Fox News has relentlessly undermined the effort to get Americans vaccinated against the COVID-19 disease. From June 28 through July 11, 57% of segments about coronavirus vaccines on the network included claims that undermined vaccination efforts.

Amid a push from the Biden administration and medical officials to increase vaccination rates, Fox News has repeatedly fearmongered about and downplayed the need for continued vaccination campaigns. Fox News’ dismissal of vaccine efforts is particularly dangerous as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have surged in unvaccinated red states, with polling showing conservative and Republican voters -- who count Fox as their most trusted news source -- are less likely to get vaccinated. Further, The Salt Lake City Tribune reported that Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) blamed right-wing media anti-vaccination “propaganda” for the state's low immunization rates. The paper quoted Cox as describing the “recent push by Fox News, Newsmax, and other right-wing media against the vaccine” as “reckless.”

Executive summary

Over a two-week period, from June 28 through July 11, Fox News aired 129 segments about coronavirus vaccines. Of those, 57% included claims that either undermined or downplayed immunization efforts.
Forty-five percent of segments included claims suggesting that the vaccination drive is coercive or that it represents government overreach.
Thirty-seven percent of segments included claims suggesting that vaccines are unnecessary or dangerous.
Fox & Friends, including its early morning and weekend iterations, aired the most vaccine segments during this period, with more than half (52%) featuring claims undermining or downplaying immunization.
All of Fox’s weekday evening opinion shows with vaccine segments -- Fox News Primetime, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Hannity, and The Ingraham Angle -- included claims undermining or downplaying coronavirus vaccines in those segments.
Fox personalities and guests made a total of 216 claims undermining or downplaying vaccines in segments about coronavirus immunization.
Pundits in vaccine segments made 151 claims undermining or downplaying vaccines, representing 70% of the total attacks on vaccination efforts. Fox hosts Brian Kilmeade and Laura Ingraham made the most such claims with 22 and 18 statements, respectively.

Politico’s Wednesday news article on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) endorsement of Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker illustrated a troubling pattern: As Republicans have gotten behind the Trump-endorsed former pro football player, news pieces are giving less acknowledgment to the multiple reports of domestic violence in his past.

“Walker initially drew skepticism from Senate GOP leaders who worried that revelations about his past behavior would make him a weak nominee,” Politico said in the article, before adding that “those concerns have abated in recent days, with Republican officials saying they have been impressed with Walker’s fundraising abilities and the campaign team he has put together.”

It was not until the ninth paragraph that the piece explained what those “revelations about his past behavior” involved. “Walker has faced scrutiny over his past behavior, including his divorce from a woman who accused him of pointing a gun at her head and engaging in controlling behavior,” the article said. The article then juxtaposed accusations of domestic violence alongside “questions about his management of a chicken company he owns, Renaissance Man Food Services.”

In between these paragraphs, the narrative was separated by various descriptions of internal Senate Republican deliberations, such as their desire to avoid a contested primary.

A key element of the indictment was the latest antics from state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. The Associated Press reported yesterday:



The circumstances are difficult to even comprehend. Dr. Ladapo was scheduled to meet with Democratic state Sen. Tina Polsky, who had not yet made public her recent breast cancer diagnosis, but who told the Florida surgeon general she had a serious medical condition. With this in mind, Polsky offered mask protections to Ladapo and two aides when they arrived for last week's meeting.

According to multiple accounts, Ladapo refused. The state's top public health official also refused to explain why he wouldn't comply with the legislator's request.

A jury has been selected in the civil trial that will decide if organizers behind the August 2017, "Unite the Right" rally will be held responsible for the violence that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The plaintiffs, who include town residents and counterprotesters injured in two days of clashes, contend the organizers of the rally engaged in a conspiracy. The 9 individuals are seeking "compensatory and statutory" damages for physical and emotional injuries they suffered.
The twelve jurors were selected after being grilled with questions over three days.