Fox News And Facebook To Present Pandemic Virtual Town Hall

Fox News Channel and Facebook will co-host a town hall on the global coronavirus pandemic on Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m. ET, featuring a virtual audience using Portal from Facebook smart video calling devices for the first time.

Moderated by The Story’s 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 ensures that those interacting are 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 nonprofit’s COVID-19 Response Fund.

The Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks. 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.