Of all the shameful things that Fox News has done over the years, its most blatantly irresponsible might very well be the weeks its hosts spent claiming that coronavirus wasn’t nearly as dangerous as liberals in the media were making it out to be and that Democrats exaggerated the threat in order to attack President Donald Trump. But Fox News, like Trump himself, has changed its tone — finally acknowledging the severity of coronavirus. And a video by the Washington Post, titled “How Fox’s Coronavirus Has Shifted,” shows how dramatic the change has been.
As of Wednesday morning, March 18, the coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 8,205 people worldwide (according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore). In other words, coronavirus is every bit as deadly as health experts were warning back in January, February and early March, when Fox News’ opinion hosts were mocking them. The Washington Post’s video offers some highlights of Fox News’ reckless coronavirus denial.
For example, the video contrasts Fox News’ Trish Regan on March 9 compared to March 13. On March 9, Regan is seen insisting that those who were warning about the dangers of coronavirus “care very little for any of the destruction they were leaving in their wake” — whereas on March 13, Regan is seen warning that it is important to “test for the virus in order to stop the spread of it.” Moreover, Regan warns of “what could be a very great recession” because of coronavirus and even a “depression.” Continue reading.