If you have ever wondered how many homes in the United States watch the popular Fox News channel, the answer is probably a resounding yes. The channel is popular with conservatives and disliked by Democrats alike. The news channel focuses on political news and is watched in over 17 million households across the nation. Here are some of the facts about Fox News. Let’s first look at its name. Its stylized all-caps name suggests that it is owned by the Fox Corporation.
Fox News is a major source of political news
For the sake of this article, we’ll assume that Fox News is a major source of political information. However, it is important to understand how this news outlet determines which stories to air. According to a recent poll, 63% of people who watch Fox News said President Trump is doing a great job in responding to the outbreak of the coronavirus, compared to less than a quarter of those who watch other news outlets. In addition, Fox News regulars were significantly more likely than the average Republican to say that Trump is handling the situation well.
As the owner of Fox, Rupert Murdoch leaned heavily on Fox to promote the conservative agenda. His political tactics centered on Fox’s coverage of controversial candidates, including Supreme Court nominees. This made Fox News an increasingly loyal propaganda machine. Unfortunately, Fox News’s cult following was revealed in the 2020 election. The network subsequently lost the election and had to accept a loss, despite its massive popularity.
It’s popular with conservatives
The popularity of Fox news can be attributed to two different reasons. One reason is the perception of trustworthiness. On the left, there is no one reliable source for news, and respondents may have falsely stated they read The New York Times or watched MSNBC. This makes it difficult for liberals to rally around one news source. The other reason is entertainment value. While Fox is a popular source for entertainment and sensational stories, many liberals use it as their political intelligence service.
The ethos of Fox is to appeal to an underserved conservative audience. Fox’s creators, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes, set out to cater to that audience. They created a formula that appealed to the tabloid instincts of their audience. Their two-fisted argumentation and emphasis on conflict captivated a mass audience. But in the past few years, their model is falling apart.
It’s distrusted by Democrats
The growing divide in America can be attributed to trends that predate the Trump administration, including the fracturing of the media landscape. The Internet spurred the growth of countless news outlets, making it easy to choose the outlet that aligns with your worldview. However, the fact remains that most Republicans distrust mainstream news outlets, while Democrats have a much lower level of trust in these outlets. So, why is it that Republicans trust Fox News so much?
The difference between distrust and trust in news sources between Republicans and Democrats is striking. While more Democrats trust The Washington Post, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN, they’re largely distrusted by Fox News. Among Democrats, Fox News is distrusted by two-thirds of the party. On the other hand, fewer Republicans are distrustful of BuzzFeed and PBS. And while they’re all partisan sources, their ratings indicate the general distrust level of the media.
It’s viewed in more than 17 million homes
When it comes to television ratings, Fox is among the leaders. The network has more than 17 million homes tuned in to its programming. Its ratings are boosted by special events, like presidential debates, which draw millions of viewers every week. The network’s ratings also surpass those of the other three major broadcast networks. During the 2004 Republican National Convention, Fox News received higher ratings than any other network, attracting more than seven million viewers during the President George W. Bush address. ABC and CBS only garnered a combined five million viewers during the same time period.
Last week, Fox News was the number one cable news network in primetime. In the key 25-54 demo, Fox News ranked number one. Its audience grew by 61%. For the seventh consecutive week, Fox News ranked number one in primetime. In fact, the network has been the number one cable news network for more than seventy million households. And for the second consecutive week, Unfiltered with Dan Bongino, which airs on Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET, and Sunday Night in America, which airs on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, were the most popular weekend shows on cable news. Each program averaged more than one million viewers and the advertiser-friendly key demo.
It’s owned by Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch is the owner of Fox News, the world’s largest broadcast network. Rupert Murdoch has been a critic of Donald Trump in private, and the former British prime minister has even said that he is “one of the world’s most dangerous men.” The president has been angry over Fox’s reports about the 2020 presidential election, the COVID pandemic, and the lack of a vaccine against the coronavirus. Several recent incidents, including the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, have led Biden to assess the media company as one of the most damaging forces in the United States.
In 2014, Murdoch’s international media conglomerate was in massive debt and he sought to reduce it by selling off his American magazine properties. In 1993, Murdoch purchased Star TV in Hong Kong as part of his plan to create a worldwide television network. Murdoch’s News Corporation partnered with MCI Communications Corporation, a major U.S. provider of long-distance telecommunications services. The combined entities launched Fox News, a news channel that has become one of the most influential news channels in the country.
