Fox news is an influential cable television network with massive reach, appealing to wide swaths of the population through stories that use pathos, ethos and logos in order to connect with its target audience.
Public figures suing media for defamation must demonstrate actual malice. Fox may face punitive damages of staggering proportions should it lose this case. Smartmatic claims that Fox repeatedly broadcast false allegations of voting machine tampering and that Giuliani and Powell supported these baseless fraud claims.
1. Megyn Kelly slams MSNBC’s Jen Psaki
Megyn Kelly took to SiriusXM Monday and attacked MSNBC’s Jen Psaki for her attempts at cable news stardom. Kelly stated on her Megyn Kelly Show that Psaki’s new MSNBC show “Inside with Jen Psaki” has seen steadily decreasing ratings since its premiere back in March; Kelly believed if Psaki had more talent behind the briefing room lectern rather than as an MSNBC host she may have chosen instead to stay at the White House instead of leaving for cable news stardom.
Kelly’s comments weren’t entirely accurate; Inside with Jen Psaki is consistently outperforming CNN rivals in total viewers and the 25-54 age demographic, including April where Psaki handily beat CNN rivals in both categories; furthermore, her MSNBC show ranks 12th overall; Megyn Kelly can’t comprehend mathematics!
2. Fox’s Tucker Carlson gets slapped
Carlson connected well with Fox’s conservative audience with his populist message about elites preying upon average Americans, but some advertisers such as Pacific Life Insurance and TD Ameritrade pulled their ads from his show due to his provocative tone.
Media Matters recently unearthed text messages sent between broadcasts that indicate Carlson may hold private opinions that contradicted those expressed on-air. One text shows him encouraging Trump supporters to kill someone.
Reports indicate the vulgar messages were sent during Carlson’s deposition for Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit and caused Fox News to severe ties with him, the New York Times reports. Though no specific reason has been provided by Fox News as to his departure, late-night hosts speculate that Carlson’s offensive text messages sent directly to executives was likely the final straw; other contributors to Fox News have noted his downplaying Capitol Insurrection on January 6 and for interviewing right-wing social media personality Andrew Tate who promotes misogynistic conspiracy theories as contributors as possible reasons.
3. A gunman stormed a Fox news headquarters in Memphis
On Tuesday afternoon in Memphis, 26-year-old Jarrad Nathan stormed a Fox news headquarters, forcing staffers to flee for their lives as his bullet ricocheted against reception area glass and fired it directly through. Staff ran from the building; Nathan then barricaded himself in a restaurant restroom until police arrived to negotiate with him before barricading himself further there before barring himself for further evaluation and possible charges including aggravated assault and reckless endangerment.
21st Century Fox, Rupert Murdoch’s media division and available in over 90 million homes worldwide. 21st Century Fox has established strong ties with key Republican Party and conservative political leaders and establishment figures, and continues to foster these relationships today.
Though Fox has long had a right-leaning bias, Baier had long enjoyed an exceptional reputation among Washington insiders and viewers for being fair and impartial when reporting news and current affairs. Unfortunately, now that leaked messages reveal his attempts at interfering in election calls through Fox, his ability to act as a political shield may be diminishing rapidly.
4. Fox’s Sean Hannity is fired
Rupert Murdoch has once more hired Douglas Wigdor’s law firm to press sexual harassment claims against Fox News, prompting Fox to consider purging its ranks of employees who may have committed such harassment, with prominent anchors such as Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro and Suzanne Scott being vulnerable candidates for dismissal.
Though Hannity may no longer face legal scrutiny, his right-wing views on issues like border walls and gun reform might put off corporate sponsors. A less provocative host may better suit Fox’s audience and bring in more advertisers.
Carlson’s internal critics were delighted when he was fired, according to sources inside the network. They were stunned that Carlson could be fired so easily and hoped it signaled a change in rhetoric on issues like vaccines, white nationalism and conspiracy theories – something many advertisers had avoided over recent years. A more moderate approach might also draw them in more effectively as advertisers might return.
