[imagesource: Jim Watson / AFP via Getty]

The fact that Fox News and its most famous names (like Sean Hannity, above) downplayed the threat of the coronavirus is indisputable, although Rupert Murdoch’s media empire has actually been outdone by One America News Network, or OANN.

President Donald Trump loves both, as they jump through hoops to spin a criminally inept government response that has led to in excess of 42 000 deaths, and the cycle continues.

Just like his previous show, John Oliver has once again focused on the coronavirus on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight.

Fox News was once again put through the wringer, reports the Guardian:

Oliver pointed to such Fox News segments as “coronavirus hysteria” (Sean Hannity), “liberal media hoax backfires!” (Trish Reagan), and “Trump confronts the panic pushers” (Laura Ingraham)…

Oliver acknowledged, many people and companies underestimated Covid-19. But Fox News was still doing it publicly while behind the scenes the company suspended all non-essential business travel and encouraged staff to move all in-person meetings to Skype, “because, and this is true, they only pretend to believe these things on television for money,” Oliver said…

There’s also, he continued, the compounding problem that President Trump is not only the subject of much Fox News misinformation, but also its target, as he’s known to pull talking points directly from its hosts.

This feedback system has now led to Americans protesting physical distancing orders in some parts of the country, and, almost certainly down the road, further deaths.

The joke has been said a million times, but the latest season of the reality TV show that is America has really taken a dark turn:

[source:guardian]