Talk show host claims women reporters trade sex for stories 'all the time'

In a controversial statement, host of a popular talk show in the US, Jesse Watters has claimed that female reporters trade sex for stories "all the time". The host further cited New York journalist Ali Watkins who worked as a reporter for many distinguished publications. Watters alleged that she had a physical relationship with one of her sources for four years and that's how she got hold of the news she reported. Watkins's records were seized by federal investigators which revealed that she had a relationship with a senior Senate Intelligence Committee aide. The host has a history of making similar controversial remarks in the past. Two years back, Watters made a controversial joke about Ivanka Trump saying that he really liked the way she spoke on the microphone. Following this, he was off the air for many days which he claimed to be for a family vacation.

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Watters faces criticism

Watters's comments were highly criticized by many as being sexist.  The host was criticized right out by his co-host liberal commentator Juan Williams on the show on Wednesday who said that one can't generalize that it's the same with all women reporters. To this, Watters interjected saying that he didn't mean most female reporters and that even men could do it. His statement inferred several cases in the past, he added. Besides this, Conservative CNN host SE Cupp wrote on Twitter that his employer channel should denounce him for the sake of female reporters and that his comments were disgusting.

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Journalist Kathy Scruggs in Richard Jewell

Watters' statement follows the controversy that has recently brewed over the portrayal of journalist Kathy Scruggs in Clint Eastwood's upcoming film, Richard Jewell, which characterizes the late Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter as trading sex for scoops. Yet a Journal-Constitution story recounting her career and challenging her depiction in Richard Jewell, claimed that there is no evidence to suggest that Scruggs had a sexual relationship with her sources, and her former colleagues. Former reporter Ron Martz who has acted in the film told the media that his concern is that the media is going to turn her into some sort of femme fatale who would do anything to get a story. He said that his version of the story, or the true happenings, are much different than what happened. Both Scruggs and Jewell died in 2001 and 2007 respectively.

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