Shame: Breitbart smears Fields and Shapiro, then deletes post after backlash

 

The Breitbart team has seen a huge shake up. After alleging that Donald Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski assaulted her, Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields expressed overall disappointment in how her employer was treating her. She, and Editor-At-Large Ben Shapiro, resigned Sunday night.

BuzzFeed spoke to Fields and Shapiro, who provided statements to the site. Fields kept her statement short:

Today I informed the management at Breitbart News of my immediate resignation. I do not believe Breitbart News has adequately stood by me during the events of the past week and because of that I believe it is now best for us to part ways.

Shapiro’s went further, referencing not only the site’s treatment of Fields, but how the chairmanship of Steve Bannon has gone against the legacy of the late founder, Andrew Breitbart. Shapiro notes:

Andrew built his life and his career on one mission: fight the bullies. But Andrew’s life mission has been betrayed. Indeed, Breitbart News, under the chairmanship of Steve Bannon, has put a stake through the heart of Andrew’s legacy. In my opinion, Steve Bannon is a bully, and has sold out Andrew’s mission in order to back another bully, Donald Trump…

“Steve Bannon and those who follow his lead should be ashamed of themselves,” Shapiro said.

While the article title now directs to an explanation, the original “Ben Shapiro Betrays Loyal Breitbart Readers in Pursuit of Fox News Contributorship” still appears on Google.

The same flattering image still appears, which Justin Green of IJ Review tweeted out.

The explanation for the change:

The article was written by me as part of an effort to make light of a significant company event, and was published as a result of a misunderstanding without going through the normal editorial channels.
I apologize to Michelle Fields, my friend Ben Shapiro, and to everyone concerned.

The explanation is an unsatisfactory one, furthering how the site still has not responded well or respectfully, but further tarnished Breitbart’s (both the man and the site’s) image.

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