BELFAST (WGME, BDN) — A freelance journalist from Belfast has been caught in the crosshairs of the culture wars after Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday night encouraged his viewers to find and share the reporter’s address — a controversial practice known as doxxing.
Journalist Murray Carpenter was reporting on a story for the New York Times about Carlson, who owns a home in the western Maine village of Bryant Pond. The Fox host has sold his house in Washington, D.C., and lives in Maine much of the year, according to the Sun Journal.
During his first show back from vacation, Carlson took aim at the New York Times, accusing the publication of trying to intimidate his family by publishing his address, according to the Washington Post.
At the end of his show, Carlson suggested that viewers of his prime-time program “Tucker Carlson Tonight” could expose the home address of the reporter and Times editors.
“Within hours, an army of conservative Twitter accounts started publicly posting the address and personal information of the reporter Carlson identified as the story’s writer. Many encouraged people to harass the reporter,” the Washington Post reported.
Carlson also aired Carpenter’s photo, calling him a “political activist.” Carpenter, whose reporting tends to focus on science and environmental issues, did not comment, but a New York Times spokesperson issued the following statement in an email to the Bangor Daily News.
“While we do not confirm what may or may not publish in future editions, The New York Times does not plan to expose Tucker Carlson’s residence, which Carlson was aware of before his broadcast,” Danielle Rhoades Ha said.
On the show, Carlson also mentioned Times photographer Tristan Spinski and the newspaper’s social media editor, Jim Windolf, by name, according to the Post.
“How would Murray Carpenter and his photographer, Tristan Spinski, feel if we told you where they live, if we put pictures of their homes on the air?” Carlson asked. “What if we published the home address of every one of the soulless, robot editors at the New York Times, who assigned and managed this incitement of violence against my family?”
The host took aim at Carpenter and the New York Times as he was embroiled in a fresh controversy. That same day, a lawsuit had been filed accusing him, Sean Hannity and other Fox News personalities of sexual misconduct. According to the Post, the network has denied the allegations. Earlier this month, Carlson’s head writer resigned after being linked to anonymous blog posts containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic language.
