Has there ever been a dumber media controversy than the one surrounding Megyn Kelly and Alex Jones?
Well, yes, probably. But on the merits, this one ranks pretty high up there.
On her upcoming Sunday night show on NBC, Kelly is set to air an interview with Jones, a conspiracy theorist. Jones has claimed that Sept. 11 is an inside job, that the Sandy Hook massacre could have been a hoax, and that the government is making kids gay by putting chemicals in juice boxes, among other theories that make him sound nuttier than your average mental ward patient.
But journalists don’t only interview saints and the mentally-sound. According to an interview I conducted with Trump confidante Roger Stone on my podcast, Jones has talked to the president on the phone at least three times since his inauguration. That alone makes Jones a relevant interview, no matter his views, no matter his morals.
But according to reports, NBC is freaking out. Critics of Jones are calling on NBC to cancel the episode, saying his views are beyond the pale, particularly those about the Sandy Hook massacre, and that NBC is legitimizing a figure of ill-repute. Sponsors are threatening to pull ads. I feel for the victims of Sandy Hook and their families as much as anyone, but Jones’ insensitive and insane rantings on the tragedy don’t make him less of a worthy news interview.
I think Jones is bad for the country, but let’s not pretend he is the worst person ever interviewed on national television.
Up until about six minutes ago, MSNBC’s highest ratings often came from a show that focused on interviewing prison inmates, some who actually murdered people or were at least accused of murder. Until he died a couple of years ago, the media seemed to publish a profile of despicable Westboro Baptist Church leader Fred Phelps on a monthly basis. How many interviews have there been with Charlie Manson?
None of those people ever had the president on speed dial. Even if you ignore the fact that Jones is basically the Ted Turner of Fake News at a time when the term Fake News is on everyone’s lips, his Trump-connection alone makes him a worthy subject for Kelly to probe.
What’s particularly bizarre about the outrage over Kelly’s interview with Jones is that she interviewed Vladimir Putin a few weeks ago, a man who has inflicted far more harm on the world than Jones ever has. There was little protest against airing that episode, as far as I could tell.
I had the odd experience of having dinner with Alex Jones at the Republican National Convention, where I spent the evening grilling him on whether he really believed the awful conspiracies he touted on his show, or whether he was just acting. I have also tried to get Jones on my podcast, which occasionally features guests every bit as destructive to society as Jones.
A tough interview, conducted smartly, demystifies these third-rate carnival barkers. If it helps them gain adherents to their cause, that’s a problem with the state of our society and the health of our culture, not with the fact they were interviewed.
It is fair game to criticize Kelly for how she conducts her interview with Jones, once you see it. But the freak out before the interview even airs is just unwarranted.
Jamie Weinstein (@Jamie_Weinstein) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He hosts The Jamie Weinstein Show podcast and is founding partner at JMW Strategies.
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