Megyn Kelly, who famously jumped from Fox News to NBC a few months ago, is already making news and causing controversy with her new Sunday Night magazine show. Due to an upcoming interview with radio talk show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. J.P, Morgan Chase has pulled its ads from the segment, scheduled to air next Sunday. Social media is ablaze with outrage.
Who is Alex Jones and why is he so controversial?
Jones has expressed the belief that a number of high-profile tragedies have secretly involved the federal government. He has suggested that the government was behind the Oklahoma City Bombing and the 9/11 attacks.
He has said that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was “staged.” He believes that the Apollo moon landings were faked.
The Sandy Hook conspiracy theory, which Jones has claimed was concocted to justify gun control elicited particular outrage from parents of the young children who died at the hands of a madman. Jones has started to backtrack to a certain extent, now admitting that the massacre happened, that the children “likely died” but suggesting that there are “anomalies.” Parents of the dead children have been understandably incandescent in their outrage at Jones.
Major sponsor pulls ads
J.P. Morgan Chase has pulled ads from the segment, according to the Washington Examiner. A social media campaign has started with the hashtag “#shameonNBC” demanding that the interview segment is pulled.
Many people question the newsworthiness of giving a man of Jones’ dubious sanity a nationwide public platform to air his peculiar views. Many have called for the segment to be pulled and the interview not to be aired
NBC and Megyn Kelly respond
The network and Kelly have responded and noted that Jones has come into some praise from President Donald Trump for the talk show host’s support during the 2016 campaign.
Jones describes himself as a “libertarian” and a “paleoconservative” and has been called by others “alt-right” and “far right.” It should be noted that Jones is behind an effort to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz, presumably for his insufficient loyalty to President Trump.
Kelly and NBC, in a way, find themselves in a splendid position, having garnered a great deal of free publicity for the interview.
As long as no other advertisers pull out, they can air the segment secure in the knowledge that it will get great ratings. How the interview will be received will largely depend on Kelly’s questioning. Jones, already sensing that he is not going to come off well, has started to complain that NBC is going to “misrepresent” his views through careful editing.
