6 million is not one third of 7 million: Fox News corrects its Obamacare si

iMediaEthics publishes international media ethics news stories and investigations into journalism ethics lapses.

Menu

Home » Errors»

The original Fox News error, via Media Matters

Fox News messed up, then corrected, an on-air graphic enrollment for The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

The original graphic was aired March 31.

Through a careless math error or poor graphic skills, the graphic wrongly suggested that 6 million (the number of enrollees by March 27) was about a third of 7 million (the number of enrollees by March 31.)

The original graphic with the sloppy math error aired by Fox News March 31. (Credit: Via Media Matters)

Media Matters posted video of the graphic being used in Fox News’ America’s Newsroom.

 

The next day, April 1, Fox News’s Bill Hemmer read a correction on-air and showed the correct graphic.

Hemmer said, “You might have seen a graphic on the Obamacare signup numbers. Here is what that graphic should have looked like…That was our mistake. Correction noted.”

Media Matters again had the video.

Meanwhile, Charles Apple, the Focus page editor at the (Calif.) Orange County Register, showed a collection of other graphic fails at Fox News on his blog.

Hat Tip: Mediaite

Submit a tip / Report a problem

6 million is not one-third of 7 million: Fox News corrects its Obamacare sign-up graphic on air

Share this article:

Comments Terms and Conditions

  • We reserve the right to edit/delete comments which harass, libel, use coarse language and profanity.
  • We moderate comments especially when there is conflict or negativity among commenters.
  • Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *