Don Lemon’s 2014 was anything but noteworthy on a professional scale, according to the Columbia Journalism Review.
The publication’s “Darts & Laurels” blog has lumped Lemon among its worst of the worst in journalism for the year 2014 as it handed out DART awards upon the release of its annual “worst” review on Monday. Lemon was truly in a lane all his own as the CJR ran down lowlights while noting that the “CNN Tonight” co-host’s “gaffes this year offer a case study in how to choose words wisely — or not.”
“On March 20, he asked guests whether Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 could have been swallowed by a black hole: “I know it’s preposterous, but is it preposterous?” He later compared spanking children to training dogs and probed similarities between the release of US Army POW Bowe Bergdahl and the Showtime series “Homeland,” the CJR mentioned. “When an alleged Bill Cosby rape victim appeared on his show on Nov. 18, he lectured, “You know, there are ways not to perform oral sex if you didn’t want to do it…Meaning the use of teeth, right?” Less than a week later, as protests turned violent in Ferguson, MO, he described the scene: “Obviously, there’s a smell of marijuana in the air.” Lemon’s job isn’t easy. But he’s earned a DART for going there. Obviously. Congratulations, Don Lemon?”
In addition to Lemon, DART awards went to Rolling Stone for its bungled UVA rape story, CBS’ “60 Minutes” for not interviewing a single local person for a story on African Ebola, and “Fox & Friends” for its insensitive jokes after the infamous Ray Rice elevator video.
