Fox News anchor Bret Baier issued an apology for using a graphic that analyzed economic data during times of mass protest and civil unrest.
“We are not immune from mistakes, and when we make them, we address them immediately. We ran a graphic Friday night that we should not have had on this show. Full stop. It was used to illustrate market reactions to historic periods of civil unrest and should have never aired,” the host of Special Report with Bret Baier said on Monday’s show.
“The show’s producers, unfortunately, did not appreciate the significance of how it might be interpreted, and we apologize for the insensitivity of that image. It was a major screw-up on our part. I’m the executive editor. The show has my name on it. The buck stops with me. I promise this has been addressed, and this will not happen again,” he added.
The graphic, which aired on Friday, detailed the changes in the S&P 500 following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rodney King acquittal, Michael Brown’s death, and George Floyd’s death. The graphic was widely condemned on social media.
Here’s the graphic as it aired.https://t.co/h0nP5IoTUy pic.twitter.com/201rNVXeZL
— andrew kaczynski? (@KFILE) June 5, 2020
Fox issued an apology for the graphic on Saturday, which Baier shared on his Twitter account.
“The infographic used on FOX News Channel’s Special Report to illustrate market reactions to historic periods of civil unrest should have never aired on television without full context. We apologize for the insensitivity of the image and take this issue seriously,” the network said.
The graphic aired after the stock market soared on Friday following a better-than-expected jobs report. The market had been lethargic due to the nationwide shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The surge also occurred while protesters gathered throughout the nation to advocate for an end to police brutality and racial injustice following Floyd’s death. Some demonstrations devolved into riots that included arson, vandalism, and looting.
