Fox cut away from report on “life-threatening” hurricane for six minutes of Powerball “breaking news”
Previous Fox lottery coverage told people to “buy as many tickets as you can afford”
Published
Michael Brennan, senior hurricane specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Hurricane Center, appeared on the August 24 edition of Fox News’ Happening Now to alert viewers to the “potentially life-threatening hazards” presented by Hurricane Harvey, which could “potentially” reach “major hurricane intensity” before making landfall, when it will threaten Texas cities with severe winds and “6 to 10 feet of inundation from storm surge.”
However, while Brennan was explaining the serious threat posed by the hurricane, co-host Jon Scott interrupted him, saying "we have got breaking news.” Fox then went to six uninterrupted minutes of “the Powerball jackpot winner … being revealed a very rich, rich woman today.”
Intentionally or otherwise, Fox’s programming decision to interrupt a Hurricane Harvey report with the Powerball winner downplays the dangers posed by severe weather. This is also not Fox’s first rendezvous with terrible lottery coverage: In 2016, Fox offered the advice that you can increase your odds of winning the Powerball if you “buy as many tickets as you can afford,” which is clearly not advisable. From the August 24 edition of Fox News’ Happening Now: