UPDATE 6:20pm EST: Here is a statement from Fox News spokesperson on this story.
“CNN’s reporting is inaccurate. There have been no high level conversations between FOX News Media and the White House regarding our coverage. We had one routine briefing with the White House in early May on vaccination rates and our DC bureau personnel are regularly in touch with them on a variety of issues, as is the case with every other network.”
In addition, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki clarified during Thursday’s briefing that she regularly communicates with “many, many” news outlets about COVID-19 coverage:
“Let me first say that we’ve been in touch with every network and many, many media outlets about coverage of covid-19 to make sure people have accurate information to voice concerns when we have them. And I think you all know, we’re never shy when we have an issue with a story. So that’s really the frame we’re looking at here. So we understand also the importance of reaching Fox’s audience about the covid-19 vaccines and their benefits. And like we are with all of you here today, we, of course, are in regular contact. And we also make efforts to have officials out on a range of networks to talk about covid-19. We don’t see it as a partisan issue. We don’t see vaccines as a political issue. It’s an issue about keeping Americans safe.”
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Original story is below….
COVID cases are on the rise in all 50 states, but the percentage of fully vaccinated Americans is still just below the 50 percent mark. And experts predict that if you’re an adult who has not yet been vaccinated, chances are good that you won’t be knocking down your doctor’s door to get a jab or two anytime soon.
Which, obviously, is a problem — especially for the White House.
So in a move that seems to be in the spirit of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, CNN reports that the Biden administration is attempting to make nice with Fox News in order to get the network to look at the big picture and realize that their hosts constant anti-vaccine propaganda could quite literally be killing their viewership.
Biden’s team and Fox News executives have apparently been communicating for a few months now, though it’s unclear if any steps have been taken by the network to pump the brakes on their whole oppression-by-vaccination agenda. When asked about the Republican-leaning network’s role in the slowdown of COVID vaccinations, and what measures the president has taken to address the issue, White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that the Biden administration is fully aware of “the importance of reaching Fox News’ audience about the COVID-19 vaccines and their benefits, and like we are with all of you here today we, of course, are in regular contact.”
While recovering bow tie addict Tucker Carlson continues to spout all sorts of bad and potentially dangerous opinions and Brian Kilmeade doesn’t seem to care if his viewers are being killed by the virus (as long as it doesn’t affect him), other Fox News staples seem to have gotten the message. Just this week, Sean Hannity urged his viewers to “please take COVID seriously.” It only took 19 months, but progress is progress.
(Via CNN)