Cable news company Comcast is refusing to air a Lincoln Project ad that was released Thursday which accused Fox News of “trying to kill” people.
The ad began by asking if Rupert Murdoch is “trying to kill Americans” and then claimed that “his network is the leading voice against COVID vaccination.” It then plays a clip of Fox News talent asking questions about the side effects of vaccines and calling the Biden administration’s door-to-door vaccine campaign “creepy.”
Fox News has blood on their hands. pic.twitter.com/qZ6vtQWe2L
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) July 22, 2021
Fox News has, however, encouraged viewers to get the vaccine by putting out a PSA, and some of their top talent – including Sean Hannity, Harris Faulkner and Steve Doocy – have also encouraged vaccination.
Still, the Lincoln Project advertisement accused the network of pushing “anti-vax hysteria” and claimed that “Fox News is helping kill Americans.” It encouraged viewers to contact their local cable provider and tell them to stop airing Fox.
“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,” the Lincoln Project claimed in a statement. “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.”
Comcast’s policy on advertisements states that “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,” but that “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.”
Comcast did not respond to a request for comment.