Counties where viewers of Fox News Hannity outnumbered Tucker Carlson Tonight were associated with a higher number of COVID-19 deaths in the early stages of the pandemic, according to a new study from the University of Chicagos Becker Friedman Institute for Economics.

Although the two most-watched cable shows air on the same network, the studys authors analyzed transcripts from each and concluded that Carlson warned viewers about the threat posed by the coronavirus from early February, while Hannity originally dismissed the risks associated with the virus before gradually adjusting his position starting late February.

The studys authors Leonardo Bursztyn, Aakaash Rao, Christopher Roth and David Yanagizawa-Drott wrote in the working paper that they were interested in studying the effects of the two most-watched cable news shows in the U.S. to monitor for an effect on viewer behavior and health outcomes.

The researchers surveyed 1,045 Fox News viewers aged 55 and older in April on their changes in behavior such as with more hand washing, canceling travel plans and social distancing in response to the virus. The study found that Hannitys viewers changed their behaviors five days later than other Fox News viewers, while Carlsons viewers changed their behaviors three days earlier than other Fox News viewers.

Also Read: Hannity Accuses NY Times of Libel for Linking His Show to Man's Coronavirus Death

The studys authors then looked at county-by-county viewership of the shows and confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Accounting for a number of unobservable dimensions that could independently affect the spread of the virus, the studys authors found that an increase in exposure to Hannity in comparison to Tucker Carlson Tonight was associated with roughly 30% more COVID-19 cases on March 14 and 21% more COVID-19 deaths on March 28. But the effects of the shows on COVID-19 cases began to decline by mid-March, the researchers found, after they detected a shift in tone on Hannitys show transcripts beginning in late February.

In response to the study, a spokesperson for Fox News said that the clips from Hannitys coverage were cherry-picked and that the study was reckless and irresponsible.

As this timeline proves, Hannity has covered COVID-19 since the early days of the story. The study almost completely ignores his coverage and repeated, specific warnings and concerns from January 27-February 26 including an early interview with Dr. Fauci in January, the spokesperson told TheWrap in a statement. This is a reckless disregard for the truth.

Also Read: 74 Journalism Professors Sign Letter Calling Fox News' Coronavirus Coverage a 'Danger to Public Health'

Hannity also defended his comments about the virus in an interview with Newsweek earlier this month a day after 74 journalism professors and journalists wrote an open letter to him, criticizing his coverage as being a danger to public health. The Fox News host alsopointed to his January 27 conversation with Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, who told the Fox News host that America was prepared to handle the virus and that there was a low risk at the time, but with the possibility that it could get much worse.

Also Read: Roger Stone Tells Tucker Carlson His 40-Month Prison Judgment Is a 'Death Sentence' Amid Pandemic

In March, Hannity also faced pushback after using the word hoax in relation to the coronavirus a phrase he claims he was using in reference to how Democrats were using the pandemic to supposedly bludgeon Trump.

Theyre scaring the living hell out of people and I see it again like, Oh, lets bludgeon Trump with this new hoax,' Hannity said on a March 9 episode of his show.

The University of Chicago studys authors acknowledged that their findings could not speak to the longer-term effects of exposure to the two shows, which might include additional health and information spillovers, nor does it speak to the overall effect on the total cases and death toll associated with the coronavirus in the U.S., but that it did add to the ongoing conversation about how media coverage can impact human behavior.

We provide evidence that greater exposure to Hannity relative to Tucker Carlson Tonight increased cases and deaths throughout March and early April. However, it is possible that these effects will fade and even possibly flip over time, the study said. While our findings cannot yet speak to long-term effects, they indicate that provision of misinformation in the early stages of a pandemic can have important consequences for how a disease ultimately affects the population.

Read original story Counties Where Hannity Viewers Outnumber Tucker Carlsons Have Had More COVID-19 Deaths, Study Finds At TheWrap

See the rest here:
Counties Where Hannity Viewers Outnumber Tucker Carlsons Have Had More COVID-19 Deaths, Study Finds - Yahoo Entertainment