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The nation is in mourning following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers.
But Fox News aired a graphic which seems to suggest the death of black men results in a rebounding stock market.
On Friday's edition of Special Report with Bret Baier, reporter Susan Li introduced the graphic by saying:
"[The stock market has reached] new highs despite the nationwide protests this week."
"Historically, there has been a disconnect between what investors focus on and what happens across the rest of the country."
An image of the graphic was shared on Twitter where it horrified many.
This is a horrific graphic to have put up on air.
My god. pic.twitter.com/HoDof1AN9l
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) June 5, 2020
2. Here's the video of the graphic as it aired on Fox News this evening. pic.twitter.com/Iww2DnzkkI
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) June 5, 2020
Many online, including MLK's son Martin Luther King III, condemned the graphic in no uncertain terms.
I am appalled by Fox News' insensitive decision to compare the death of black men to gains in the stock market. This only reinforces the greed and inhumanity that exists in America as it relates to black people. A human life DOES NOT compare to a percentage jump in the S&P 500. pic.twitter.com/rz3Q8vz34j
— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) June 7, 2020
Fox News apologized for airing the graphic in a statement, saying:
"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."
Baier reposted the apology on his Twitter account.
FOX NEWS CHANNEL:
“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 & take this issue seriously."
— Bret Baier (@BretBaier) June 6, 2020
Twitter couldn't believe that the graphic had made it through Baier's team without anyone noticing how offensive it was.
This is pure evil #FoxNewsisRacist #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/TS3tIJ07FY
— James (@jmk344) June 6, 2020
Anyone at Fox News involved in airing this graphic needs to lose their job. pic.twitter.com/hbzm125yY2
— Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) June 5, 2020
I had to check to make sure this was real. Yep, Fox News actually presented a graphic implying that dead black men are somehow ritualistic sacrifices that cause some sick deity to shower down stock market growth. That's a god I'm cool with “attacking and dethroning." https://t.co/K0g24wfU8d
— 🔥Aiden Wolfe (@AidenWolfe) June 6, 2020
No television network should be comparing the police beatings, deaths and assassinations of Black men to rises in the stock market.
Not sure why @FoxNews thought this was in anyway an appropriate graphic pic.twitter.com/XhxvvYr04A
— Guy Adami (@GuyAdami) June 6, 2020
This may be the most vile thing @foxnews has ever done and they should lose their cable access over it. https://t.co/LvOkH0DBrX
— Crooks and Liars (@crooksandliars) June 6, 2020
This graphic makes it clear that @FoxNews does not care about black lives. https://t.co/gYqC2B0n4F
— Bobby L. Rush (@RepBobbyRush) June 6, 2020
If you value human life as more valuable than money, the stock market doesn't matter as people are dying.
Does Fox News also have a graphic charting the percentage change of the S&P after the Holocaust, Munich massacre, and Tree of Life shooting? Does their White Supremacist graphic department track all minority calamities or just the ones that make Lou Dobbs giggle?
— JeremyNewberger (@jeremynewberger) June 6, 2020
We call this “planting seeds."
Fox News posts a graphic “suggesting" murdered black men that capture nationwide attention is “good" for the economy.
The MSM creates or furthers division & chaos.
Never forget that.#BlackLivesMatter #MainstreamMedia pic.twitter.com/dJfjobtKpi
— Jen Perelman For Congress (@JENFL23) June 6, 2020
Fox News actually aired this graphic. It measures the effect of notorious murders of black men on THE STOCK MARKET. https://t.co/h0NZglfdT6
— Kevin Conroy (@RealKevinConroy) June 6, 2020
Insinuating any sort of connection between police brutality and unjust murders and stock market rises isn't going to help Fox's reputation.
When I saw the graphic, I thought it couldn't be real, so I looked for the video. What kind of market analysis is this? Not one person on the @BretBaier team flagged this graphic as insensitive? #FoxNews #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/UXTJje3W5o
— Allia Mohamed (@AlliaMohamed) June 6, 2020
Whoever is running Fox News is determined to run into the ground.
Did you know that CNN beat them in the "riot ratings"? First. time in 19-years.https://t.co/ZKI3FuqnCZ
— ✭ Wayne Dupree ✭ (@WayneDupreeShow) June 6, 2020
It shouldn't need saying that there's no "bright side" to George Floyd's death, except possibly that it may stop similar murders from happening in the future.