Journalist outlines run in with Fox News PR on Twitter

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Jeremy Barr, a journalist for The Hollywood Reporter, post a series of tweets about a run in he had with Fox News public relations staffer Carly Shanahan.

This thread will ring true to media reporters, but may be interesting to readers who want to know how the sausage is made. Last Friday, I contacted Carly from Fox News PR and asked her about a $601.71 donation made by Brian Kilmeade to the Trump campaign on Jan. 20, 2017. (1/5) pic.twitter.com/JAMbV7JJ4S

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) October 25, 2018

Fox News took the weekend to investigate the donation, and on Monday I spoke with Carly for 15 minutes off-the-record, during which she explained the genesis of the donation: Kilmeade bought Trump Christmas ornaments, not realizing they'd count as contributions. (2/5)

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) October 25, 2018

The following day, I emailed her and let her know that we would be covering the story. I asked for an on-the-record statement or background details to use, so that my story on Brian's donation would appear in context and would be fair to him. (3/5) pic.twitter.com/tzPJKndhEb

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) October 25, 2018

She did not respond. But, less than five hours later, The Hill (a largely sympathetic outlet) published a story about the donation, which had gone unreported for more than a year and half. The story included an exclusive interview with Kilmeade. (4/5) pic.twitter.com/weSChD6kxO

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) October 25, 2018

Instead of covering the donation, Fox News PR gave me "a tip" and said I should cover "an actual story," which was "the NBC/Megyn stuff" — former employee Megyn Kelly's ill-advised "blackface" comments. (5/5)

— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) October 25, 2018