Reprinted with permission from Alternet
Fox News host Tucker Carlson is being accused of promoting coronavirus vaccine skepticism and anti-vaxxer talking points when he posed questions Monday night as if they were unanswered and legitimate – questions that have been very publicly answered for months.
"So all of this should prompt some pretty tough questions for our public health experts in this country," Carlson insisted to several hundred thousand viewers. "And one of those questions is, how effective is this coronavirus vaccine? How necessary is it to take the vaccine? Don't dismiss those questions from 'anti-vaxxers,'" he said scornfully.
"Don't kick people off social media for asking them, answer the questions."
"The administration would like you to take this vaccine. Joe Biden told you last week if you don't you can't celebrate the Fourth of July. But it turns out there are things we don't know about the effects of this vaccine — and all vaccines by the way."
Americans generally agree that the job of a journalist is to inform, to deliver news and information, not to ask basic questions that are easily answered because – in this case – the federal government and the vaccine manufacturers have already answered them.
These are not state secrets, but as many on social media noted, when you posed them as if they were, you're promoting anti-vaxx skepticism, and during a pandemic, that is potentially deadly.
Watch Carlson from his Monday night show:
These questions Tucker thinks you aren't allowed to ask are literally just a google search away, theres so many ans… https://t.co/no3avtL54W— Andrew Lawrence (@Andrew Lawrence) 1615853803.0
Last year CNN reported Carlson makes $10 million a year. And while the combined annual salaries of everyone I know don't reach that staggering umber, let's do Tucker's job for him.
Just going to Google and entering "how e" literally gave me the answer:
And, as most Americans already know, the vaccines range between about 85% effective (Johnson & Johnson, one dose shot) to about 95% effective (Moderna and Pfizer, two-dose shots.)
But Carlson thinks the government is hiding this information. It's not.
Media Matters has a longer clip here.
Here's how some are reacting:
The vaccines are hugely effective that’s why Rupert Murdoch got it as soon as he possibly could. You’ll remember Ru… https://t.co/Gm844NXIBe— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@Molly Jong-Fast🏡) 1615854318.0
No hyperbole: Tucker Carlson is assuming responsibility for the deaths of thousands who are watching this and decid… https://t.co/u210ZzIzby— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈) 1615855139.0
Tucker Carlson is leading his show undermining public confidence in the Covid vaccines, saying public health expert… https://t.co/KK7ft0Da7j— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1615853900.0
Tucker Carlson is pushing anti-vaxxer talking points https://t.co/rh3AzoTrGM— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1615853668.0
@RachelBitecofer @TrueFactsStated @DuckDynastyAE @NASCAR @TuckerCarlson Tucker is on his show right now pushing vac… https://t.co/7hRHHCV8nA— kdenn98 (@kdenn98) 1615854136.0
Your reminder that Rupert Murdoch, who controls Fox, immediately got himself a Covid vaccine when he was able to in… https://t.co/BX0WSHSPnc— Oliver Darcy (@Oliver Darcy) 1615854062.0
Tucker asks, “How effective is this coronavirus vaccine?” Answer: 100% effective against hospitalization and death.… https://t.co/fMgUb6Cn3k— Jonathan Reiner (@Jonathan Reiner) 1615859283.0
Anybody airing Tucker Carlson: @comcast @CoxComm @Verizon @ATT needs to be boycotted if they don't demand his remov… https://t.co/0GcO9PxD32— Tim (@Tim) 1615859063.0
@starmediaguy @jayrosen_nyu I came here to say that exact thing. Tucker Carlson spewing lies about the vaccine whil… https://t.co/PPFhG2gVzs— Virginia Buysse (@Virginia Buysse) 1615859014.0
Well I guess Tucker is into eliminating half his audience by scaring them into avoiding vaccines. There's going to… https://t.co/x5sVae6t03— Alice aka Moon Cat (@Alice aka Moon Cat) 1615857059.0
Well tucker, a man of your intelligence has the ability to read the data and studies. And wouldn’t you know it, the… https://t.co/1wMNHcfGFv— matt (@matt) 1615856835.0
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