Claims that a Fox News executive producer “accidentally” insulted their viewers “on a hot mic” originated on a satire account, although some users were duped into thinking they were legitimate.
A tweet (here) originally published by @HalfwayPost (www.twitter.com/HalfwayPost) on Jan. 22, 2023 reads: “BREAKING: A Fox News executive producer accidentally said on a hot mic that disrespecting their viewers’ intelligence was the most profitable business decision they ever made.” Users have also shared screenshots of the tweet on Facebook (www.bit.ly/403UAHl), (www.bit.ly/3HwjisR).
The account shares satirical content and has the following written on its bio: “Dada news. Halfway true comedy by @DashMacIntyre. I don't report the facts, I improve them.” Reuters has previously debunked claims stemming from this account (here).
There is no evidence that a Fox News producer made such a statement. A Google search did not provide reliable results and no news outlets have reported on such an incident (www.bit.ly/3R11CZv).
A Fox News spokesperson told Reuters by email the report is false.
VERDICT
Satire. Claims that a Fox News producer accidentally insulted their viewers stem from a satire account.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here .
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.