Media Watchdog Names Sean Hannity as a Chief Source of Coronavirus Misinformation

Authored by clevescene.com and submitted by blacked_lover

Fox News commentator — and top Trump Administration propagandist — Sean Hannity has made a career of twisting facts and peddling conspiracy theories.Now, a new report from the nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters for America labels Hannity one of the chief sources of dangerous misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic. The analysis documents some 50 specific examples in which the commentator misrepresented facts about the outbreak to benefit his far-right agenda.On March 9, for example, Hannity opined that young, healthy Americans have no reason to fear coronavirus. Two days later, on his radio program, the commentator dished up a conspiracy theory about the “deep state” using coronavirus to spin the public.“Taken as a whole, his commentary falls into six discernible themes: peddling unproven treatments, comparing COVID-19 to other illnesses or focusing on other ways people can die, defending Trump’s response to the pandemic, blaming the media and journalists, downplaying supply shortages, and attacking local and congressional responses,” Media Matters writes. Of course, there are real-world implications for the words Hannity uses. A recent Pew Research poll found that 79% of Fox News viewers believe the media had overstated the potency of the virus.Pew Research also cited that the average age for Fox News viewers as 65. COVID-19’s most devastating effects are on elderly people, especially those with underlying health conditions.In this case, it’s hard to tell who’s more deserving of the assclown designation, Hannity himself or the myriad advertisers who still buy time on his show. Among those are Expedia, Progressive Insurance, Bayer and Ford Motors, Media Matters kindly points out

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A_decent_human_being on April 12nd, 2020 at 04:35 UTC »

Let's play "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"

1.) Eliminate oversight of the spending of nearly a trillion dollars of tax dollars: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/490737-stimulus-opens-new-front-in-trumps-oversight-fight

2.) Aquire the authority to command which businesses get which contracts: https://youtu.be/MlQx7Qs2ACI

3.) Have trusted people stand up companies through which the money can be funneled (3 week old company, founded through a loan approved via the Coronavirus Stimulus bill, is now the center of medical supply distribution): https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/27/republican-fundraiser-company-coronavirus-152184 “I don’t want to overstate, but we probably represent the largest global supply chain for Covid-19 supplies right now,” he said. “We are getting ready to fill 100 million-unit mask orders.”

4.) Have the federal government sell, at a reduced price, it’s strategic stockpile to the new companies, run by your buddies: https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1245841458323771393

5.) Have the states bid on the supplies, driving up the price: https://youtu.be/2zeEUs7tcpE

6.) Have the federal government spend taxpayer dollars to ship supplies purchased from China to these brand new private companies: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/29/823543513/project-airbridge-to-expedite-arrival-of-needed-supplies-white-house-says?utm_campaign=npr&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews

7.) Eliminate the competition. Attack any company that doesn’t play ball. https://mothership.sg/2020/04/trump-3m-10-million-masks/

ajpzion on April 12nd, 2020 at 04:34 UTC »

People like Sean Hannity are not “misinformed.” They also don’t just “have a different opinion.” They are malicious and they are dangerous. What to do about such scum is unclear, but let’s not have any delusions that such shitheads are merely “misguided” and are pulling for the good of America and the world, because they are not. And I’m sick of even pretending to believe this in the slightest.

SonictheManhog on April 12nd, 2020 at 04:13 UTC »

The irony is that FoxNews viewers tend to be fairly old. So Hannity downplaying the coronavirus will end up hurting FoxNew's demographic much more.