- Oliver criticized Fox News for its coverage of student protests, particularly focusing on a live report from Columbia University.
- A student’s calm and thoughtful response to a reporter’s question about their reaction to police arrests was highlighted, earning praise from Oliver.
- Oliver humorously mocked the reporter’s question, suggesting it was “the dumbest question ever asked on TV,” and joked about the potential impact on Fox News viewers.
Newsypeople- John Oliver is a British-American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host, born on April 23, 1977, in Birmingham, England.
He initially started his career as a stand-up comedian in the UK before moving to the United States where he became widely recognized as the Senior British Correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” from 2006 to 2013. During his tenure, he received three Primetime Emmy Awards for his writing contributions.
In 2014, Oliver debuted his own HBO series, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.” The show has been critically acclaimed and has garnered numerous awards, including 16 Primetime Emmys and two Peabody Awards, for its thorough and humorous exploration of complex political and social issues.
Aside from his television career, Oliver has also taken on various roles in film and TV shows, including voice work in “The Smurfs” and the remake of “The Lion King.” He became a U.S. citizen in 2019.
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John Oliver Criticizes FOX News’ Student Protest Coverage
John Oliver, the host of “Last Week Tonight,” criticized Fox News’ coverage of student protests over the war in Gaza during his show on May 5, 2024. He began the segment by discussing the “hard crackdown” on college students protesting the war, highlighting the extreme police presence on campuses. Oliver showed clips from a live Fox News report at Columbia University in New York, where a reporter asked a student protestor about the NYPD’s actions. The student’s response was that it was “insane” and that they had a right to protest, expressing shock and frustration at the police’s intervention.
Oliver focused on a specific moment where the reporter asked the student what they would do when the police started arresting them. The student’s calm response was that they couldn’t really do much, to which the reporter followed up by asking if the student would go with the police if they were arrested. Oliver praised the student for giving the “calmest possible answer to what might be the dumbest question ever asked on TV”.
John Oliver Mocks Fox News Reporter for Asking "Dumbest Question Ever" on TV https://t.co/x3QBpkJMGF
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 6, 2024
This segment was part of a broader critique by Oliver of the coverage of student protests on cable news networks, particularly highlighting the incident at Columbia University. The criticism aimed to draw attention to the way student protests were being portrayed and the questions being asked by reporters, suggesting a lack of understanding or sensitivity towards the issues being protested and the rights of the protestors.
John Oliver’s critique of Fox News’ coverage underscores the importance of media representation and the need for journalists to approach sensitive topics with empathy and understanding. His segment aimed to highlight the discrepancy between the student protestors’ peaceful demonstrations and the aggressive police response, as well as the sensationalism and misrepresentation in the media coverage.
Fox News Responds To John Oliver’s Critique Of Protest Coverage
Fox News did not provide a direct response to John Oliver’s critique of their coverage of the student protests over the war in Gaza on “Last Week Tonight.”
John Oliver’s segment focused on highlighting the absurdity of the questions asked by a Fox News reporter during a live report at Columbia University, where students were protesting the war. The segment included Oliver’s sarcastic mockery of the reporter’s line of questioning and the student’s calm response, which Oliver commended as the “calmest possible answer” to what he called “the dumbest question ever asked on TV”.
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Oliver’s critique was part of a broader discussion on the media’s portrayal of student protests, aiming to draw attention to the sensationalism and misrepresentation in the coverage. Despite the critique, there was no mention of Fox News’ response to the criticism in the provided sources.
Student Protesters Reaction to Fox News Coverage
The student protesters at Columbia University, who were protesting against the war in Gaza, had a mixed reaction to the Fox News coverage of their protest. One notable response came from Johannah King-Slutzky, a Columbia University graduate student, who went viral online after addressing the media’s concerns about the protesters’ safety, particularly regarding food and water access.
King-Slutzky emphasized the need for basic humanitarian aid, such as food and water, for the protesters, stating that the university had an obligation to provide for its students, even if they disagreed with the protesters’ cause. She argued that not providing such aid could lead to severe health risks for the protesters.
The protesters’ situation was further complicated by the New York Police Department’s decision to clear Hamilton Hall, where the protest was taking place, nearly 24 hours after it was occupied by students. This action led to discussions about the university’s response to the protest and the broader implications of the protesters’ actions. Some students, like Daniella Symonds and Xavier Westergaard, called out the administration’s response to the protests on “America Reports,” highlighting their dissatisfaction with the university’s handling of the situation.
Another perspective came from a student who witnessed the protesters’ takeover of a building. This individual expressed feelings of isolation and concern about the potential consequences for the protesters, including both legal and academic repercussions. They suggested that while some might want to see the protesters face stiff legal consequences, others recognized that such actions could further inflame the situation and potentially harm the protesters’ future job prospects.
Overall, the student protesters’ reaction to the Fox News coverage and the broader situation at Columbia University was multifaceted, reflecting a range of concerns from basic humanitarian needs to the implications of their actions on their future and the university’s response to the protests.
