The @FoxNews Twitter account broke its year-long silence Wednesday, tweeting a link to highlight the company’s coronavirus coverage. The tweet was the first to appear on the account since November 2018.
“Keep up with all the latest COVID-19 news, including tips on keeping safe and stories of survival, struggle and inspiration, at FoxNews.com and watch Fox News Channel on television or online – no authentication required,” says the tweet.
The network’s apparent Twitter boycott began November 2018 after left-wing protesters tweeted out primetime host Tucker Carlson’s home address as part of a campaign to demonstrate outside his home.
“Twitter was never a source of referral traffic for us,” an individual with knowledge of Fox News’ digital division told TheWrap in November 2019, a year after the network stopped Tweeting. “The revenue from Twitter was never significant enough,” the individual added, noting that YouTube “brings in significantly more revenue for us than Twitter.”
Carlson himself has continued to send sporadic tweets to his 3 million Twitter followers. And other Fox News personalities like Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Bret Baier remain active on their accounts — likewise, the accounts set for individual shows like the early-morning show “Fox and Friends First.”
The network’s confidence in shunning Twitter wasn’t always so assured. When the apparent boycott moved into its second week, long before any staffers considered it might last a full year, one worried insider told TheWrap the move was “hurting traffic” since the accounts were used to tweet site links. “I dislike that they are doing this,” that person said.