Post by the Scribe on Jun 27, 2021 18:05:17 GMT
Fox News Viewership Plummets First Time Behind CNN And MSNBC In Two
Business News
5.48K subscribers
Fox News Channel, owned by Rupert Murdoch's Fox Corp, has dominated the rating books since the start of the 21st-century, but over the first two weeks of 2021, it has averaged fewer viewers throughout the day than both CNN and MSNBC, and the numbers have been especially stark since the insurrection at the U. S. Capitol and the subsequent impeachment of President Trump. A Mediate post earlier this week detailed how the recent, historic news cycle has been "perfect fodder" for CNN and MSNBC. As those two networks zeroed in on chaos caused by pro-Trump supporters in and around the Capitol and the subsequent impeachment proceedings, Fox News has "opted to cover lesser stories, like tech censorship, in prime time." In addition, Newsmax and OAN, smaller rival networks that have been promoted by Trump, have chipped away at Fox's ratings. Many pundits have also pointed out the hypocrisy evident from popular Fox hosts in their coverage of the violent insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol. As of last Saturday, according to the New York Times, no Fox News prime-time star had blamed Trump for his role in inciting the riot that resulted in five deaths. On the night of Jan 6., Fox News' Tucker Carlson condemned the violence that took place, but he also expressed sympathy for many of the "deeply frustrated" Trump supporters who engaged in the attack, explaining that "millions of Americans sincerely believe the last election was fake," striking a sharp contrast to how Carlson and others have characterized protesters affiliated with the Black Lives Matters movement. Over the summer, Carlson described BLM as "poison," yet, Carlson referred to the pro-Trump mob as "kind of solid Americans." Fox News host Laura Ingraham told her viewers that night, without offering any evidence, that the rioters "were likely not all Trump supporters" and that "because of a small contingent of loons, these patriots have been unfairly maligned.""The unified wall of support for Trump has splintered after last week's assault on the Capitol," said Mark Lukasiewicz, a former TV executive and who now serves as Dean of Hofstra's School of Communication. "Tristan Harris famously said that social networks are about 'affirmation, not information' — and the same can be said about cable news, especially in primetime."In years past, Fox News has seen its audience dip after the election of Democratic presidents. This was evident in 2008 and 2012 when Barack Obama won, but the Network's ratings quickly bounced back. According to the L. A. Times, citing Nielsen data, Fox News "can fare better when railing against a White House administration rather than having to defend it."The New York Times reported earlier this week that "Trump TV” —a much-rumored media company the president might take after leaving office—“which could have posed a significant challenge for Fox News in 2021, now appears less of a threat.
All data is taken from the source: forbes.com
Article Link: www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/01/16/fox-news-viewership-plummets-first-time-behind-cnn-and-msnbc-in-two-decades/?sh=6a046cc75342