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Is Fox News spreading misinformation and fake news
Most Validated
Studies have shown a correlation between higher viewership of Fox News and higher numbers of coronavirus cases.
"Recent studies by Harvard University's Kennedy School Misinformation Review, the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the University of Chicago found that infection and mortality rates for the coronavirus are higher in areas where Fox News reaches the most viewers"
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Less Validated
In April 2020, 74 journalists and journalism professors signed an open letter criticising Fox News for spreading coronavirus misinformation.
The letter says Fox News viewers have been regularly subjected to misinformation including, "...false statements downplaying the prevalence of COVID-19 and its harms," and "...misleading recommendations of activities that people should undertake to protect themselves..."
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Less Validated
According to CNN, Fox News has provided some straightforward and expert-driven coverage of the novel coronavirus.
CNN's article says, "The network has had a number of reporters in the field assigned to cover the coronavirus, and shows have hosted various doctors who have provided sound medical advice. Harris Faulkner, for example, hosted a special with four doctors on her program..."
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Unchallenged
Fox News promoted the idea (voiced by Donald Trump) that President Obama was born outside the US—this turned out to be false.
Fox News Hosts (including Sean Hannity, Eric Bolling, Jeanine Pirro, Lou Dobbs, Thomas McInerny and Bill Cowan) voiced the idea that Obama was born outside America. Donald Trump would concede this was false after President Obama published his birth certificate.
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Unchallenged
Fox News used (and subsequently removed) doctored images on its website, during its coverage of the George Floyd protests.
Fox News used images that were manipulated to create the impression of armed conflict in a small expanse of city blocks in Seattle, that activists had claimed as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Others described the protests as "peaceful" and Fox News was forced to retract.
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Unchallenged
An internal report at Fox News raised concerns about sources of misinformation at the network.
Particular concerns were raised about John Solomon, a frequent guest of Sean Hannity, in relation to “non-disclosure of conflicts, use of unreliable sources, publishing false and misleading stories, misrepresentation of sources, and opaque coordination with involved parties...”
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Unchallenged
Sean Hannity, on Fox News, intentionally downplayed the lethality of the novel coronavirus (even though he knew better).
Hannity equated coronavirus fatality numbers with those of seasonal flu, despite knowing the novel virus' mortality rate is much higher. The night before Hannity's statements, Dr. Anthony Fauci told him that the coronavirus is at least 10-times more lethal than influenza.
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Unchallenged
Fox News spread misinformation that the federal budget deficits had been ballooning under Obama, but this turned out to be false.
On 15 October 2020, the Treasury Department released its annual statement on Fiscal Year 2015's budget expenditures and revenue. The report showed that the federal deficit had fallen to an eight-year low, totaling $439 billion, or 2.5 percent of GDP.
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The fight against misinformation needs a hero like you.
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Unchallenged
Fox News used the death of a democratic aide to publish (and eventually retract) conspiracy theories about the 2016 presidential race.
The parents of Seth Rich (the aide in question) filed a lawsuit against Fox News, claiming that the network’s coverage helped fuel damaging rumors about their son. The suit also claimed that Malia Zimmerman (reporter) and Ed Butowsky (guest), fabricated stories about Rich.
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Unchallenged
Fox News has poor accuracy ratings with fact checkers.
Fox News was deemed the least accurate cable news source according to a 2015 Politifact analysis. At Fox and Fox News, 10% of claims have been "True", 11% "Mostly True", 18% "Half-True", 21% "Mostly False", 31% "False" and 9% "Pants on Fire".