Read on Twitter
1/ Fox News has always been a talk show masquerading as a news show
Today’s political environment—unprecedented partisanship, vitriol, & civic dysfunction—can be traced back to 1996 and the founding of Fox
Today’s political environment—unprecedented partisanship, vitriol, & civic dysfunction—can be traced back to 1996 and the founding of Fox
2/ In 1996, Rupert Murdoch & Roger Ailes set out to build a mainstream conservative news organization
It worked: every year since 2002, Fox has been the most-watched network in America
Fox reaches 100M households, with more viewers than all other cable-news outlets combined
It worked: every year since 2002, Fox has been the most-watched network in America
Fox reaches 100M households, with more viewers than all other cable-news outlets combined
3/ Fox injected bias into news:
Before Fox, news was impartial. In 1972, Walter Cronkite was even voted “the most trusted man in America”
Cronkite signed off every night with “And that’s the way it is”—a phrase with a certain irony in today’s era of fake news & misinformation.
Before Fox, news was impartial. In 1972, Walter Cronkite was even voted “the most trusted man in America”
Cronkite signed off every night with “And that’s the way it is”—a phrase with a certain irony in today’s era of fake news & misinformation.
4/ Fox’s lifeblood was opinion commentators, not journalists
Fox has about 1/3 the number of reporters on staff as CNN
This was the birth of the celebrity commentator—Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham
Fox has about 1/3 the number of reporters on staff as CNN
This was the birth of the celebrity commentator—Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham
5/ Anita Dunn, Obama’s comms director, put it best:
“Fox News often operates as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party…They’re widely viewed as a part of the Republican Party...Let’s not pretend they’re a news organization like CNN is.”
“Fox News often operates as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party…They’re widely viewed as a part of the Republican Party...Let’s not pretend they’re a news organization like CNN is.”
6/ In reaction to Fox, CNN and MSNBC leaned into this new mold for news. Media splintered into partisan echo chambers
(Though there’s no false equivalency here—CNN and MSNBC fact check and are real, responsible news organizations)
(Though there’s no false equivalency here—CNN and MSNBC fact check and are real, responsible news organizations)
7/ News began to look different based on what network you watched
- CNN called healthcare reform “a godsend”
- Fox called it the “lump of coal in our Christmas stocking”
- MSNBC said climate change deniers were “on the wrong side of science”
- Fox called climate change “a hoax”
- CNN called healthcare reform “a godsend”
- Fox called it the “lump of coal in our Christmas stocking”
- MSNBC said climate change deniers were “on the wrong side of science”
- Fox called climate change “a hoax”
8/ The rise of Fox foreshadowed and enabled the rise of Trump
The irony—first with Fox and then with Trump—is that both were cut from the cloth of the New York media elite, but sold themselves to conservatives as outsiders and victims
The irony—first with Fox and then with Trump—is that both were cut from the cloth of the New York media elite, but sold themselves to conservatives as outsiders and victims
9/ Fox has always camouflaged propaganda and fear-mongering as journalism.
Its motto—“Fair and Balanced”—was cover for its erosion of trust and truth.
Its motto—“Fair and Balanced”—was cover for its erosion of trust and truth.
10/ Today’s rise of far-right apps mirrors the rise of Fox. Fox broke off from mainstream news; these apps are breaking off from mainstream social media
America is at a breaking point, and it’s important to remember how we got to this moment
Fox is both a lesson & a warning.
America is at a breaking point, and it’s important to remember how we got to this moment
Fox is both a lesson & a warning.
