As the host of “The Ingraham Angle,” one of the highest-rated shows on cable, Ingraham has not only questioned the use of masks (despite apparently wearing one herself at a Trump campaign rally), but she has also criticized stay-at-home orders and other guidelines aimed at slowing the virus’s spread. Ingraham has done this while simultaneously promoting unproven treatments such as hydroxychloroquine to combat Covid-19.
Ingraham’s commentary is representative of the main message coming from Fox News. The network’s star hosts and personalities have repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus, both early on in the pandemic when action was critical and in recent weeks as the country faces an unprecedented surge in cases and deaths. Instead of discouraging this, Fox is rewarding her for the misleading commentary. The network announced [December 16] that it had renewed Ingraham’s contract with a “multi-year” deal.
