Dozens of journalism professors sent a scathing letter to Fox News executives, slamming the organization’s coronavirus coverage.
Seventy-four professors and working journalists told network heads Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch Thursday that the outlet is a “danger to public health.”
“Viewers of Fox News, including the president of the United States, have been regularly subjected to misinformation relayed by the network — false statements downplaying the prevalence of COVID-19 and its harms; misleading recommendations of activities that people should undertake to protect themselves and others, including casual recommendations of untested drugs; false assessments of the value of measures urged upon the public by their elected political leadership and public health authorities,” the letter reads.
74 journalism / comms professors + journalists have written an open letter to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch about the network’s coronavirus coverage.
“Viewers of Fox News, including the president of the United States, have been regularly subjected to misinformation…” pic.twitter.com/Vpk04Tc9es
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) April 2, 2020
The professors noted that some Fox News reporters have done “solid reporting” but took issue with prime-time hosts such as Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson. The letter stated, for example, that a day after Carlson reported about a “flimsy French study” on potential coronavirus treatments, Trump said there were “very, very encouraging early results” from the medications.
“Inexcusably, Fox News has violated elementary canons of journalism. In so doing, it has contributed to the spread of a grave pandemic,” the letter read. “Urgently, therefore, in the name of both good journalism and public health, we call upon you to help protect the lives of all Americans — including your elderly viewers — by ensuring that the information you deliver is based on scientific facts.”
