Fox News reporter Mike Tobin has been reporting from Madison, Wisconsin for a little over two weeks now, and the protesters have not made it easy for the Fox News crew to do live shots and stand ups. Mr. Tobin recently reported that a protester hit him, while the reporter was in the middle of a stand up. Below the video, there are a few other videos and photos I took during my time in Wisconsin last week, and they show exactly what the Fox News guys have been going through while reporting in Madison.
Mike Tobin explains what it is like to be a continuous target of the protesters’ anger: (H/T Mediabistro’s TV Newser for transcript)
“There was a guy in the crowd, who took a couple of pokes at me — it amounted to a charlie horse,” said Tobin. “The sheriff’s deputies asked if I wanted to press charges and I’m not going press charges over getting punched in the arm, it’s just not my thing.”
Then, during a Sunday liveshot: “There was another guy, kind of a big guy who was trying to get into the shot and I leaned into him to keep him out of the shot, and then as I kind of pushed him away he said he was going to break my neck.”
“I find the whole thing a terrific distraction, and terribly frustrating, because I want to cover the story… and I’ve got to try to hold my head together with while they come after me with every liveshot.”
While I was in Madison last week, I witnessed protesters scream profanities at the Fox News crew. One protester seemed to be so out of control, a police officer stepped in and told the man to take off.
The video below is a montage displaying both photos and videos of protesters either harassing Fox News employees or carrying signs denigrating the network. The woman above shouts at Fox News reporter Griff Jenkins after he asks her why she is carrying a sign that says “Fox News Lies.”
In this video, Fox News had a guest on in their media tent outside the capitol. The distraction of the protesters became too much, so the guest did his interview over the phone in the Fox News truck.
Fox News Reporter Mike Tobin did his best to work through the loud yelling of the crowds surrounding him when he did an evening stand up.
Speaking of the Fox New truck, the vehicle received some harassment of its own. Luckily, the truck was not permanently vandalized. Fox News reporter Griff Jenkins got an earful when he asks a protester why she dislikes Fox News so much.
