Ronan Farrow’s Latest Disgrace: A “Closer Look” at the Boston Bombers’ Martial Arts Skills

Is he saluting the Tsarnaev Brothers?

04.16.2014 | News | Matt Fox |

We’ve been poking a lot of fun at Ronan Farrow throughout the past few weeks. But nothing could prepare me for what I saw on Tuesday afternoon.

Before I get to that, understand that MSNBC offered up more than an hour of live coverage on Tuesday during Boston’s one-year commemoration ceremony honoring the heroes and survivors of last year’s marathon bombing. That ceremony was a touching one, featuring stories and prayers from those directly affected by–and still recovering from–the tragedy. Even Joe Biden’s speech was moving (apart from this, of course).

After applause, cheers, and tears, the ceremony ended. And mere seconds later, it was back to “Ronan Farrow Daily” to finish out its broadcast hour on MSNBC.

Did Ronan interview a survivor? Nope.

Did Ronan bring us a report about how a resilient Boston is completely pumped up for its annual marathon once again next week? Nope.

Instead, “RFD” pivoted to potentially one of the most disrespectful and tasteless pre-packaged news reports that I could have imagined. Apparently, Ronan has teamed up with a “data-mining start-up” company that parades itself around, pretending to be news (much like MSNBC itself). The company is called Vocativ, and it is responsible for several bizarre Farrow features in recent weeks.

This particular report was a 5+ minute look at the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) skills of Boston bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, complete with the type of b-roll and flattering photos that have previously only been seen in places as inspid as Rolling Stone magazine.

One interviewee in the report proclaims, “I feel sadness for the Tsarnaevs, who were used as scapegoats. I don’t think the act was carried out by the guys that are blamed for it.” He might as well have been speaking for Ronan himself, who surely must feel the same way if he honesly thought broadcasting this piece after the memorial ceremony was a wise decision.

The word “ostentatious” doesn’t even begin to describe the disgusting news sense that just about everyone at MSNBC and NBC News seems to have. Remember, this report is coming on the heels of what David Gregory did to a Boston survivor just this past weekend during a taping for NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

It’s probably pointless to get worked up, as Ronan Farrow’s ratings are so god-awful that he’s almost certain to be canned any day now. But the fact that he and his ilk just don’t get it–the fact that MSNBC’s timing can be this horrible–makes you want to rip your own hair out, strand by strand.

What do you think? Have you ever seen a so-called newsman before with a radar this awful? Share your comments below.

Matt Fox

Senior Editor

Fox has history in broadcasting that spans two decades. From his early days as an FM host and club DJ in the mid-90′s to his later experiences in political talk radio, he has always had a knack for combining topical news with his love for popular culture. Those experiences culminated in his position as executive producer for several radio shows featured in the TALKERS Heavy 100. Originally from New York, Fox has made the great pilgrimage down to sunny south Florida.

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