Fox News Pushes Debunked Story About University Professors Offering Extra Credit To Students For Attending An Anti-Trump Protest

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Fox reporter Heather Nauert devoted a news headlines segment on Fox & Friends to an already debunked story that University of Pittsburgh students were told by a faculty member they would receive extra credit if they attended an anti-Trump rally.

In a run-down of the day's headlines, Nauert repeated a distorted claim that “extra credit is being offered to students” at the University of Pittsburgh for attending “an anti-president-elect protest.” Nauert was referencing a forwarded email from a university faculty member which incorrectly encouraged professors to offer extra credit for students attending a National Day of Action protest (which is not explicitly an anti-Trump event, but rather appears to be focused on economic and racial justice, climate change, and other progressive causes). Nauert failed to mention that the University of Pittsburgh has since clarified that the email was written by a student and forwarded with incorrect information, and that “the school does not allow this practice.”

From the November 23 edition of Fox News’ Fox and Friends:

HEATHER NAUERT: And if your kids are going to the University of Pittsburgh, I bet you didn't know you that were paying for this. Extra credit is being offered to students who attend an anti-president-elect protest. An assistant to the Dean of Academic Affairs e-mailing quote, “We have to fight harder than ever to make sure Pittsburgh is a safe home for everyone, and your participation in this effort is critical.”