Comcast Refuses to Air Lincoln Project Ad Claiming ‘Fox News is Helping Kill Americans’
Cable giant Comcast is refusing to air a new one-minute advertisement produced by Lincoln Project that opens by asking “Is Rupert Murdoch trying to kill Americans?” then follows with “his network is the leading voice against Covid vaccinations.”
The network in question, of course, is Fox News, which has been under extreme pressure of late from elected officials, media outlets, and medical professionals, to change their tune on Covid vaccinations. The ad itself, which you can watch above, features a dystopian music bed playing underneath images and clips that decry Fox News coverage of vaccinations. It also asks viewers of the ad to call local cable providers and “ask them to drop Fox News.”
Recent surveys reveal that the majority of vaccine-hesitant Americans align politically with Fox News viewers. In the past few days, however, a number of on-air talent have openly encouraged Fox News viewers to get vaccinated, and the conservative network even put out its own PSA. Top-rated Tucker Carlson, however, continues to rail against networks advocating public health.
The Lincoln Project is the anti-Trump political media outlet comprised of former Republicans and has proven to be most effective at attracting attention to the issues it cares most about, and of course, itself.
“Today, The Lincoln Project released a new ad calling out Fox News for their unending dissemination of propaganda aimed at scaring Americans into denying the COVID-19 vaccine,” it noted in a statement. “The Lincoln Project was informed by Comcast that they would refuse to run the commercial because it did not meet their guidelines.”
The statement concludes with the pledge to “not be deterred by corporate censorship. As we continue to build a list of corporations to hold accountable for their anti-democratic practices, Comcast has shot to the top.
STATEMENT FROM THE LINCOLN PROJECT REGARDING COMCAST’S REFUSAL TO AIR NEW AD HOLDING FOX NEWS ACCOUNTABLE FOR PROMOTING VACCINE HESITANCY
July 22, 2021 – The Lincoln Project released the following statement:
Today, The Lincoln Project released a new ad calling out Fox News for their unending dissemination of propaganda aimed at scaring Americans into denying the COVID-19 vaccine. The Lincoln Project was informed by Comcast that they would refuse to run the commercial because it did not meet their guidelines:
An advertisement may be rejected if it is merely an attack of a personal nature, a direct attack on an individual business or comment on a private dispute. Advertisements may be accepted if the attack is on a business that is in the public forum or the issue is one of public concern.
Our criticism of Fox News falls under Comcast’s description of a business that is in the public forum or the issue is one of public concern.
Comcast is one of the main sources of Fox News’ revenue and our ad called on Americans to ask their cable carriers to drop the propaganda network. As Rupert Murdoch’s anti-vaccine messaging machine continues to spread deadly misinformation that is killing Americans, we will not stop calling out the danger Fox News poses to public health.
This is not the first Lincoln Project ad Comcast has blocked from its air. Comcast has repeatedly rejected Lincoln Project ads that seek to hold powerful corporations accountable — be they news networks like Fox or major automobile manufacturers like Toyota. Comcast has made one thing clear: Their bottom line comes before anything else; it comes before democracy; and in this case, it comes before the health and safety of the American people.
The Lincoln Project will not be deterred by corporate censorship. As we continue to build a list of corporations to hold accountable for their anti-democratic practices, Comcast has shot to the top.
Watch above via Lincoln Project.
