NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FOX News Channel (FNC) and Facebook will co-host a town hall on the global coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, April 2nd at 7PM/ET, featuring a virtual audience using Portal from Facebook smart video calling devices for the first time ever. Moderated by The Story’s (weekdays, 7-8PM/ET) Martha MacCallum, the one hour commercial-free town hall will feature medical and business experts, including White House coronavirus task force members Dr. Deborah Birx and Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. It will also be livestreamed on FNC’s Facebook page, FOX’s CoronavirusNOW.com and CoronavirusNOW channel on Samsung TV Plus in addition to all FOX Television Stations websites, Facebook pages and apps.
The teams at FNC and Facebook are utilizing Portal video calling devices for the first time, to produce an informative, interactive and innovative television experience while all participants are adhering to social distancing guidelines and “stay-at-home” orders. Facebook shipped each audience member a Portal device to allow guests to virtually attend and participate by asking the experts questions about the pandemic. The Portal’s Smart Camera is like having a professional cameraman and ensures that those interacting are perfectly framed while Smart Sound allows them to be heard clearly.
Originating from FNC’s headquarters in New York, the collaborative town hall will also feature a joint donation of $1 million to Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund. This organization was selected by FOX News Media leadership and marks the second donation this month from a FOX Corp. property to the non-profit’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Americans around the country impacted by school closures, job disruptions and health risks will turn to food banks for support and The Feeding America network of over 200 food banks, is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, including in disasters and national emergencies. People can also directly support Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund on Facebook, where 100% of what’s raised goes directly to the organization.
Since joining FNC in 2004, MacCallum has played an integral role in the network’s news and political coverage. Throughout the global coronavirus pandemic, she has provided continuous reporting on every aspect of the illness and has featured interviews with medical experts and local, state and federal government officials each night on her highly-rated program, The Story with Martha MacCallum. During her tenure with the network, MacCallum has covered every major election for the channel. Most recently, she alongside chief political anchor Bret Baier have co-moderated multiple presidential candidate town halls in the 2020 election cycle, including incumbent President Donald Trump and current and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidates former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg. MacCallum has also reported on a variety of national and international events for the network, including the impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump and the threat of ISIS around the globe, among others. Additionally, in 2018, MacCallum presented an exclusive joint interview with then-Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh and his wife Ashley Estes Kavanaugh.
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most-watched television news channel for 18 consecutive years. According to a 2020 Brand Keys Consumer Loyalty Engagement Index report, FOX News is the top brand in the country for morning and evening news coverage. A 2019 Suffolk University poll named FOX News as the most trusted source for television news or commentary, while a 2019 Brand Keys Emotion Engagement Analysis survey found that FOX News was the most trusted cable news brand. A 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation survey also found that among Americans who could name an objective news source, FOX News was the top-cited outlet. Owned by FOX Corporation, FNC is available in nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
