After teasing story by saying “Obama makes a little girl cry,” Fox News' Kelly acknowledged it was not true


On the November 2 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, co-host Megyn Kelly teased an upcoming story by saying: “Well, in other news, Barack Obama makes a little girl cry. What? That story ... in five minutes.” Kelly added, “He's made me cry many times.” However, as the Associated Press reported on November 2, Obama, at a campaign event in North Carolina the previous day, spoke with the young girl because she had “shed a few tears.” According to the AP: “That's how Hadassah Jones, of Durham, got Barack Obama to answer questions Thursday after the campaign initially denied such requests from reporters.” When co-host Bill Hemmer later reported on the story and correctly noted that Obama took “questions from a five-year-old girl after she shed a few tears and got his attention,” Kelly said: “So he didn't make her cry. She was crying, and then he -- and then she stopped crying.” Hemmer replied, “I didn't say he made her cry.” Kelly then stated, “We said in the tease -- I was waiting to see how he made her cry.” Hemmer responded: “That's why they call it a tease.”

Media Matters for America has documented Fox News' penchant for false and misleading teasers.

From the November 2 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom:

KELLY: That one's got a lot of people fired up. Send us an e-mail at americasnewsroom@foxnews.com if you're one of them. Well, in other news, Barack Obama makes a little girl cry. What? That story, Bill, in five minutes. He's made me cry many times.

HEMMER: And the day is not over.

[...]

HEMMER: Also, Sen. Obama outlining his health-care plan to someone not quite old enough to vote. The Democratic candidate taking questions from a 5-year-old girl after she shed a few tears and got his attention. A rally, Durham, North Carolina, Obama crouching down to the ground and told Hassadah Jones that people who have money need to help those who are poor. For example, he asked the first-grader, “If you had a whole pizza and your friend had none, would you give your pal a slice?” Jones later said she had a great time meeting the Democratic candidate.

KELLY: So he didn't make her cry. She was crying, and then he -- and then she stopped crying.

HEMMER: Yeah. I didn't say he made her cry.

KELLY: We said it in a tease -- I was waiting to see how he made her cry.

HEMMER: I gotcha.

KELLY: But he didn't make her cry.

HEMMER: That's why they call it a tease.

KELLY: I --

HEMMER: And I'll have my pizza with pepperoni.