Fox News on Wednesday began posting on Twitter more than 15 months since the cable network’s official account on the social media service abruptly became dormant.
The network’s verified Twitter account, @FoxNews, has resumed tweeting for the first time since Nov. 8, 2018, breaking a streak of silence that started nearly 500 days earlier.
“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,” the account tweeted following more than a year of inactivity.
The official Fox News account has since tweeted several more times to share articles involving the ongoing coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc the world over as countries across the globe continue to confirm new cases of COVID-19, the infectious and potentially deadly respiratory disease caused by the bug.
Reached for comment by The Washington Times, Fox News referred to an article published by the entertainment industry outlet Variety this week and said it can confirm that report.
“Executives at the network believe the Fox News Twitter feed will help disseminate information to people who may be isolated in their homes and help answer questions about coronavirus submitted by viewers,” the report said. “And it comes after Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott has worked to revamp digital properties related to Fox News and Fox Business.”
Fox News has never provided an official explanation as to why it stopped posting on Twitter in the first place.
But the network’s months of Twitter silence started shortly after demonstrators protested outside of the home of Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and multiple news reports published at the time said the channel subsequently decided to boycott the social media service because it was unsatisfied with the platform’s response to being asked to remove related content.
“[This] is a conscious decision in light of what was done to Tucker,” a source at Fox News previously told Mediaiate, the website reported within a day of the network’s Twitter account going dark.
The official Twitter account for the channel’s sister station, Fox Business Network, similarly stopped tweeting more than 15 months ago and has not posted since.
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