The conservative Fox News network has repeatedly promoted white nationalism, especially through its primetime opinion hosts. For one example, Tucker Carlson regularly smears immigrants, claiming they make the country "dirtier," and promotes the white supremacist "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory, which posits that non-white immigrants are deliberately funneled into the United States to suppress white people.
The network has also promoted conspiracy theories and hysteria regarding the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines, which have proven to be safe and effective at minimizing the spread of a virus that's killed more than 750 thousand Americans.
There have been increasing intersections between white nationalists and anti-vaxxers, especially in recent years.
An article on Fox News' website acknowledged these intersections—until that acknowledgment was edited out of the article.
Earlier this month, anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists gathered in New York City to protest vaccine mandates. A featured speaker was Nick Fuentes of the white nationalist Groyper Movement.
As the Daily Beast's Will Sommer pointed out, Fox News' coverage of the incident originally featured the headline:
"Antifa members clash with White nationalists over COVID vaccine mandate outside NYC's Gracie Mansion."
The article also pointed out the Anti-Defamation League's distinction of the Groyper movement as a hate group.
Fuentes accused Fox News of using "ADL talking points" to smear him.
Just hours after Fuentes' criticism, the article's headline was edited to read:
"Antifa members clash with anti-vaccine protesters outside NYC's Gracie Mansion"
The article also removed any mention of the ADL distinction or of Fuentes' ties to the white nationalist movement.
Social media users soon cried foul.
Nazi-washing by @FoxNewshttps://t.co/jUSDqMUJ7y
— Fully Vaccinated 𝙔𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙛 𝙍𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 (@YosefRapaport) November 15, 2021
Fox News edited an article Sunday to downplay the presence of white nationalists at an anti-vaccine protest over the weekend removing references to the racist activists after an initial article describing their role prompted pushback from far-right critics https://t.co/lbhefQu0GC
— Drogon (@drogon_dracarys) November 15, 2021
Normal stuff, just the quasi-official media outlet of the GOP removing the term "white nationalists" from an article on white nationalists when the white nationalists objected.
PS This is the kind of stuff N*** F****** says https://t.co/pT2ckKNj5W https://t.co/Fcyd0TaZNV pic.twitter.com/NO9pI1huc5
— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) November 15, 2021
FQX Spews is incredibly dangerous to US democracy
Why aren't actual news outlets calling them out for this continued propaganda? https://t.co/oRVqqm5gX7
— Kimberley (@kirumb) November 15, 2021
Sadly, many weren't surprised.
Fox and Klan, hand in hand.https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1459936407032672263\u00a0\u2026— It's Going Down (@It's Going Down) 1636943954
They don't even try to seem legitimate anymore.https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1459936407032672263\u00a0\u2026— Cindy Gomez-Schempp (@Cindy Gomez-Schempp) 1636945649
Which is what they do. Gotta keep the dumb dumber.https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1459936407032672263\u00a0\u2026— Donni Slater (@Donni Slater) 1636951266
shock!https://twitter.com/willsommer/status/1459936407032672263\u00a0\u2026— Christopher \u00d3 Ruairc (@Christopher \u00d3 Ruairc) 1637017464
Fuentes later bragged about Fox News' "stealth headline edit."
