Fox News U-Turn on Vaccines
Judi McLeod , Bio and Archives--July 21, 2021
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Fox News host Neil Cavuto and his guest on yesterday’s show, “Your World” raced to the rescue of NIAID head honcho Dr. Anthony Fauci, claiming that the Covid flip-flop doctor was victim of a “pile-on” by Senator Rand Paul.
“Fox News host Neil Cavuto defended National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases head Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday on his show “Your World,” saying he was a good man at his core. (Breitbart, July 20, 2021)
“Referencing a heated exchange between Fauci and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) during a Tuesday Senate hearing, Cavuto said, “I’m not going to replay the bites from earlier today. I think it turned to a circus. But this pile-on on Dr. Fauci, what he knew, when he knew it, whether he had sinister plans and was putting a hoodwink on us. I thought he was thinking in real-time. Didn’t have a handle on stuff. Following it as you were at the time, others. Do you think this pile-on is fair?” Cavuto asked his show guest. “Dr. Bob Lahita said, “No, I don’t, Neil. I don’t think the pile-on is fair. Because I know Dr. Fauci is a very professional man. He’s been the director of the NIAID for years and years and years. I used to work at the NIH reviewing grants, and I remember Dr. Fauci’s guidance. He’s been around since Moses parted the Red Sea. He is a very ethical, prudent individual. So I trust him.” "Cavuto joked, “I think he was providing medical advice for Moses.”
Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto defended Dr. Fauci on Tuesday, saying that "at his core, he's a good man, a good doctor" and that "we've all got to just step back."
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) July 20, 2021
"He has been vilified to the point that you'd think he was Lex Luthor. And I don't know how productive that is." pic.twitter.com/Ghi3dEcbll
“But Fox Corporation, the right-wing talk channel's parent company, has quietly implemented the concept of a vaccine passport as workers slowly return back to the company's offices. “Fox employees, including those who work at Fox News, received an email, obtained by CNN Business, from the company's Human Resources department in early June that said Fox had "developed a secure, voluntary way for employees to self-attest their vaccination status.” “The system allows for employees to self-report to Fox the dates their shots were administered and which vaccines were used. “The company has encouraged employees to report their status, telling them that "providing this information to FOX will assist the company with space planning and contact tracing.” “Employees who report their status are allowed to bypass the otherwise required daily health screening, according to a follow-up email those who reported their vaccination status received. "Thank you for providing FOX with your vaccination information," the email said. "You no longer are required to complete your daily health screening through WorkCare/WorkMatters.” “The concept, which was first reported Monday by Ryan Grim on The Hill's morning streaming show, is known internally as "FOX Clear Pass.”
“While the "Fox Clear Pass" is voluntary for employees, and other companies have similar tools, it is still remarkable, given how vocal Fox's top talent has been in criticizing the concept of vaccine passports.(CNN Business) “Fox News has spent months portraying the notion that people might be asked to show vaccination status as dangerous to personal freedom and anti-American. “Fox has also hyped the rejection of vaccine passports by Republican elected officials like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Spokespeople for Fox Corporation and Fox News did not comment in response to questions Monday about why the right-wing talk channel has been so forcefully against vaccine passports while the company has itself implemented a version of one.”At the end of yesterday’s screed, Cavuto concluded on Fauci: “At his core, he’s a good man, a good doctor. We all have to step back, take the chill down.” What about ‘taking the chill down’ on the questions unanswered about Covid and experimental vaccines? Question 1: Was Covid-19 really the pandemic Dr. Fauci told the masses it was? Question 2: Was the “curve” advanced as a response for containment by doctors Fauci and Deborah Birx an effective measure to decrease its spread? Question 3: Where has the annual seasonal flu gone now that it has been swallowed up by Covid?

“Their study looked at both COVID-19 new articles and reaction to these updates on Twitter to see how the public’s attitudes are changing since early 2020. Researchers say that despite the death toll continuing to increase, people are generally showing less concern about COVID-related news. Study authors looked at the effect of early fear-based health messages in the news. They found that such reporting motivated many people to change their behavior to help curb COVID’s spread. That includes social distancing and quarantining indoors. However, researchers also find over-exposure to the constant stream of fear-based reporting is desensitizing people to the message.” “The findings appear in the Journal of Medical Internet Research Infodemiology.”
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