Fox News releases PSA urging audience to get COVID-19 vaccine

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Fox News showcased a PSA encouraging its viewers to avail themselves of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• The network hosts urged unvaccinated people to take the virus seriously.
• The PSA is set to run over the next few days, day and night.

Fox News released a new public service announcement (PSA) on Wednesday night urging its viewers to get the COVID-19 vaccine to beat the pandemic.

As the ad opens, Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy says: “America, we’re in this together.”

In another scene, daytime host Harris Faulkner says: “and if you can, get the vaccine.”

A link on the FoxNews.com website was also promoted in the PSA that would direct people to find and register for the nearest vaccine centers in their respective areas.

Several Fox News hosts, in their respective shows, spoke up last Monday to encourage viewers to get the shots.

“Well, here’s the thing. And one of the CDC officials said yesterday, look, the pandemic right now is really just with people who have not been vaccinated. Ninety-nine percent of the people who died have not been vaccinated. What they are trying to do is make sure that all of the people who have not been vaccinated get vaccinated,” Doocy said on Fox & Friends Monday morning.

During his primetime broadcast, Fox News host Sean Hannity, who has previously downplayed the virus, also encouraged his viewers to “please take COVID seriously.”

“I can’t say it enough. Enough people have died. We don’t need any more death,” he said.

Meanwhile, prominent prime-time hosts like Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham said that they were not against the COVID-19 vaccine, but remained skeptical over its significance and safety.

CNN reported on Tuesday that Fox network bosses have engaged with the White House communications team to discuss how the COVID-19 vaccines should be covered. Both parties, however, pushed back against the report, saying that such an alignment did not happen.

The PSA, which lasts for 10 seconds, debuted during the Special Report with Bret Baier on Wednesday. The promotional ad is scheduled to appear throughout this week.

Source: The Hill