The Financial Times is one of the most traditionally conservative publications. Nevertheless, the outlet’s U.S. editor is now calling for a boycott of companies that advertise on Fox News in the wake of the at a Pittsburgh synagogue this weekend.
Edward G. Luce, who is the national editor of the publication, tweeted Saturday in the wake of the shooting that a Fox News advertiser boycott was necessary as they “bankroll the poison that goes from the studio into [President Donald] Trump’s head.”
The most effective thing Americans can do is boycott companies that advertise on Fox. They bankroll the poison that goes from the studio into Trump’s head. The second is vote.
— Edward Luce (@EdwardGLuce)
While boycotts of Fox News advertisers have been called for before — like when Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg organized a boycott of Ingraham Angle host Laura Ingraham’s advertisers that proved costly for the network — this is perhaps the highest-profile Fox News boycott from a conservative voice.
One of Luce’s followers tweeted an image from the Fox News website showing 20 of the network’s main advertisers, along with all of their Twitter handles. Some of the biggest names include insurance companies Allstate, Esurance, Liberty Mutual and Progressive, pharmaceutical companies Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer, and car manufacturers Acura, Ford, Honda, Lincoln, and Subaru.
— Laura Davis (@lcdavis1)
Fox News is perhaps the biggest influence on President Trump, as many of his tweets are directly in response to the network’s programming. Trump has notably appointed many Fox News contributors and personalities to positions in his administration, with perhaps the most high-profile appointment being John Bolton as the White House’s National Security Adviser. Since his inauguration as president, Trump has given far more interviews to the network than to any other outlet.
The network recently came under fire after Judicial Watch director of investigations Chris Farrell told Fox Business host Lou Dobbs the day of the synagogue shooting that the U.S. State Department was “Soros-occupied” and suggested without evidence that the Hungarian billionaire was financing the Central American immigrant caravan making its way through Mexico. Fox News has since announced that Farrell is banned from its programming.
Straight out of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Just moments ago, Lou Dobbs guest Chris Farrell (head of Judicial Watch) says Caravan is being funded/directed by the "Soros-occupied State Department".
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm)
The alleged suspect behind the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting was motivated to carry out the crime due to the exact same conspiracy theory given airtime by Fox News. on alt-right social media platform Gab baselessly accused a Jewish organization of funding and supporting the immigrant caravan.
(Grit Post’s editorial policy is to not publish the names or likenesses of mass shooters or domestic terrorists, or name white supremacist organizations, in order to prevent them from attaining notoriety.)