Fox News, White House Locked in Dispute Over Easter Egg Art Guidelines
By Jake Beardslee ·
April 4, 2024
Fox News is refusing to back down amid calls from Biden administration officials to retract its reporting on the guidelines for Easter egg designs at the White House's annual holiday event earlier this week. NASA Headquarters / NASA/Keegan Barber/Wikimedia
The White House has challenged coverage across conservative media outlets regarding the Easter Egg Roll, some of which inaccurately claimed the administration instituted a new prohibition on religious symbols for egg designs - a ban that has actually been in place for decades. The White House from Washington, DC/Wikimedia
In a rare move, the administration commended the conservative site The Daily Caller for retracting a story that falsely stated the "Biden White House 'banned children from submitting Easter eggs with religious themes'" for its Easter art contest on Monday. Eric Chan from Hollywood, United States/Wikimedia
According to Semafor, an online news platform, administration officials have registered complaints with Fox News leadership over stories on the outlet's website about the egg design rules. The White House from Washington, DC/Wikimedia
However, a Fox spokesperson defended their reporting, stating: "We stand by our reporting as it accurately quotes the '2024 Call for Youth Art' flyer which states Easter egg design submissions 'must not include any questionable content, religious symbols, overtly religious themes,'" according to The Hill. First Liberty Institute
The spokesperson added, "The story also includes on the record comments from American Egg Board President & CEO Emily Metz who explains that these longstanding guidelines are due to USDA rules." DC Central Kitchen/Wikimedia
The Fox piece, first published last Friday, notes "after publication of this article," Metz told Fox "that for the past 47 years they've partnered with the White House." National Archives at College Park - Still Pictures/Wikimedia
This dispute between the White House and Fox News over Easter egg artwork requirements is just the latest episode highlighting tensions in their relationship during President Biden's administration. The White House/Wikimedia
White House officials frequently push back on assertions made by top Fox hosts about the president, while Fox correspondents regularly grill administration spokespersons on matters like Biden's cognitive abilities, policies, and the controversies surrounding his son Hunter. The White House/Wikimedia
