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- The White House has had discussions with Fox News about its COVID-19 vaccine coverage.
- Fox News hosts have been urging viewers to question the safety and effectiveness of vaccines for months.
- Studies have revealed a partisan divide in the desire to be shot.
The Biden administration confronted Fox News over an offer from some of its top-rated hosts to erode confidence in the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki at a press briefing on Tuesday confirmed officials had held talks with right-wing Fox News and other outlets about their coverage of the vaccine deployment strategy.
“We have been in contact with all the networks and many media on COVID-19 coverage to make sure people have accurate information, to voice their concerns when we have them,” Psaki said.
And speaking specifically to Fox News, Psaki stressed “the importance of reaching the Fox News audience about COVID-19 vaccines and their benefits, and as we are with all of you here today, of course we are. in regular contact “.
Psaki’s statement came after CNN reported that discussions between White House officials and Fox News over his immunization coverage had taken place regularly and at a “high level.”
A Fox News spokesperson denied CNN’s characterization of the White House meetings.
“CNN’s reporting is inaccurate. There was no high-level conversation between Fox News Media and the White House regarding our coverage. We had a routine briefing with the White House in early May on vaccination rates and our DC office staff are in regular contact with on a variety of issues, as is the case with all other networks, ”the spokesperson said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for information about the meetings.
Over the past week, the Biden administration has stepped up its crackdown on vaccine skeptics and anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists as vaccination rates lag and the highly contagious Delta variant spreads rapidly.
Last week, President Joe Biden accused Facebook of “killing people” by hosting anti-vaccine propaganda on his platform, in comments he then moderated. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical officer, said on Saturday that media networks that pushed skeptical views on vaccines have played a key role in discouraging many from getting vaccinated.
Several surveys have revealed a clear partisan divide in the desire to get vaccinated, states with the lowest vaccination rates among the most conservative in the country.
Some of Fox News’ top-rated hosts, including Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, have for months been urging Americans to question vaccine safety, distorting the point of view of public health officials and skewing the data in their arguments. .
Critics told Insider in February that the campaign was likely an attempt to harm the Biden administration and increase ratings by stoking paranoia over the plots of the liberal and scientific “elites”.
On Monday, in an abrupt shift in emphasis of the message, hosts such as Sean Hannity and Steve Doocey urged viewers to get the shot. Senior Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, also issued public statements on Monday urging Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
A Fox News spokesperson denied claims that positive vaccine comments made by hosts on Monday were a new stance, pointing Insider to a list of times hosts have expressed support for Americans’ vaccination campaign over the past few months.
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