Conservative cable news network Newsmax is requiring all employees be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by Jan. 4, 2022, or be subject to weekly testing.
The policy was first reported by Mediaite, citing a staff-wide email.
According to the report, Newsmax’s email to staffers cited the implementation of Covid rules by Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) as its reason for instituting the new mandate.
“To ensure that we are in compliance, we require that all vaccinated employees submit a copy of their vaccination card,” said the email.
The move is a bit eyebrow-raising. The majority of the network’s hosts have publicly expressed disdain for vaccine mandates, and while the new policy isn’t necessarily forcing anyone to get the vaccine, it seems to be strongly encouraging staff to do so.
Newsmax did not immediately respond to a TVNewser request for comment. We’ll update this item if or when they do so.
Some networks are requiring staffers who work in company headquarters to be vaccinated, or face termination. CNN, for example, fired three staffers in August who came into CNN’s Hudson Yards offices unvaccinated.
Other networks, like Fox News, are giving their employees the option to get the vaccine or face daily testing. Fox News Media’s parent company Fox Corp, which also includes Fox Sports and the Fox broadcast network, has publicly stated that more than 90% of its workforce is fully vaccinated.