Boycott of The Ingraham Angle

The Boycott of The Ingraham Angle is an ongoing boycott of companies which advertise their products during the Fox News television show The Ingraham Angle. Student David Hogg initiated the boycott after the show's host Laura Ingraham ridiculed him amidst conspiracy theories related to the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, in which 17 students died and where Hogg was a witness and survivor.[1] Ingraham's particular criticism of Hogg was that some universities declined to offer him admission after his college application.[1]

School shooting survivor David Hogg initiated the boycott in response to criticism of his activism.

Hogg accused Ingraham of cyberbullying and suggested his followers tell her show's sponsors to cancel their advertising purchases.[1] In response, several advertisers left the show after which Ingraham apologized.[1][2] Hogg dismissed the apology as insincere, and he and his supporters continued the pressure campaign on her show's advertisers.[3]

More than 20 sponsors have stopped advertising on the show. Public polling showed that public perception of Fox News declined more than that of any advertiser.[4] Advertising rates for the show declined slightly, and the amount of advertising during the show was reduced by as much as half.[5][6]

The boycott resulted in mixed reactions. Supporters of Ingraham's position included her employer Fox News,[7] musician Ted Nugent,[8] and Russian web brigades.[9][10] Bill Maher defended Ingraham on grounds of free speech, saying that the boycott was wrong.[11] Back on the air after a week on a "pre-planned vacation", Ingraham described the boycott as "Stalinist" and blamed leftists for working against free speech.[12] Hogg intensified the boycott in following months, further raising pressure on the show.[13][14] In 2020 S&P Global attributed a decline in Fox News advertising revenue to the boycott.[15]

Background

On February 14, 2018, Hogg, age 17, survived the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in which a mass shooter killed 17 people and wounded 17 more. A few days later, he and other shooting survivors founded Never Again MSD, a student group advocating for safety in school. On March 24, Never Again MSD was a lead organizer of March for Our Lives, a global student-led demonstration with some demands to change gun law in the United States. More than a million protestors attended more than 800 events around the world.

On March 28, The Daily Wire wrote an article listing the colleges which were and were not offering admission to Hogg.[16] Later that day Fox News personality Laura Ingraham ridiculed Hogg, tweeting: "David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it. (Dinged by UCLA with a 4.1 GPA...totally predictable given acceptance rates.)"[17][18][19] Hogg responded with a tweet that listed her advertisers and suggested those advertised be boycotted.[20][21]

Impact

Within two days, fifteen companies had ceased advertising on Ingraham's show, including AT&T, Office Depot and TripAdvisor. Other companies such as Ace Hardware dropped the show in the ensuing days.[22][23][24] A few days later, Allstate stopped advertising on Ingraham's show, circulating a memo to employees citing the company's values being at odds with Ingraham's comments.[25][26]

Ingraham publicly apologized for her remark within 25-1/2 hours of her initial criticism,[27][28] but Hogg rejected it as insincere, saying she had only apologized because advertisers had left her show, and that he would accept an apology in the future if she denounced the way her network treated him and his friends.[29] Republican strategist Steve Schmidt speculated why Ingraham's advertisers pulled their support: "...this kid’s not scared. He’s not scared of the NRA. He’s not intimidated and scared by Laura Ingraham."[30]

Ingraham returned to her show in April after a pre-planned week-long Easter break, with the support of Rupert Murdoch.[31] According to the Washington Post, the advertising time dropped by half following the spat, but there was speculation that it might "blow over" with some advertisers returning to the show after the interest died down.[31] Fox News co-president Jack Abernethy said that the network "cannot and will not allow voices to be censored by agenda-driven intimidation efforts".[31]

A total of 24 sponsors have stopped advertising on The Ingraham Angle as of mid-April 2018[32] Polling by YouGov BrandIndex in the days following the announcement of the boycott showed that the Fox News brand had sustained significantly more consumer perception damage than any of the advertisers.[4] The positive consumer perception of Ingraham dropped from 53 percent to 33 percent, according to the celebrity data and research firm Spotted.[33] Rates for advertising during the show dropped since the start of the boycott. Prices for a 30-second spot dropped from an average range of $12,310-$14,732 to an average range of $11,305-$13,405, according to analysts. Advertising time during the show dropped by as much as 52 percent.[6]

As of her first three nights back after the Easter break, primetime ratings of cable news viewership shows The Ingraham Angle remains second or third among cable news viewership on Fox News, and fourth or fifth overall in viewership across all cable news networks. [34] [35] [36]

A 2020 review by S&P Global remarked that Ingraham's views continued to be a deterrent to advertisers and contribute to the decline in advertising revenue of parent Fox News.[15] Forbes also reflected on the boycott in 2020.[37]

List of advertisers in boycott

Following Ingraham's comments about Hogg, the following sponsors made announcements that they would no longer advertise on The Ingraham Angle.[38][23][24][39][5][32]

Reactions

At the end of her Friday, March 30 show, Ingraham announced she was taking a week-long absence from the show for Easter. This week-long break was already planned in advance prior to the controversy and advertiser loss, according to Ingraham and Fox News.[40][41][42]

My Pillow creator Mike Lindell became a target of the boycott, refusing to join the other advertisers in pulling out of The Ingraham Angle.[43][44]

Fox News, Ingraham's media organization, responded to the boycott stating, "We cannot and will not allow voices to be censored by agenda-driven intimidation efforts".[7][45]

According to Hamilton 68, hundreds of Russian bots came to Ingraham's defense on Twitter during the weekend following the boycott. Posts under the hashtag #IStandWithLaura jumped 2800 percent and was the top trending hashtag for Russian Twitter accounts.[9][10]

Talk show host Bill Maher came to the defense of Ingraham, saying that the boycott was wrong, and that her show should be continued on the grounds of advocating free speech, and saying that he, himself, had been the victim of a boycott, and he felt that he had been unfairly treated in the past.[11]

Back in February 2018, professional athletes complained about Ingraham's admonishment to LeBron James in which she advised the basketball star to avoid political commentary and simply "shut up and dribble."[46] Her comment was in response to Lebron's statement that President Donald Trump "doesn’t understand the people, and really don’t give a f--- about the people." On this occasion, she was simply referring to her book entitled Shut Up & Sing of which she has used derivitives in previous retorts to personalities such as Jimmy Kimmel and Gregg Popovich.[47] No boycotts were attempted and no apologies were offered.[48]

References
  1. Victor, Daniel (29 March 2018). "Advertisers Drop Laura Ingraham After She Taunts Parkland Survivor David Hogg". The New York Times.
  2. Savransky, Rebecca (29 March 2018). "Ingraham apologizes amid backlash over Parkland student criticism". TheHill.
  3. Kludt, Tom (30 March 2018). "Laura Ingraham's apology to David Hogg has not stemmed the advertiser exodus". CNNMoney.
  4. Rebekah Entralgo (April 2, 2018). "Fox News, not advertisers, are hurting the most from the Laura Ingraham boycott". ThinkProgress. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  5. Thomsen, Jacqueline (April 11, 2018). "IBM stops advertising on Laura Ingraham's show". The Hill. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  6. Berr, Jonathan (April 12, 2018). "Ad Prices On Fox's 'The Ingraham Angle' Fall In The Wake Of Advertiser Boycott". Forbes. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  7. Battaglio, Stephen (April 2, 2018). "Fox News states support for Laura Ingraham despite advertiser fallout". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  8. Alexander, Bryan (April 3, 2018). "Ted Nugent continues to bash Parkland survivor David Hogg, praises Fox's Laura Ingraham". Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  9. Sit, Ryan (April 2, 2018). "Russian Bots Defend Fox News Pundit Laura Ingraham as Advertisers Leave Following David Hogg Tweet". Newsweek. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  10. Erickson, Amanda (April 2, 2018). "Russian bots are tweeting their support of embattled Fox News host Laura Ingraham". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  11. John Bowden, April 7, 2018, The Hill, Bill Maher defends Ingraham: Parkland student calling for a boycott is wrong, Retrieved April 8, 2018, "..."He complains about bullying? That’s bullying!" the host continued. "I have been the victim of a boycott ... I've lost a job as a result. It is wrong. You shouldn’t do this by team, you should do it by principle."..."
  12. Media Matters Staff, April 9, 2018, Media Matters, After 20+ advertisers remove ads following her attacks on a Parkland student, Laura Ingraham calls boycott efforts "Stalinist": Ingraham: "Expressing views that just five or ten years ago were considered mainstream can now get you fired," "you can get boycotted," and "their efforts are Stalinist", Retrieved April 10, 2018, "...left-wing activists use these terms as bludgeons to intimidate those who disagree with them from entering the dialogue ... the left doesn't invite more voices to enter the public discussion. Instead, they drive out any dissenting voice and police the dogma of their own creation...."
  13. Bach, Natasha (22 June 2018). "Why Fox News's Laura Ingraham Is Facing an Advertiser Boycott—Again". Fortune.
  14. Schwartz, Jason (16 October 2018). "Big advertisers still shunning Ingraham's Fox News show months after boycotts". Politico.
  15. Baine, Derek (16 April 2020). "FOX News Opinions May Resonate With Viewers, But Not With Some Advertisers". www.spglobal.com. S&P Global.
  16. Curl, Joseph (28 March 2018). "Gun Rights Provocateur David Hogg Rejected By Four Colleges To Which He Applied". The Daily Wire.
  17. Stanglin, Doug (March 29, 2018). "'In the spirit of Holy Week': Fox's Laura Ingraham apologizes to David Hogg after ad boycott". USA Today. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  18. Wootson, Cleve (April 1, 2018). "David Hogg rejects Laura Ingraham's apology: 'A bully is a bully'". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  19. Bach, Natasha (April 3, 2018). "Fox News Defends Laura Ingraham Over David Hogg Comment, Denouncing Advertising Boycott as 'Intimidation Efforts'". Fortune. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  20. Business Insider, Bryan Logan, March 29, 2018, Rejected by 4 colleges 'and whines about it': A Fox News host mocked a Parkland school shooting survivor — now he's going after her advertisers, Retrieved March 29, 2018, "...David Hogg ... is now going after a conservative talk-show host's advertisers after she made light of his college-rejection letters...."
  21. Washington Post, Amy B. Wang and Allyson Chiu, March 29, 2018, ‘You’re a mother’: Laura Ingraham faces boycott for taunting Parkland teen over college rejections, Retrieved March 29, 2018, "......."
  22. Yahoo! News, Melody Hahm, March 30, 2018, How an ill-advised tweet became a nightmare for a Fox News show, Retrieved March 31, 2018
  23. Welk, Brian (31 March 2018). "Here Are the Advertisers David Hogg Convinced to Dump Laura Ingraham". TheWrap.
  24. Perez, Maria (April 6, 2018). "Laura Ingraham Advertising Boycott: Here Are The Companies That Have Pulled Out of Fox News Host's Show". Newsweek. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  25. James, Mike (April 9, 2018). "Laura Ingraham returns to Fox News after ad boycott spurred by Parkland's David Hogg". USA Today. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  26. Hod, Itay (April 9, 2018). "Allstate Quietly Drops Laura Ingraham in Internal Memo to Employees (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  27. Victor, Daniel (2018-03-29). "Advertisers Drop Laura Ingraham After She Taunts David Hogg". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  28. USA Today, Doug Stanglin, March 29, 2018, 'In the spirit of Holy Week': Fox's Laura Ingraham apologizes to David Hogg after ad boycott, Retrieved March 29, 2018
  29. BBC News, March 30, 2018, Parkland student David Hogg rejects Fox News host's apology, Retrieved March 30, 2018, "....TripAdvisor, Expedia, Hulu, Johnson & Johnson, Wayfair, Nestlé and Nutrish announced they would withdraw commercials from the presenter's show, The Ingraham Angle..."
  30. Yahoo! News, Rebecca Shapiro, March 29, 2018, Republican Strategist Nails Why David Hogg Got To Laura Ingraham, Retrieved March 31, 2018
  31. Sarah Ellison, April 8, 2018, Washington Post, Laura Ingraham returns to air amid a boycott drama. It’s the new normal for Fox News., Retrieved April 9, 2018, "... Ingraham’s slap at David Hogg, ... a wire that even the controversy-hardened Fox did not welcome...."
  32. Hod, Itay (April 11, 2018). "Mitsubishi Drops Laura Ingraham as Advertiser Boycott Campaign Continues (Exclusive)". The Wrap. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  33. Joe Mandese (April 5, 2018). "Ingraham's 'Celebrity' Sentiment Declines By A Third Post-Hogg Tweet". MediaPost. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  34. http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/scoreboard-monday-april-9/361661
  35. http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/scoreboard-tuesday-april-10/361779
  36. http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/scoreboard-wednesday-april-11/361912
  37. Adgate, Brad (17 June 2020). "Do Advertiser Boycotts Work? It Depends". Forbes.
  38. Mazza, Ed (April 6, 2018). "Laura Ingraham Dumped By Yet Another Sponsor Despite Being Off TV For A Week". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  39. Visser, Nick (April 11, 2018). "Laura Ingraham's Sponsors Still Bolting Over Comments About Parkland Survivor". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  40. http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/31/media/laura-ingraham-fox-news-week-off/index.html
  41. Daniel Politi (March 31, 2018). "Laura Ingraham Takes "Easter Break" as Advertisers Keep Fleeing Her Show". Slate. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  42. http://thehill.com/homenews/media/381083-ingraham-announces-pre-planned-vacation-amid-backlash-over-parkland-student
  43. Lisa Gutierrez (April 4, 2018). "8 things about the MyPillow guy: his drug past, why Trump loves him, a boycott". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  44. Swenson, Kyle (April 6, 2018). "From crack cocaine to Mar-a-Lago: The unusual journey of the MyPillow man". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  45. Kevin Nielsen (April 2, 2018). "Fox News president backs Laura Ingraham despite advertiser boycott over Parkland controversy". Global News. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
  46. Media Matters, Bobby Lewis, February 16, 2018, Athletes are calling out Laura Ingraham for telling LeBron James to "shut up and dribble": Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade: “They use to try and hide it.. now the president has given everyone the courage to live their truths”, Retrieved April 10, 2018
  47. The Daily Beast, Laura Ingraham Doubles Down on Lebron James Attack
  48. Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News, March 29, 2018, Maybe it’s time for Laura Ingraham to shut up, Retrieved April 10, 2018, "...Ingraham didn’t seem contrite from blowback in February after saying that basketball star LeBron James is ill-equipped ... Because he’s an athlete? Black? Either way, maybe Laura Ingraham should shut up...."
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