Sky News Stands By Journalist Following Heated Exchange With Abdul El-Sayed: ‘We’re Proud of Our Correspondent, Who Was Doing His Job’

Sky News has defended US correspondent James Matthews after his heated exchange with newly elected Senator Abdul El-Sayed outside a Detroit polling station. The row drew attention to the tension between a politician’s view of his intended voters and international media’s role in covering US elections.

A clip of the exchange attracted more than 12 million views on Twitter in under 48 hours. El-Sayed said he would not answer Matthews because he worked for a UK-based international outlet, while Matthews said he had not been able to ask a question before El-Sayed began questioning him. Sky said US election results affect audiences in the UK and in 138 countries; Matthews has worked for the broadcaster for more than 20 years and has been its US correspondent since 2022.