A Fox News anchor falsely claimed in a tweet that Colin Powell’s death “raises new concerns about how effective vaccines are long-term.” But that’s not true. Let’s take a look at the facts.
Related:
- “Covering Colin Powell’s death — and controversy generated by one Fox News personality”(Tom Jones, Poynter).
- “Vaccines, war, and the death of Colin Powell” (Jon Allsop, Columbia Journalism Review).
NewsLit takeaway
Roberts’ initial tweet was posted soon after news broke of Powell’s death, which suggests it may have been a knee-jerk reaction rather than a verified claim. In the wake of major news events, it’s best to wait until all details are available before drawing conclusions and to rely on high-quality news coverage that cites experts on the topic. Some news organizations also made missteps in their early coverage of Powell’s death by failing to mention that he was immunocompromised in their initial headlines.
- “What Colin Powell’s death tells us — and doesn’t — about COVID-19 and vaccines”(Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times).
- “Expert helps untangle vaccine misinformation that has followed Colin Powell's death”(Sarah McCammon and Lauren Hodges, NPR).
- “Why vaccinated people dying from Covid-19 doesn't mean the vaccines are ineffective” (Katia Hetter, CNN).
- “High-profile and fully vaccinated but immunocompromised: Colin Powell’s death wrongly seized upon to undermine utility of coronavirus vaccines” (Washington Post, Annie Linskey).
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