Anchors at Britain’s SkyNews had a bona fide on-air freakout Wednesday evening after a Charlie Hebdo writer held up for the camera a copy of the magazine’s new best-selling cover depicting Mohammed.
“I’m very sad, very sad that journalists in U.K. do not support us,” said Caroline Fourest, one of the survivors of last week’s attack that killed journalists and cartoonists at the magazine’s Paris office, on SkyNews Tonight. ”That journalists in U.K. betray what journalism is about by thinking that people cannot be grown enough to decide if a drawing is offending or not. Because you are not even showing it.”
“Which is completely crazy that you cannot show as simple drawing as that,” she continued, suddenly reaching down and holding up the cover. “With Mohammed –”
Although the camera only caught the top third of the drawing — up to Mohammed’s turban — the host was scandalized, immediately cutting the video feed.
“We at SkyNews have chosen not to show that cover, so we’d appreciate it, Caroline, for not showing that,” the anchor said. “I do apologize for any of our viewers who may’ve been offended by that.”
The Rupert Murdoch–owned cable news channel joins the BBC in declining to broadcast the image, which shows Mohammed holding up a “Je Suis Charlie” sign under the headline, “All is forgiven.”
Another Murdoch outlet, Fox News, has chosen to show the cover uncensored. American cable channels MSNBC and CNN, as well as NPR and the New York Times, have all declined to show it.