MoveOn Wants Media to Move On from Trump Virus Updates

Saying it wants to prevent the dangerous spread of a different kind of contagion--misinformation--MoveOn is calling for an end to network coverage of President Trump's daily coronavirus briefings. 

MoveOn petition to stop coverage of coronavirus briefings

MoveOn petition to stop coverage of coronavirus briefings

According to the group it had almost reached its goal of 200,000 signatures (186,400 at press time) on a petition calling for Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and NPR to stop covering the briefings. 

The Move On Political Action petition, launched by MoveOn member Julie Rochman, accuses the President of using the daily news exposure to essentially campaign for a second term while at the same time spreading "damaging misinformation." 

Various news outlets have postulated that the briefings are arguably taking the place of the mass rallies of supporters the President has been speaking to throughout his presidency and that he is no longer able to attend.

One downside would be the loss of the daily Dr. Fauci fix. 

Fauci doughnuts

Fauci doughnuts

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, has become something of a folk hero for his straight talk and calm demeanor in the crisis, a balance to the President's sometimes hyperbolic rhetoric and periodic attacks on the media asking him questions or challenging his view of the Administration's response to the crisis. 

His face has begun appearing on everything from doughnuts (above) to socks.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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