationally addressed his position.
On Tuesday afternoon, Carlson released a video on Twitter with the message “We’re back.”
In the video, Carlson makes several claims about the current state of the American media.
Carlson slammed the mainstream media and promised to continue his old “show” on Twitter, the only “big platform” which still allows free speech, the Blaze reported.
Carlson addressed the underlying issue, that journalism in America has mutated from its former truth-seeking self to a tool for manipulation of the masses.
“At the most basic level, the news you consume is a lie,” Carlson said, even as it is also “true in the literal sense.” Carlson then gave a hypothetical example to explain his point. He claimed that the media might say that a suspect has been “unjustly” arrested for armed robbery. However, if the media neglects to mention that the same suspect had previously been arrested for armed robbery on six other occasions, his recent “unjust” arrest suddenly lacks context.
“Facts have been withheld on purpose,” he said, “along with proportion and perspective.
“You are being manipulated,” Carlson stated. He said that the mainstream media almost constantly engages in such manipulation “in every story that matters, every day of the week, every week of the year.”
Explaining the media rules and limits from the top down, Carlson claimed that every journalist who works in the news business understands that there are limits to which truths can be told in the business. Those who tell the truth in defiance of those industry-imposed limits will inevitably be fired. “That’s not a guess — that’s guaranteed,” he said.
“The rule of what you can’t say” in the mainstream media, Carlson said, “defines everything. It’s filthy, really, and it’s utterly corrupting.”
Not one to let the grass grow under his feet, Carlson promised fans of “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” his highly-rated Fox News show, that he intends to offer “a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years.” He intends to offer that “new version” and some “other things” on Twitter, which he called “the last big” platform for free speech “remaining in the world.”
Carlson claimed that Twitter is important because “everybody is allowed” on it, creating an environment “where our national conversation incubates and develops,” and he went on to say, “Speech is the fundamental prerequisite for democracy. That’s why it’s enshrined first of our constitutional amendments.”
Tucker Carlson fans are rubbing their hands together in glee, as now Carlson is on the one media platform that is assuring free speech. Carlson has never held back on his own, and now he will have free reign to report on matters without the network fetters.
The Blaze noted that it is expected that Carlson’s future Twitter videos will extend beyond the bounds of the limits imposed on mainstream media. “Free speech is the main right that you have,” he said. “Without it, you have no others.
“See you soon,” he concluded.
We’re back. pic.twitter.com/sG5t9gr60O
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 9, 2023
Carlson “agreed to part ways” with Fox News on April 24, Fox News said in a statement, though many have speculated that Carlson was blindsided by the ousting and that the recent lawsuit Fox lost may have been a factor. Other hosts, both conservative and liberal, have left Fox News this year as well including Dan Bongino and Chris Wallace.
Former White House Press Secretary Kaleigh McEnany will be filling Carlson’s time slot on “Fox News Tonight,” at least temporarily. Carlson has also now announced a pending lawsuit against Fox News for breach of contract. The network’s viewership has plummeted since Carlson’s ousting, reports say, and it is certain that Carlson’s fans will follow him to Twitter.
The 1920s trend of “yellow journalism,” or manipulative media, has been repeating itself in the 21st century, but with Musk taking the lead in freedom of speech initiatives and Carlson joining the platform there is a new era being ushered in that fans are sure to follow.
